Alert archive / Vermont / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 30, NWS Burlington, VT

July 4, 1990Washington County, Vermont

NWS Burlington, VT issued this flash flood warning at Jul 4, 1990, 6:06 PM EDT for Washington County, Vermont. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 4, 1990, 6:06 PM EDT (22:06 UTC)
Expired
Jul 4, 1990, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Burlington, VT
Area
Whole counties

County Washington County, VT

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

Gray, ME (KGYX), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 193 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, Gray, ME at 12:00Z on 1990-07-04Temperature 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, Gray, ME at 12:00Z on 1990-07-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 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
3605 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
198 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 KBTV 042208
FFWBTV
VTC023-050015-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
606 PM EDT WED JUL 4 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BURLINGTON VT HAS ISSUED A
FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION......
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL VERMONT
 
   ...NORTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY
 
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED ACROSS NORTHERN
WASHINGTON COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON. 3.5 INCHES OF RAIN WAS REPORTED BY A
SKYWARN SPOTTER IN WOOSTER. SOME DIRT ROADS HAVE WASHED OUT...AND MANY
CULVERTS ARE FULL IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
 
MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING.  IF YOU LIVE
IN OR NEAR THIS AREA...BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY RISING WATER.  ROADS MAY
WASH OUT WITH LITTLE WARNING.  BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
9CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

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

Special weather statement, Jul 4, 12:55 PM EDT, 5 hours 11 minutes before
VTZ001-NYZ011-041800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
1254 PM EDT WED JUL 4 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO CLINTON COUNTY NEW YORK...

...SPECIAL MARINE ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN LAKE CHAMPLAIN UNTIL
200 PM...

A SPECIAL MARINE ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR LAKE CHAMPLAIN AND ITS
SHORES FROM FORT KENT NEW YORK AND BURLINGTON NORTH TO THE CANADIAN
BORDER.

AT 1250 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL IN NORTHWEST CLINTON COUNTY JUST
NORTHWEST OF ELLENBURG DEPOT.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40
MPH.  THIS STORM WILL REACH PLATTSBURGH BY 115 PM...AND LAKE CHAMPLAIN
JUST BEFORE 130 PM.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...BE PREPARED FOR VERY HEAVY
RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SMALL
HAIL.  BOATERS ON THE NORTHERN HALF OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD HEAD TO
SHORE IMMEADIATELY UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

REYNOLDS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 12:58 PM EDT, 5 hours 8 minutes before
VTZ001-NYZ011-041800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
1254 PM EDT WED JUL 4 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO CLINTON COUNTY NEW YORK...

...SPECIAL MARINE ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN LAKE CHAMPLAIN UNTIL
200 PM...

A SPECIAL MARINE ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR LAKE CHAMPLAIN AND ITS
SHORES FROM PORT KENT NEW YORK AND BURLINGTON NORTH TO THE CANADIAN
BORDER.

AT 1250 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL IN NORTHWEST CLINTON COUNTY JUST
NORTHWEST OF ELLENBURG DEPOT.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40
MPH.  THIS STORM WILL REACH PLATTSBURGH BY 115 PM...AND LAKE CHAMPLAIN
JUST BEFORE 130 PM.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...BE PREPARED FOR VERY HEAVY
RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SMALL
HAIL.  BOATERS ON THE NORTHERN HALF OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN SHOULD HEAD TO
SHORE IMMEADIATELY UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

REYNOLDS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 2:03 PM EDT, 4 hours 3 minutes before
VTZ001-002-003-NYZ011-041900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
201 PM EDT WED JUL 4 1990

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER NORTHERN NEW YORK AND VERMONT...

AT 155 PM...A THUNDERSTORM PORDUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS IN
SOUTHWEST FRANKLIN COUNTY VERMONT NEAR ST. ALBANS. THIS THUNDERSTORM
WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN SOUTHERN FRANKLIN
AND NORTHERN CHITTENDEN COUNTIES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HEAVY
RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL.

ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS EAST OF SOUTH
BOXTON QUEBEC. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE OVER NORTHERN
VERMONT...NORTHERN NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN QUEBEC. THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE NORTH OF A LINE FROM SARANAC LAKE NEW YORK TO
BURLINGTON TO THE CANADIAN BORDER NEAR CANAAN VERMONT IN ESSEX COUNTY.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS
TODAY...KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKIES AND MOVE TO A STURDY SHELTER IF
THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA.

END...AS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 2:49 PM EDT, 3 hours 17 minutes before
NYC019-VTC001-005-007-009-011-013-015-017-019-021-023-027-042045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
248 PM EDT WED JUL 4 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF VERMONT AND
NORTHERN NEW YORK UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING.

AT 245 PM...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WERE NEAR
ELLENBURG DEPOT NEW YORK...JUST SOUTH OF ST. ALBANS AND NORTH OF
UNDERHILL IN CHITTENDEN COUNTY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS THAT COVERED MUCH OF NORTHERN NEW YORK...NORTHERN
VERMONT AND SOUTHERN QUEBEC. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE NORTH
OF A LINE FROM RAY BROOK NEW YORK TO BURLINGTON TO MONTPELIER.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN
HOUR. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THUNDERSTORMS THAT
MAY PASS THROUGH YOUR AREA. BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER SINCE THE STORMS
MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WXINDS AND SMALL HAIL.

KEEP TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO AND TELEVISION
FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY 500 PM.

END...AS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 4:09 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
VTZ001-002-003-NYZ011-042115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT
408 PM EDT WED JUL 4 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN NEW YORK AND
VERMONT...

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CLINTON COUNTY NEW
YORK AND ALL OF VERMONT EXCEPT BENNINGTON AND WINDHAM COUNTIES UNTIL
1000 PM...

AT 400 PM...RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR MASSENA
NEW YORK TO NEAR PLATTSBURGH...AND EAST INTO MUCH OF NORTHERN VERMONT
AND NORTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE.  IN VERMONT...THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS
FALLING NEAR BURLINGTON...BRADFORD IN ORANGE COUNTY...AND FROM
PLATTSBURGH TO UNDERHILL VERMONT.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.  IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF
ANY OF THESE STORMS...BE PREPARED FOR VERY HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL.  TAKE SHELTER UNTIL
THE STORMS PASS.

REYNOLDS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Burlington, VT issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 4, 4:18 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBTVLamoille117 min
Jul 4, 7:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBTVWashington44 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Vermont, 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.