Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Indianapolis, IN

March 17, 1989Elkhart County, Indiana; Cass County, Michigan

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 17, 1989, 9:25 PM EST for Elkhart County, Indiana; Cass County, Michigan. It was in force for 35 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 17, 1989, 9:25 PM EST (02:25 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 1989, 10:00 PM EST
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Elkhart County, IN, Cass County, MI

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

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 00:00Z, 2.4 hours before the alert went out and 232 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, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1989-03-18Temperature 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, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1989-03-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 331 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
604 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
89 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
331 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
946 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 KSBN 180225
SVRSBN
INC039-MIC027-180300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SOUTH BEND IN
925 PM EST FRI MAR 17 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SOUTH BEND HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA
          ...NORTHWESTERN ELKHART
IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
          ...SOUTHERN CASS
 
AT 920 PM EST...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL
HAD JUST PAST THE MICHIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT IN SOUTH BEND. THE HAIL
WAS REPORTED TO HAVE COVERED THE GROUND IN SOME AREAS. ALSO SOME POWER
OUTAGES RESULTED FROM THE LARGE HAIL.
 
THE STORM IS MOVING VERY RAPIDLY NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. SOME TOWNS IN
THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE ELKHART INDIANA AS WELL AS ADAMSVILLE
AND UNION MICHIGAN.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

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, Mar 17, 8:05 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
805 PM EST FRI MAR 17 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT OVER MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL INDIANA
UNTIL 100 AM.

AT 800 PM...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO NORTHWEST
INDIANA ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE. THE PRECIPITATION WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

AN AREA OF STRONGER STORMS WAS OVER EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND WILL
BE MOVING INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA NORTH OF INTERSTATE 74 BETWEEN 800
AND 900 PM.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORALBE FOR TORNADOES AND
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE
AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND
LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
DS
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 8:39 PM EST, 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
840 PM EST FRI MAR 17 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT OVER MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL INDIANA
UNTIL 100 AM.

AT 830 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTHWEST INDIANA 30 MILES
WEST OF LAFAYETTE...AMATEUR RADIO REPORTED 50 MPH WINDS NEAR FOWLER.
THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING NEAR OXFORD BEFORE 900 PM. PEOPLE IN OXFORD
SHOULD REMAIN INSIDE.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS COdNDITIONS ARE FAVORALBE FOR TORNADOES AND
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE
AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND
LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

DS
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 9:01 PM EST, 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA
900 PM EST FRI MAR 17 1989

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT OVER MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL INDIANA
UNTIL 100 AM.

AT 855 PM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTHWEST INDIANA FROM 25
MILES NORTH OF LAFAYETTE TO 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE...OR
FROM AROUND MONON THROUGH WEST LAFAYETTE TO WAYNETOWN. WINDS OF UP TO
50 MILES PER HOUR HAVE OCCURRED IN THESE STORMS.

THE ST{ORMS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH MONTICELLO...LAFAYETTE AND LINDEN
BY 930 PM. STAY INSIDE IF YOU LIVE IN THOSE AREAS.

DS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 8:36 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDLaPorte54 min
Mar 17, 8:52 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDSaint Joseph38 min
Mar 17, 9:19 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDCarroll, Clinton26 min
Mar 17, 9:28 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDHoward, Tipton32 min
Mar 17, 11:16 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDWarren29 min
Mar 17, 11:47 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDTippecanoe28 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 1989Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 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.