Alert archive / New York / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Albany, NY

February 23, 1990Essex County, New York

NWS Albany, NY issued this flash flood warning at Feb 23, 1990, 12:55 PM EST for Essex County, New York. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 23, 1990, 12:55 PM EST (17:55 UTC)
Expired
Feb 23, 1990, 5:00 PM EST
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Albany, NY
Area
Whole counties

County Essex County, NY

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

Albany, NY (KALB), launched 12:00Z, 5.9 hours before the alert went out and 159 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, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 1990-02-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 10 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, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 1990-02-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -147 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
10 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
800 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
98 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-147 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-70 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 KALB 231757
FFWALB
NYC019-031-232200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
1255 PM EST FRI FEB 23 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY NY HAS EXTENDED THE
FLOOD WARNING FOR THE AUSABLE RIVER UNTIL 5PM EST FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES IN NORTHERN NEW YORK...

IN NORTHERN NEW YORK
       SOUTHERN CLINTON
       NORTHERN ESSEX

AT 1245...ICE FROM UP RIVER WAS MOVING ALONG THE EAST BRANCH FROM
STICKNEY TO THE VILLAGE OF AUSABLE FORKS.   THERE WAS AN ICE JAM IN
THE AUSABLE RIVER JUST BELOW THE JUNCTION OF THE EAST AND WEST
BRANCHES.  AT THE GAGE THE WATER CAME UP OVER A FOOT IN THE PAST
30 MINUTES.   LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE AT THE SCENE AND A NUMBER OF
FAMILIES WERE EVACUATED.

AS THE WATER CONTINUES TO RISE BEHIND THE JAM...THE FLOODING IS
LIKELY TO WORSEN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO.  IF YOU/RE IN THIS AREA...
FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF YOUR LOCAL OFFICIAL.

THERE/S A GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT THE JAM BELOW THE JUNCTION OF THE
TWO BRANCHES MAY BE STARTING TO BREAK UP WITH THE INCREASED WATER
LEVELS.   THIS WOULD SEND A SURGE OF WATER AND ICE DOWN RIVER TO
KEESVILLE AND AUSABLE CHASM.  IF YOU/RE ALONG THAT PART  OF THE
RIVER...BE PREPARED FOR A SUDDEN INCREASE IN THE WATER LEVEL.
THE WATER AND ICE COULD CAUSE FLOODING TO TAKE PLACE QUICKLY AND IT
COULD DAMAGE BRIDGES AND OTHER PROPERTY ALONGSIDE THE RIVER.

AS OF EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...ROUTE 9N WAS STILL CLOSED FROM ROUTE
86 TO THE CLINTON COUNTY LINE...WITH 2 TO 3 FT OF WATER ON SOME
SECTIONS OF IT.

THE FLOODWATERS SHOULD BEGIN TO RECEDE LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

KILPATRICK

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 23, 7:45 AM EST, 5 hours 10 minutes before
NEW YORK STATEWIDE POLICE INFORMATION NETWORK
TROOP F
0746AM EST FRI FEB 23 1990
FLIB WLSR QENC
00229    FILE 28   PD LIBERTY NY0522000              FEB 23-90
TO       NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
         NYS DEPT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION - BIAM - MR. RICHARD (DOC) TAYLOR

STANDARD HYDROLOGIC EXCHANGE FORMAT

DATE OF OBSERVATION: 02/23/90   TIME OF OBSERVATION:  7:00 AM EDT

OBSERVATION ID #: LBTN6/   PERCIP: .39 /
WX: 52  /   HIGH TEMP: 48 /   LOW TEMP: 27 /   CURRENT TEMP: 48 /

NEW SNOW:     /   TOTAL SNOW ON GROUND:      /
RIVER:       /
PERCIP YESTERDAY MORNING:     /

REMARKS:BETWEEN 7-00AM YESTERDAY MORNING AND 11-00PM LAST NIGHT
.37 INCHES #OF RAIN HAD FALLEN, AND FROM 11-00PM TO 7-00AM THIS
MORNING AN ADDITIONAL .02 INCHES HAD FALLEN BRINGING TOTAL TO .39
AUTH                                     SENDER/TIME
Special weather statement, Feb 23, 8:50 AM EST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
NYZ013-MAZ006-231500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
850 AM EST FRI FEB 23 1990

RARE WINTER THUNDERSTORMS WERE RUMBLING THROUGH THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY
OF NEW YORK AND THE BERKSHIRES OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.

