Alert archive / New York / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Binghamton, NY

May 17, 1990Chemung County, New York

NWS Binghamton, NY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 1990, 2:32 PM EDT for Chemung County, New York. It was in force for 58 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
May 17, 1990, 2:32 PM EDT (18:32 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 1990, 3:30 PM EDT
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Binghamton, NY
Area
Whole counties

County Chemung County, NY

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
May 17, 3:30 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Chemung, NY

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

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 182 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 1990-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 96 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 1990-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 83 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
96 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
577 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
83 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBGM 171832 RRA
SVRBGM
NYC015-171930-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
232 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BINGHAMTON NY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  330 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN CENTRAL NEW YORK
          ...CHEMUNG
 
A THUNDERSTORM WITH DAMAGING STRONG GUSTY WINDS WAS NEAR ELMIRA IN
CHEMUNG COUNTY. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN
HOUR...AND WILL BE IN NORTHEAST CHEMUNG COUNTY BY 245 PM EDT. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
 
 
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.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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, May 17, 12:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
PAZ010-016-172100-

SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOOD WATCH STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILKES-BARRE SCRANTON PA
1230 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990

...A SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE POCONOS
   AND THE NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA METROPOLITAN AREA THIS AFTERNOON...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA THIS
AFTERNOON AND SOME HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE. THIS COULD RESULT IN FLOODING
OF SMALL STREAMS...AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...ESPECIALLY THOSE SECTIONS THAT
WERE DRENCHED WEDNESDAY EVENING. IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA BE PREPARED
TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND.

THE WEATHER SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS EXPECTED RAINFALL IS A COLD FRONT MOVIoNGIN FROM THE WESTERN END OF THE STATE. PRESENT INDICATIONS POINT TO IT MOVING
THROUGH THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE STATE BY LATE AFTERNOON. IMPROVING WEATHER
SHOULD FOLLOW THIS EVENING.

AJP
Special weather statement, May 17, 12:40 PM EDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
NYZ003-171900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
1240 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990

 ...A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT EARLY THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
CENTRAL SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES OF NEW YORK...

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 40 MILES AN HOUR OR
GREATER OR WINDS GUSTING TO 58 MILES AN HOUR OR GREATER ARE EXPECTED
TO LAST FOR AN HOUR OR LONGER OVER THE AREA FOR WHICH THE WARNING IS IN EFFECT.

THE STRONG WINDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT WHICH IS EXPECTED TO
MOVE RAPIDLY ACROSS CENTRAL NEW YORK THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST
WINDS WILL OCCUR WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...HOWEVER GUSTY WEST WINDS
WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REACH
THE ITHACA AND ELMIRA AREAS BETWEEN 200 AND 300 PM.

IF YOU HAVE OBJECTS OUTSIDE THAT MAY BECOME FLYING PROJECTILES SECURE
THEM PROPERLY OR BRING THEM INSIDE. QUINLA

                 (
Special weather statement, May 17, 1:39 PM EDT, 53 minutes before
PAZ007-008-010-016-180100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILKES-BARRE SCRANTON PA
140 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990

...TORNADO WATCH...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR A LARGE PORTION
OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.  IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA THE WATCH INCLUDES THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES...COLUMBIA...LACKAWANNA...LUZERNE...SUSQUEHANNA...WAYNE...
AND WYOMING.

THE THREAT OF TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...AND DAMAGING WIND WILL EXIST UNTIL 900 PM EDT.

PERSONS IN OR CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA ARE ADVISED TO BE ALERT TO LOCAL WEATHER
DEVELOPMENTS...AND SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED.

ANOTHER STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 300 PM EDT.
MJ/WSO WILKES-BARRE SCRANTON
Special weather statement, May 17, 2:02 PM EDT, 30 minutes before
NYZ004-005-172000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SYRACUSE NY
2 00 PM EDT WED MAY 16 1990

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL NEW YORK UNTIL 9 PM EDT...

A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS JUST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT
RUNS FROM FAIR HAVEN SOUTH ALONG THE WESTERN BORDER OF CAYUGA
COUNTY INTO THE SOUTHERN TIER NEAR ELMIRA.

THE LINE IS MOVING EASTWARD AT 40 TO 45 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING INTO
THE SYRACUSE AREA AROUND 3 PM.  STRONG WINDS AND BRIEFLY HEAVY
RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.  STAY
TUNED FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS AS CONDITIONS
WARRANT.

BARTHOLF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 1:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBGMSteuben58 min
May 17, 2:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBGMSchuyler, Tompkins64 min
May 17, 3:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBGMCortland, Tioga60 min
May 17, 3:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBGMBroome, Chenango65 min
May 17, 3:53 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBGMDelaware, Otsego67 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in New York, 1990Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.