Alert archive / Connecticut / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 34, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

August 21, 1989Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 21, 1989, 4:21 PM EDT for Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut. It was in force for 54 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 21, 1989, 4:21 PM EDT (20:21 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 1989, 5:15 PM EDT
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

County Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 178 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 1989-08-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 841 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 1989-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 130 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
841 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-65 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
869 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
130 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KBDL 212022
SVRBDL
CTC011-212115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARTFORD CT
421 PM EDT MON AUG 21 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HARTFORD HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  515 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN  CONNECTICUT
          ...NEW LONDON
 
A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED SOUTH OF NORWICH WILL LIKELY HAVE
WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AND MAY HAVE LARGE HAIL. THIS
THUNDERSTORM CLUSTER HAS HAD A HISTORY OF HIGH WINDS AND HAIL AS IT
MOVED THROUGH THE HARTFORD AREA AFTER 300 PM. RESIDENTS OF NEW LONDON
COUNTY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF HIGH WIND
GUSTS...EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING AND HAIL AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS THE STORM
MOVES EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
 
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE  OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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 21, 1:55 PM EDT, 2 hours 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR CONNECTICUT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
155 PM EDT MON AUG 21 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT...

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON.

AT 130 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BRADLEY INDICATED
A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHERN COLUMBIA COUNTY OF NEW YORK
STATE MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

RESIDENTS IN LITCHFIELD COUNTY..ESPECIALLY IN THE TACONIC..TWIN LAKES..
AND CANAAN AREAS CAN EXPECT TO SEE THSE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INTO THE
AREA WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR.

IF YOU SEE THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH..TAKE SHELTER AND LISTEN TO
YOUR RADIO..TV..OR NOAA WEA3THER RADIO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

BTS
Local storm report, Aug 21, 3:17 PM EDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WINDSOR LOCKS, CT
314 PM EDT MON AUG 21 1989

TIME                     EVENT
 307 PM EDT ....SPOTTER REPORT...HIGH WINDS IN AVON, CT SUFFICIENT
                TO MOVE LARGE TREES AROUND.
308 PM EDT....SPOTTER REPORT...WEST HARTFORD...NICKEL SIZE HAIL.

310 PM EDT...SPOTTER REPORT...RTE. 44...HALFWAY UP AVON MTN.
             3/4 INCH HAIL.

BB
Local storm report, Aug 21, 3:21 PM EDT, 1 hour before
STORM REPORT...ADDITIONAL REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WINDSOR LOCKS, CT
318 PM EDT MON AUG 21 1989

TIME                     EVENT
 307 PM EDT ....SPOTTER REPORT...HIGH WINDS IN AVON, CT SUFFICIENT
                TO MOVE LARGE TREES AROUND.
308 PM EDT....SPOTTER REPORT...WEST HARTFORD...NICKEL SIZE HAIL.

310 PM EDT...SPOTTER REPORT...RTE. 44...HALFWAY UP AVON MTN.
             3/4 INCH HAIL.

317 PM EDT...REPORT FROM FORMER NWS EMPLOYEE...WIND GSTS TO 67 MPH
             IN DOWNTOWN HARTFORD AT WTIC TV STUDIOS.

BB
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 3:41 PM EDT, 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR MASSACHUSETTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
330 PM EDT MON AUG 21 1989

...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS...

AT 315 PM THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE STATE.  THE
STRONGEST ONES WERE LOCATED ALONG THE BORDER OF CONNECTICUT AND RHODE
ISLAND.  ONE WAS WEST OF FOXBORO...ANOTHER SOUTH OF BROCKTON AND
ANOTHER ONE...NEAR ACTON WAS HEADING TOWARD CONCORD.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE STATE...MOSTLY IN
THE SOUTHERN PART...AND MOVE TOWARD THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 30
MPH.  VERY HEAVY RAIN...POSSIBLY HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL
ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STORMS.

IF YOU CAN...DELAY ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITY TIL LATER TONIGHT...WHEN THE
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE OUT TO SEA.

THE HEAVY RAIN FROM SOME OF THE STORMS MAY CAUSE ROAD FLOODING...AND
MOTORISTS SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS WHEN DRIVING...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE
OVER A FLOODED ROADWAY WHERE THE DEPTH OF WATER IS NOT OBVIOUS.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TV...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER FORECASTS
AND STATEMENTS.

BTS
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 3:58 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR RHODE ISLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDENCE RI
355 PM EDT MON AUG 21 1989

AT 345 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
ACROSS NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND.  THESE STORMS CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY
WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WHICH HAS RESULTED IN FLOODING OF ROADWAYS
AND AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SLOWLY EAST
AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE DURING THE
NEXT TWO HOURS.

ANTOHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND
VIVID LIGHTNING WERE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN CONNECTICUT.
THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO AFFECT WESTERN RHODE ISLAND WITHIN
THE NEXT HOUR.

PERSONS LIVING IN THE PATH OF THE THESE STORMS SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS
UNTIL THE THREATENING WEATHER PASSES.

VALLEE
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 4:00 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR CONNECTICUT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
350 PM EDT MON AUG 21 1989

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
   CONNECTICUT UNTIL 7 PM EDT...

AT 350 PM EDT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHES FROM NORTHERN RHODE
ISLAND....JUST SOUTH OF HARTFORD...TO JUST SOUTH OF POUGHKEEPSIE NY.
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE LOCATED ALONG THIS LINE AND ALSO IN FAIRFIELD
COUNTY.  AT THIS TIME THE THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH ARE MOVING EAST TO
SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH DO NOT EXHIBIT SEVERE SIGNATURES...BUT SOME HAVE
HAD A HISTORY OF SEVERE WEATHER AND THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL
HIGH WINDS OR LARGE HAIL EXISTS ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF THIS LINE.

IF YOU SEE THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH..TAKE SHELTER AND PAY ATTENTION
TO RADIO..TV..OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

SEVERAL REPORTS OF 3/4 TO 1 INCH HAIL AND A WIND GUST TO 67 MPH WERE
RECORDED BETWEEN 300 AND 330 PM IN THE GREATER HARTFORD AREA.
BB

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 2:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXNorthwest Hills Planning Region58 min
Aug 21, 2:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXCapitol Planning Region49 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Connecticut, 1989Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1989

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.