Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

October 18, 1990Franklin County, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 18, 1990, 9:05 PM EDT for Franklin County, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 55 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
Oct 18, 1990, 9:05 PM EDT (01:05 UTC)
Expired
Oct 18, 1990, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Franklin County, MA, Hampshire County, MA

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
Oct 18, 9:25 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 50Hampshire, MA

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

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 00:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 236 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, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 1990-10-19Temperature 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, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 1990-10-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 153 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1118 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
153 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
172 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 KORH 190104
SVRORH
MAC011-015-190200-

BULLETIN-IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATTION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WORCESTER MA
905 PM EDT THU OCT 18 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN

MASSACHUSETTS...FRANKLIN AND HAMPSHIRE

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CAUSED DOWNED TREES IN BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
THE LINE IS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 40 MPH AND WILL BE PASSING
THRU FRANKLIN AND HAMPSHIRE COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES GO TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY. TO
REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...ASK YOUR LOCAL POLICE TO RELAY YOUR REPORT
TO THE WORCESTER NBATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.
KEHIR

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, Oct 18, 5:49 PM EDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before
MAZALL-190200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR MASSACHUSETTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
550 PM EDT THU OCT 18 1990

A HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHERN NEW
ENGLAND EARLY TONIGHT.

WINDS BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH OCCURRED BETWEEN 4 AND 5 PM FROM MASSENA
NEW YORK TO SCRANTON PENNSYLVANIA TO WASHINGTON DC.

GUSTY SOUTH WINDS BETWEEN 25 AND 40 MPH IN NEW ENGAND THIS EVENING
WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH. A FEW LOCATIONS ALONG THE
COASTAL PLAIN OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS...AS WELL IN THE CONNECTICUT
RIVER VALLEY...AND THE HIGHEST TERRAIN OF BOTH THE BERKSHIRES AND
HIGHER TERRAIN AROUND WORCESTER SHOULD EXPERIENCE AN HOUR OR 2 OF
GUSTY WINDS BETWEEN 55 AND 60 MPH.

THE MOST FAVORABLE TIME FOR DAMAGING 60 MPH WIND GUSTS IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS IS BETWEEN 6 PM AND 9 PM AND IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
BETWEEN 8 PM AND MIDNIGHT.

A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS RACING NORTHEAST FROM EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
AND MARYLAND WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN NEW ENGLAND BETWEEN 6 AND 9 PM.

THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST NEAR ANY
THUNDERSTORMS THAT MAY OCCUR EARLY TONIGHT.

CAUTION IS ADVISED FOR ALL PEOPLE TRAVELING IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES
OR WALKING ABOUT EARLY TONIGHT.  POWER OUTAGES MAY OCCUR FROM TREE
LIMBS BREAKING WIRES AND LOOSE DEBRIS WILL BE ON THE MOVE.

WINDS WILL DIMINISH RAPIDLY AFTER A WIND SHIFT TO WEST BEGINNING IN
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS AROUND 9 OR 10 PM AND IN EAjSTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AROUND MIDNIGHT.

DRAG
Special weather statement, Oct 18, 6:37 PM EDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
RIZALL-190400

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR RHODE ISLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDENCE RI
635 PM EDT THU OCT 18 1990

...VERY STRONG WINDS WILL BATTER THE OCEAN STATE LATER TONIGHT...

...A HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES FOR ALL OF RHODE ISLAND...

STRONG SOUTH WINDS ARE PRECEDING A STRONG COLD FRONT RACING ACROSS
CENTRAL NEW YORK AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AT 6 PM.  GUSTY WINDS BETWEEN
40 AND 60 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NEW YORK STATE AND
PENNSYLVANIA LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  HERE IN THE OCEAN STATE...WINDS HAVE
BEEN GUSTING TO 30 MPH.  LATER TONIGHT...BETWEEN 9 PM AND MIDNIGHT...
WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL HIGHER
GUSTS POSSIBLE.  THE STRONG WINDS MAY DOWN POWER LINES AND TREE LIMBS
RESULTING IN POWER OUTAGES.

WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE WEST AND DIMINSH TO 10 TO 20 MPH AROUND OR JUST
AFTER MIDNIGHT AS THE FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE OCEAN STATE.
.
IF YOU WILL BE TRAVELING ACROSS THE OCEAN STATE LATER TONIGHT...BE
ALERT FOR DOWNED POWER LINES AND BRANCHES.  LOOSE OBJECTS WHICH ARE
KEPT OUTDOORS SHOULD BE SECURED OR BROUGHT INSIDE NOW.

CADIMA
Special weather statement, Oct 18, 8:08 PM EDT, 57 minutes before
CTZALL-MAZ005-190300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARTFORD CT
806 PM EDT THU OCT 18 1990

A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR CONNECTICUT AS WELL AS ALL
OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.

GUSTY SOUTH WINDS BETWEEN 25 AND 40 MILES AN HOUR IN NEW ENGLAND THIS
EVENING WILL INCREASE TO BETWWEN 40 AND 50 MILE AN HOUR.  IN THE
CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY AND THE HIGHEST TERRIAN OF THE NORTHWEST HILLS
SHOULD EXPERIENCE AN HOUR OR 2 OF GUSTY WINDS BETWEEN 55 AND 60 MILE
AN HOUR.

A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS RACING NORTHEAST FROM EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
AND MARYLAND WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN CONNECTICUT BETWEEN 8 AND 10 PM.

THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST NEAR ANY
THUNDERSTORMS THAT MAY OCCUR EARLY TONIGHT.
.
THESE STRONG WINDS COULD EASILY PRESENT PROBLEMS TO TRAVELERS.  THE
HIGHER PROFILE VEHICLES SUCH AS CAMPERS AND ESPECIALLY TRACTOR-TRAILERS
WILL NEED TO EXCERCISE THE GREATEST CAUTION.  THE WINDS SHOULD ALSO BE
STRONG ENOUGH TO DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES CAUSING SOME POWER
OUTAGES.

WINDS WILL DIMINISH RAPIDLY AFTER A WIND SHIFT TO THE WEST BEGINNING
AROUND MIDNIGHT.

WBK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 18, 9:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester60 min
Oct 18, 10:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXMiddlesex, Norfolk64 min
Oct 18, 11:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXEssex, Suffolk62 min
Oct 18, 11:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXNorfolk62 min
Oct 19, 12:44 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBristol, Plymouth61 min
Oct 19, 12:44 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXDukes61 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Massachusetts, 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.