AT 840 AM THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM NEAR LEE MASSACHUSETTS
TO RED HOOK IN NORTHERN DUTCHESS COUNTY IN NEW YORK.  THE LINE WAS
MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE
COUNTY BY 9:30 AM...INCLUDING GREAT BARRINGTON AND SOUTHFIELD.
BRIEF STORMS WILL ALSO MOVE THROUGH MILLERTON AND MILBROOK IN
NORTHERN DUTCHESS COUNTY.

THERE WILL BE BRIEFLY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS.~..AND MAYBE SMALL HAIL
WITH THESE STORMS.

IF THE SKY BECOMES THREATENING...YOU SHOULD GO INDOORS.

SL
Special weather statement, Feb 23, 9:55 AM EST, 3 hours before
NYZ008-010>012-018>020-232000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
955 AM EST FRI FEB 23 1990

SOME SNOW IS ON THE WAY FOR EASTERN NEW YORK TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY.

OUR MILD WEATHER WILL BE RAPIDLY ENDING AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES.
THE LEADING EDGE OF MUCH COLDER AIR WAS SLOWLY PUSHING THROUGH NEW
YORK LATE THIS MORNING. TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S AND 50S WILL BE
DROPPING INTO THE 30S BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT...MOISTURE WILL PUSH BACK INTO EASTERN NEW YORK AND IT/LL BE
COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW. THE AREAS IN EASTERN NEW YORK WHICH HAVE THE
BEST POTENTIAL FOR GETTING 6 INCHES OR MORE AT THIS TIME ARE THE
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY AND THE LAKE GEORGE-SARATOGA REGION. SO...A WINTER
STORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THESE AREAS.

ELSEWHERE...SNOW IS LIKELY OVER A GOOD PORTION OF EASTERN NEW YORK
TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING BUT AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY TO BE LIGHTER.
SEVERAL INCHES COULD ACCUMULATE FROM THE CAPITAL DISTRICT ACROSS THE
NORTHERN CATSKILLS...THE EASTERN MOHAWK VALLEY AND THE ADIRONDACKS.

THE LEADING EDGE OF COLDER AIR THAT IS SWEEPING THROUGH NEW YORK THIS
MORNING WILL COME TO A STAND STILL OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST LATER
TODAY. A STORM WILL GET GOING ALONG THIS COLD FRONT AND MOVE NORTH UP
THE COAST.

AT THIS POINT ITS STILL UNCERTAIN AS TO THE EXACT TRACK AND STRENGTH
OF THE STORM. SO...STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND YOUR LOCAL
RADIO AND TV STATIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES OR WATCHES FROM YOUR
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED ABOUT 300 PM.

KANE
Local storm report, Feb 23, 9:57 AM EST, 2 hours 58 minutes before
NEW YORK STATEWIDE POLICE INFORMATION NETWORK
TROOP A
0958AM EST FRI FEB 23 1990
ACPS WLSR APTS
00082    FILE 28                                     FEB 23-90
TO           NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
                   (SPECIFY TYPE OF WEATHER OR EARTHQUAKE EVENT)

DETAILS CONCERNING EVENT:

LOCATION (INCLUDING TOWN AND NEAREST ROAD):

DATE AND TIME CONDITION STARTED:
DATE AND TIME CONDITION ENDED:
EXTENT OF DAMAGE OR AREAS IN DANGER:

NUMBER KILLED:          NUMBER INJURED:
REMARKS:
           THIS IS ONLY A TEST

AUTH PHONE #: 716 858-7773
AUTH COMM CARDARELLI                RETTIG        0956
Local storm report, Feb 23, 10:02 AM EST, 2 hours 53 minutes before
NEW YORK STATEWIDE POLICE INFORMATION NETWORK
TROOP A
1003AM EST FRI FEB 23 1990
ACPS WLSR APTS
00083    FILE 28   ERIE COUNTY CENTRAL POLICE SERV   FEB 23-90
TO           NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
                   (SPECIFY TYPE OF WEATHER OR EARTHQUAKE EVENT)

DETAILS CONCERNING EVENT: TEST

LOCATION (INCLUDING TOWN AND NEAREST ROAD): TEST

DATE AND TIME CONDITION STARTED: FEB 23 1990  1000AM TEST
DATE AND TIME CONDITION ENDED: FEB 23 1990  1000AM  TEST
EXTENT OF DAMAGE OR AREAS IN DANGER: TEST

NUMBER KILLED: 00       NUMBER INJURED: 00
REMARKS:
         THIS IS ONLY A TEST

AUTH PHONE #: 716 858-7773
AUTH COMM CARDARELLI                RETTIG        1002

The office that day

Everything else NWS Albany, NY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 23, 6:52 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningALYEssex2 hr
Feb 23, 8:55 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningALYEssex5 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New York, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

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.