Alert archive / Maine / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 1, NWS Gray, ME
NWS Gray, ME issued this tornado warning at Jul 20, 1990, 3:23 PM EDT for Cumberland County, York County, Maine. It was in force for 52 min. 4 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
- Jul 20, 1990, 3:23 PM EDT (19:23 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 20, 1990, 4:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 52 min
- Issued by
- NWS Gray, ME
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Cumberland County, ME, York County, ME
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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 3:25 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | York, ME | |
| Jul 20, 3:40 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | York, ME | |
| Jul 20, 3:45 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Cumberland, ME | |
| Jul 20, 4:10 PM EDT | Hail 1.75 | Cumberland, ME |
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
Gray, ME (KGYX), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 36 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 3583 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 72 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 107 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KPWM 201922
TORPWM
MEC005-031-202015-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND ME
323 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORTLAND HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 415 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN MAINE
...SOUTHERN CUMBERLAND...NORTHERN YORK
AT 309 PM THE NEUFIELD FIRE DEPT. REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND.
THIS STORM IS MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS STORM WILL ALSO PRODUCE
DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN YORK
COUNTY. THIS STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH LIMINGTON...STANDISH...GORHAM AND
BETWEEN WINDHAM AND PORTLAND BY 415 PM.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BOiDY. AVOID WINDOWS.
END/SJCWhat forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 20, 1:04 PM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
NHZALL-201900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORD NH 100 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL NEW HAMPSHIRE... AT 1250 PM...A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY STRONG GUSTY WINDS HAS RAPIDLY DEVELOPED JUST NORTHWEST OF THE DURHAM AREA IN SOUTHERN STRAFFORD COUNTY AND WILL MOVE EAST AND INTO SOUTHWEST MAINE WITHIN THE NEXT HALF HOUR. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR PLYMOUTH IN SOUTHERN GRAFTON COUNTY AND WILL MOVE EAST AND JUST NORTH OF THE LAKE OSSIPEE AREA IN THE NEXT HOUR. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE QUICK TO DEVELOP IN THE HOT AND HUMID AIR OVER THE STATE DURING THE AFTERNOON. IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN ANY OUTSIDE ACTIVITY KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY AND SEEK SHELTER AT THE FIRST SIGN OF ANY THREATENING WEATHER. WL
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 1:07 PM EDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
MEZALL-180300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SPECIAL MARINE STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND ME 105 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING INTO YORK COUNTY OF SOUTHERN MAINE AT 100 PM... AT 100 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN PORTLAND SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM JUST MOVING INTO SOUTHERN YORK COUNTY. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE BERWICKS TO THE COAST FROM KENNEBUNKPORT TO KITTERY. THE STORM WILL CONTINUE MOVING...EAST AT ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR...ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SHELTER. MOTORISTS... ESPECIALLY ALONG THE MAINE TURNPIKE...SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SLOW DOWN IF VISIBILITIES ARE QUICKLY REDUCED IN HEAVY RAIN. BOATERS SHOULD TAKE NECCESARY PRECAUTIONS FOR STRONG WINDS AND ABRUPT WIND SHIFTS. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NECESSARY. CAPRIOLA/WSFO PORTLAND
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 1:08 PM EDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
MEZALL-201900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SPECIAL MARINE STATEMENT ... CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND ME 105 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING INTO YORK COUNTY OF SOUTHERN MAINE AT 100 PM... AT 100 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN PORTLAND SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM JUST MOVING INTO SOUTHERN YORK COUNTY. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE BERWICKS TO THE COAST FROM KENNEBUNKPORT TO KITTERY. THE STORM WILL CONTINUE MOVING...EAST AT ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR...ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS BY 200 PM. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SHELTER. MOTORISTS... ESPECIALLY ALONG THE MAINE TURNPIKE...SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SLOW DOWN IF VISIBILITIES ARE QUICKLY REDUCED IN HEAVY RAIN. BOATERS SHOULD TAKE NECCESARY PRECAUTIONS FOR STRONG WINDS AND ABRUPT WIND SHIFTS. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NECESSARY. CAPRIOLA/WSFO PORTLA
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:14 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
MEZALL-202000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SPECIAL MARINE STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND ME 215 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHERN MAINE AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS... AT 200 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN PORTLAND SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM JUST MOVING INTO NORTHERN YORK COUNTY...JUST SOUTH OF ROUTE 25. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL AS IT MOVES EAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS STORM WILL CROSS JUST SOUTH OF SEBAGO LAKE THEN REACH THE PORTLAND AREA BY 315 PM...AND THEN MOVE OFF THE COAST. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS...JUST EAST OF OGUNQUIT OF SOUTHERN YORK COUNTY. THIS STORM WILL ALSO CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL AS IT MOVES EAST. IT SHOULD CLEAR THE COASTAL WATERS BY 300 PM. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SHELTER. MOTORISTS... ESPECIALLY ALONG ROUTE 25...SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SLOW DOWN IF VISIBILITIES ARE QUICKLY REDUCED IN HEAVY RAIN. BOATERS SHOULD TAKE NECCESSARY PRECAUTIONS FOR STRONG WINDS AND ABRUPT WIND SHIFTS. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NECESSARY. CAPRIOLA/WSFO PORTLAND
The office that day
Everything else NWS Gray, ME issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 2:55 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GYX | Cumberland | 65 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Maine, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes 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.