Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

November 20, 1989Delaware County, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 20, 1989, 8:55 PM EST for Delaware County, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 65 min. 7 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
Nov 20, 1989, 8:55 PM EST (01:55 UTC)
Expired
Nov 20, 1989, 10:00 PM EST
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Whole counties

Counties Delaware 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Nov 20, 9:07 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 69Delaware, PA
Nov 20, 9:17 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 61Philadelphia, PA
Nov 20, 9:25 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 53Philadelphia, PA
Nov 20, 9:25 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 52Delaware, PA
Nov 20, 9:25 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 53Delaware, PA
Nov 20, 9:25 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Philadelphia, PA
Nov 20, 9:41 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Philadelphia, 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, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 87 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, Atlantic City In, NJ at 00:00Z on 1989-11-21Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Atlantic City In, NJ at 00:00Z on 1989-11-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 102 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1712 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
197 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 KPHL 210158 RRA
SVRPHL
NJC021-PAC045-101-210300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA PA
855 PM EST MON NOV 20 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHILADELPHIA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL NEW JERSEY
          ...MERCER
IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA
          ...DELAWARE...PHILADELPHIA
 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 75 MPH WERE REPORTED WITH A LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVED THROUGH THE LEHIGH AND LOWER
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS. IN POTTSTOWN PENNSYLVANIA...A NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE SPOTTER REPORTED WINDS OF 60 TO 65 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 50 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO THE WARNED COUNTIES BY
905 PM.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA...PREPARE
FOR STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING.  SHOULD THE STORM APPROACH YOU...SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER
INDOORS...BUT DO NOT STAND NEAR WINDOWS.  MOBILE HOMES ARE MOST
VULNERABLE TO HIGH WINDS AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR SOUTHEASTERN
PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY UNTIL 2 AM EDT.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH
LITTLE OR NO ADVANCED WARNING.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 20, 8:44 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks, Montgomery61 min
Nov 20, 8:44 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester61 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.