Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 38, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 17, 1988, 6:27 PM EDT for Bucks County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 33 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 17, 1988, 6:27 PM EDT (22:27 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 17, 1988, 7:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Bucks County, PA, Montgomery County, PA, Philadelphia County, PA
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 6:30 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 82 | Philadelphia, PA | |
| Aug 17, 6:35 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Montgomery, PA | |
| Aug 17, 6:55 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 61 | Bucks, PA |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Atlantic City In, NJ (KACY), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 101 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1851 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 33 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 223 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KPHL 172229
SVRPHL
PAC017-091-101-172300-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA PA
627 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHILADELPHIA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 700 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA
...SOUTHERN BUCKS...SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY...PHILADELPHIA
AT 626 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
IN SOUTHERN BUCKS AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES IN
PENNSYLVANIA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND
60 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO PHILADELPHIA COUNTY BY 635 PM.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA...BE
PREPARED FOR STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. SHOULD THE STORM APPROACH YOU...SEEK
IMMEDIATE SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO HIGH WINDS
AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED.What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 5:39 PM EDT, 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA
534 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1988
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 6 PM TILL 11 PM FOR SOUTHEAST
PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY INCLUDING THE
PHILADELPHIA METROPOLITAN AREA...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR MUCH OF SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. THE WATCH
AREA INCLUDES ALL OF THE PHILADELPHIA METROPOLITAN AREA.
IN PENNSYLVANIA THIS INCLUDES BUCKS...CHESTER...MONTGOMERY...
DELAWARE AND PHILADELPHIA COUNTIES. IN NEW JERSEY THE COUNTIES
OF MERCER...BURLINGTON...CAMDEN...GLOUCESTER...SALEM ARE IN THE
WATCH AREA.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY
BE ACCOMPANIED BY WIND GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER AND HAIL 3/4
INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER.
AT 530 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN A LINE FROM
JUST NORTH OF ALLENTOWN PENNSYLVANIA THROUGH WESTERN LEHIGH
AND BERKS COUNTIES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST
AROUND 60 MPH AND WILL REACH NORTHERN PARTS
OF THE PHILADELPHIA AREA BY 6 PM. THESE STORMS MAY
CONTAIN STRONG DAMAGING WINDS..FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...
AND HAIL.
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
SPSpecial weather statement, Aug 17, 5:39 PM EDT, 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTIC CITY NJ 535 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT... THUNDERSTORMS WERE PLOWING THROUGH EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK STATE. RADAR SHOWED A SMALL BUT VERY STRONG LINE MOVING THROUGH PARTS OF COLUMBIA...CARBON AND MONROE COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA...AND ANOTHER LINE EXTENDING FROM POUGHKEEPSIE ON THE HUDSON RIVER TO PASSAIC AND WARREN COUNTIES IN NORTHERN JERSEY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST OVER 60 MPH. STRONG WINDS...HAIL...LIGHTNING AND BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN IS GOING TO ACCOMPANY THIS AREA. SINCE THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SO QUICK REACTION TIME IS MUCH SHORTER THAN WITH MOST STORMS IN THE EVENT A WARNING IS ISSUED THIS EVENING. EBERWINE
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 5:46 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
ABPA- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALLENTOWN PA 540 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1988 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR BERKS...LEHIGH...SCHUYLKILL...NORTHAMTON AND CARBON COUNTIES. THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINS EXIST UNTIL 11 PM THIS EVENING. AT 538 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OVER SCHUYLKILL AND CARBON COUNTIES MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO BERKS AND LEHIGH COUNTIES WITHIN THE HOUR. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE ALERT TO CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER WHEN THESE STORMS APPROACH. $$BLACKBURN
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 5:55 PM EDT, 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA
555 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1988
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 6 PM TILL 11 PM FOR SOUTHEAST
PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY INCLUDING THE
PHILADELPHIA METROPOLITAN AREA...
AT 545 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF
HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS FROM AROUND EASTON PENNSYLVANIA TO NEAR READING
PENNSYLVANIA. THIS LINE WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 60 MPH AND
WILL MOVE INTO BUCKS AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES BY 6 PM.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HAIL.
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE.
STAY AWAY FROM TALL TREES AND METAL OBJECTS. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH
FLOODED ROADWAYS.
SPSpecial weather statement, Aug 17, 6:17 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA
617 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1988
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 6 PM TILL 11 PM FOR SOUTHEAST
PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY INCLUDING THE
PHILADELPHIA METROPOLITAN AREA...
AT 615 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF
HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS FROM CENTRAL MERCER COUNTY NEW JERSEY THROUGH
CENTRAL BUCKS...NORTHERN MONTGOMERY AND CENTRAL BERKS COUNTIES
IN PENNSYLVANIA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH
THE REST OF SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE NEARBY COUNTIES
IN NEW JSESEY FROM MERCER COUNTY SOUTH TO SALEM COUNTY BETWEEN
NOW AND 730 PM.
THESE ARE VERY FAST MOVING STORMS AND MAY CONTAIN STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING. BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER.
SPSpecial weather statement, Aug 17, 6:18 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA
617 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1988
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 6 PM TILL 11 PM FOR SOUTHEAST
PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY INCLUDING THE
PHILADELPHIA METROPOLITAN AREA...
AT 615 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF
HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS FROM CENTRAL MERCER COUNTY NEW JERSEY THROUGH
CENTRAL BUCKS...NORTHERN MONTGOMERY AND CENTRAL BERKS COUNTIES
IN PENNSYLVANIA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH
THE REST OF SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE NEARBY COUNTIES
IN NEW JERSEY FROM MERCER COUNTY SOUTH TO SALEM COUNTY BETWEEN
NOW AND 730 PM.
THESE ARE VERY FAST MOVING STORMS AND MAY CONTAIN STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING. BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER.
CORRECTION FOR TYPO
SPNearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1988Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1988
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.