Alert archive / Vermont / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Burlington, VT

August 6, 1989Orleans County, Vermont

NWS Burlington, VT issued this tornado warning at Aug 6, 1989, 7:26 PM EDT for Orleans County, Vermont. It was in force for 49 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 6, 1989, 7:26 PM EDT (23:26 UTC)
Expired
Aug 6, 1989, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Burlington, VT
Area
Whole counties

County Orleans County, VT

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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 6, 7:35 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Orleans, VT

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

Gray, ME (KGYX), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 189 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, Gray, ME at 12:00Z on 1989-08-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Gray, ME at 12:00Z on 1989-08-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 57 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3597 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
57 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
77 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBTV 062325 RRA
TORBTV
VTC019-070015-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
726 PM EDT SUN AUG 6 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BURLINGTON VT HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL VERMONT
          ...ORLEANS
 
AT 720 PM A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS 5 MILES NORTH OF GREENSBORO IN
SOUTHERN ORLEANS COUNTY. THE STORM IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST TOWARDS
ISLAND POND.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ONE THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 6, 1:35 PM EDT, 5 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
130 PM EDT SUN AUG 6 1989

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN VERMONT AND
NORTHERN NEW YORK UNTIL 800 PM EDT TONIGHT.

AT 130 PM THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE ALONG THE CHAMPLAIN
VALLEY OF NEW YORK. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE NEAR SCHROON RIVER...JUST
SOUTHWEST OF TICONDEROGA AND JUST NORTH OF ELLENBURG DEPOT. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE
INTO THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY OF VERMONT DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
POSSIBLE HAIL. BOATERS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD KEEP AN EYE OUT CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITION AND SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

END...AS
Special weather statement, Aug 6, 2:26 PM EDT, 5 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
225 PM EDT SUN AUG 6 1989

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN VERMONT AND
NORTHERN NEW YORK UNTIL 800 PM TONIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOPE ACROSS MUCH OF VERMONT...NORTHEAST
NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN QUEBEC.

AT 220 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM MONTREAL TO PLATTSBURGH
TO MIDDLEBURY.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL CROSS
FRANKLIN...GRAND ISLE...CHITTENDEN AND ADDISON COUNTIES BY 300 PM.
BOATERS ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD HEAD TO SHORE IMMEDIATELY.

ANOTHER LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM MONTREAL TO MASSENA. THESE
WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN ST. LAWRENCE..
FRANKLIN AND CLINTON COUNTIES OVER THE NEXT 2 HOURS.

^

MANY OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR
AREA TAKE SHELTER.

END..RC
Special weather statement, Aug 6, 3:09 PM EDT, 4 hours 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
305 PM EDT SUN AUG 6 1989

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN VERMONT AND
NORTHERN NEW YORK UNTIL 800 PM TONIGHT.

AT 300 PM A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE STRONG WINDS
AND HAIL WAS LOCATED NORTHWEST OF BRATTLEBORO IN WINDHAM COUNTY. THE
STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN BRATTLEBORO AND
PUTNEY SHOULD PREPARE FOR HEAVY RAIN AS WELL AS STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
POSSIBLE HAIL.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE SCATTERED ACROSS VERMONT...NORTHEAST
NEW YORK AND SOUTHER QUEBEC. THE THUNDERSTORM WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL
WAS JUST NORTH OF ST. ALBANS VERMONT.

THE SHO6WERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

^

MANY OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR
AREA TAKE SHELTER.

END...AS
Special weather statement, Aug 6, 4:12 PM EDT, 3 hours 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
410 PM EDT SUN AUG 6 1989

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN VERMONT AND
NORTHERN NEW YORK UNTIL 800 PM TONIGHT.

AT 400 PM A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE STRONG WINDS
AND SMALL HAIL WAS LOCATED ACROSS NORTHERN GRAND ISLE AND NORTHWEST
FRANKLIN COUNTIES IN VERMONT. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25
MILES AN HOUR. THIS STORM SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE HIGHGATE AND SWANTON
AREA BY 430 PM.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE NEAR DANVILLE VERMONT IN
ORLEANS COUNTY AND EAST OF NEWCOMB NEW YORK IN ESSEX COUNTY. OTHER
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM WERE SCATTERED ABOUT SOUTHERN QUEBEC...EASTERN
NEW YORK AND EASTERN VERMONT.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
^

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU AREA...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

END...AS
Local storm report, Aug 6, 6:21 PM EDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON, VT
606 PM EDT SUN AUG 06 1989

440 PM SUN AUG 6 1989 EAST BURKE VT (CALEDONIA CO) TREES BLOWN DOWN IN
                      IN AN AREA ONE-HALF MILE LONG AND 300 YARDS WIDE.
                      REPORT FROM COOPERATIVE OBSERVER.

435 PM SUN AUG 6 1989 MAIDSTONE LAKE VT (ESSEX CO) POWER LINES AND TREES
                      DOWN. REPORTED BY SAINT JOHNSBURY STATE POLICE

440 PM SUN AUG 6 1989 GUILDHALL VT (ESSEX CO) TREES BLOWN DOWN IN A 300
                      YARD PATH. REPORTED BY SAINT JOHNSBURY STATE
                      POLICE.

535 PM SUN AUG 6 1989 BRISTOL VT (ADDISON CO) BROKEN TREES AND POWER
                      LINES CAUSED P3OWER OUTAGES. REPORTED BY STATE
                      POLICE IN MIDDLEBURY.

545 PM SUN AUG 6 1989 MIDDLEBURY VT (ADISON CO) LARGE TREES BLOCKING
                      ROUTE 7. REPORTED BY SKYWARN OBSERVER.

END/RM

The office that day

Everything else NWS Burlington, VT issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 6, 4:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBTVEssex46 min
Aug 6, 5:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBTVAddison47 min
Aug 6, 5:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBTVBennington50 min
Aug 6, 6:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBTVRutland54 min
Aug 6, 6:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBTVOrange61 min
Aug 6, 7:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBTVEssex, Orleans60 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Vermont, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.