Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 43, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 24, 1988, 9:06 PM EDT for Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 54 min. 1 report 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 24, 1988, 9:06 PM EDT (01:06 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 24, 1988, 10:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 54 min
- Issued by
- NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
- Area
- Whole counties
County 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 24, 9:10 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Philadelphia, 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 00:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 82 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
- 296 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -30 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1215 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 12 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 26 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 250106
SVRPHL
PAC101-250200-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA PA
906 PM EDT WED AUG 24 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTY
IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF PENNSYLVANIA
PHILADELPHIA
AT 9 PM EDT A WEATHER SERVICE SPOTTER REPORTED WINDS ESTTIMATED
AT 60 TO 75 MILES AN HOUR 2 MILES NORTH OF THE NORTH PHILADELPHIA
AIRPORT.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM AND PEOPLE IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD BE
PREPARED FOR STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN
AND LIGHTNING. SHOULD THE STORM APPROACH YOU...SEEK IMMEDILATE
SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO HIGH WINDS AND
SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
HEAVY RAINS WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY CAUSE FLOODING
OF SMALL STREAMS AND UNDERPASSES.
ACSWhat 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 24, 7:54 PM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT SOUTHERN EASTERN PA. AND NORTHERN DEL. CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA 753 PM EDT WED AUG 24 1988 ...HEAVY THUNDERSTORM CONTINUES OVER WESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY... AT 730 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM OVER WESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR. A SECOND THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHERN BERKS COUNTY APPEARS TO BE MOVING EAST ALSO...ALONG THE SAME PATH. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS FROM THIS SECOND STORM MAY PRODUCE STREET AND HIGHWAY FLOODING AND ALSO FLOODING IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. SMALL CREEKS AND DRAINAGE DITCHES MAY FILL VERY RAPIDLY WITH WATER MOVING SWIFTLY. PERSONS AND MOTORISTS SHOULD AVOID SUCH AREAS IF POSSIBLE. RADAR ALSO SHOWED A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTH OF CHESTER COUNTY AND MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL ENTER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE BETWEEN 8 AND 9 ?PM EDT. IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. ACS
Special weather statement, Aug 24, 8:25 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR SOUTHEASTERN PA AND NORTHERN DE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA 824 PM EDT WED AUG 24 1988 ...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CENTRAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY MOVING INTO CENTRAL AND EASTERN BUCKS COUNTY... AT 830 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED TWO THUNDERSTORMS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. ONE IN THE CENTER OF THE COUNTY NEAR SKIPPACK AND THE OTHER IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART NEAR MONTGOMERYVILLE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL ENTER CENTRAL AND EASTERN BUCKS COUNTY BETWEEN 830 AND 9 PM EDT. THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING EACH OTHER AND FLOODING OF HIGHWAYS AND DRAINAGE DITCHES IS POSSIBLE DUE TO THE HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WI TH THESE STORMS. RADAR ALSO SHOWER A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM JUST WEST OF WILMINGTON DELAWARE AND MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR. IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. ACS
Special weather statement, Aug 24, 8:30 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR SOUTHEASTERN PA AND NORTHERN DE CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA, PA 830 PM EDT WED AUG 24 1988 ...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CENTRAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY MOVING INTO CENTRAL AND EASTERN BUCKS COUNTY... AT 830 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED TWO THUNDERSTORMS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. ONE IN THE CENTER OF THE COUNTY NEAR SKIPPACK AND THE OTHER IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART NEAR MONTGOMERYVILLE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL ENTER CENTRAL AND EASTERN BUCKS COUNTY BETWEEN 830 AND 9 PM EDT. THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING EACH OTHER AND FLOODING OF HIGHWAYS AND DRAINAGE DITCHES IS POSSIBLE DUE TO THE HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS. RADAR ALSO SHOWED A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM JUST WEST OF WILMINGTON DELAWARE AND MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR. IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. ACS
Special weather statement, Aug 24, 8:48 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
^PHLSPSACY SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTIC CITY NJ 845 PM EDT WED AUG 24 1988 ...DO NOT USE AFTER 10 PM... AT 830 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING OVER SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SOUTHWEST TO NORTHERN DELAWARE AND THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF MARYLAND. ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG STORMS WAS LOCATED OVER THE UPPER AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS. THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER MONTGOMERY...BUCKS...AND SOUTHERN COLUMBIA COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA...AS WELL AS THE EXTREME NORTHEAST CORNER OF MARYLAND. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH AND WILL ENTER SOUTHWESTERN NEW JERSEY WITHIN 5THE NEXT HOUR. THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY... STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND SMALL HAIL. NESMITH
Special weather statement, Aug 24, 8:55 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
^PHLSPSACY SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTIC CITY NJ 845 PM EDT WED AUG 24 1988 ...DO NOT USE AFTER 10 PM... AT 830 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING OVER SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SOUTHWEST TO NORTHERN DELAWARE AND THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF MARYLAND. ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG STORMS WAS LOCATED OVER THE UPPER AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS. THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER MONTGOMERY...BUCKS...AND SOUTHERN COLUMBIA COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA...AS WELL AS THE EXTREME NORTHEAST CORNER OF MARYLAND. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH AND WILL ENTER SOUTHWESTERN NEW JERSEY WIT?HIN THE NEXT HOUR. THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND SMALL HAIL. NESMITH
Special weather statement, Aug 24, 9:02 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
ABPA- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALLENTOWN PA 855 PM EDT WED AUG 24 1988 ...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH SCHUYLKILL AND CARBON COUNTIES... AT 855 PM THIS EVENING RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH WERE VERY HEAVY...EXTENDING FROM NEAR WILKES-BARRE SOUTHWEST THROUGH NORTHWEST CARBON AND CENTRAL SCHUYLKILL COUNTIES. THE HEAVIEST OF THIS ACTIVITY WAS NEAR THE MINERSVILLE-POTTSVILLE AREA OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD THE EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND SHOULD MOVE INTO THE LEHIGH VALLEY AROUND 10PM. PERSONS IN EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE SOUTHEASTWARDE TOWARD NEW JERSEY OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS. $$LOEPER
The office that day
Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 8:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Bucks | 60 min |
Nearby
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.