Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Raleigh, NC
NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 1, 1990, 4:30 PM EDT for Harnett County, Lee County, North Carolina. It was in force for 60 min. 3 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 1, 1990, 4:30 PM EDT (20:30 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 1, 1990, 5:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Raleigh, NC
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Harnett County, NC, Lee County, NC
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 1, 4:40 PM EDT | Hail 0.75 | Harnett, NC | |
| Jul 1, 4:55 PM EDT | Hail 0.75 | Lee, NC | |
| Jul 1, 5:20 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Harnett, NC |
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
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 108 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
- 373 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -170 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1629 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 29 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 115 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 105 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 KRDU 012033 SVRRDU NCC105-085-012130- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 430 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 530 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA ...LEE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA ...NORTHERN HARNETT COUNTY AT 430 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHEAST CHATHAM COUNTY MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM DROPPED GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL NEAR PITTSBORO AROUND 423 PM AND WILL BE ENTERING LEE COUNTY. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SBHOULD BE ALERT FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM.
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, Jul 1, 1:59 PM EDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before
NCZ006-007-009-DDHHMM- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC 200 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 1990 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...NORTHERN FOOTHILLS...AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA... THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOPE IN SOUTHWEST VIRIGINA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEAST...ACROSS THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT. AS TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON BEGIN TO REACH INTO THE LOW 90S ACROSS THE REGION...RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING ...HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS COULD OCCUR. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THeREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND ANY POSSIBLE WARNINGS. RJD
Special weather statement, Jul 1, 2:54 PM EDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
NCZ006-007-009-DDHHMM- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC 300 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 1990 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...NORTHERN FOOTHILLS...AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA... THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA ARE MOVING VERY SLOWLY...IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES A THUNDERSTORM OVER ALLEGHANY COUNTY HAS INTENSIFIED VERY QUICKLY. MOVEMENT IS SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH. OTHER RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH LIGHT RAIN ARE SPEARDING INTO SURRY AND ROCKINGHAM COUNTIES. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF STOKES AND ROCKINGHAM COUNTIES...MOVEMENT IS EAST AT 20 MPH. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND ANY POSSIBLE WARNINGS. RJD
Special weather statement, Jul 1, 3:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
NCZ006-007-009-DDHHMM- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC 325 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 1990 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...NORTHERN FOOTHILLS...AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWS THE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTHERN FOOTHILL COUNTIES ARE STARTING TO MOVE AT ABOUT 25 MPH...AND AT THE SAME TIME ARE GETTING STRONGER. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IS LOCATED ON THE STOKES AND ROCKINGHAM COUNTY LINE. HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLY FROM THIS STORM. MOVEMENT IS SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHEAST WILKES HAS HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN SURRY...YADKIN...FORSYTH AND MPH. GUILFORD COUNTIES. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ANY STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. RJD
Special weather statement, Jul 1, 3:31 PM EDT, 59 minutes before
NCZALL-012200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC 325 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 1990 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF THE TAR HEEL STATE... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES WERE POSTED FOR VIRTUALLY ALL OF NORTH- WETERN NORTH CAROLINA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THESE WATCHES WERE IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT. THE AREAS AFFECTED INCLUDED ALL OF THE MOUNTAINS...MOST OF THE FOOTHILLS...AND THE NORTHERN PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN. NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAD BEEN REPORTED WITHIN THE STATE BY 3 PM... BUT SEVERAL WARNINGS WERE ISSUED BETWEEN 2 AND 3 PM FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN EASTERN TENNESSEE. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE DEVELOPING AT 3:25 PM NORTH OF THE TRIAD...BTTWEEN GREENSBORO...WINSTON-SALEM AND THE VIRGINIA STATE LINE. ANOTHER VERY HEAVY...AND POTENTIALLY SEVERE...THUNDERSTORM WAS DEVELOPING NEAR THE VIRGINIA STATE LINE NORTH OF AHOSKIE...IN HERTFORD COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEING PRODUCED AS VERY HUMID AND UNSTABLE AIR IS HEATED BY A HOT SUMMER SUN. AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND SEVERAL WEAKER AREAS OF LOW PRESSURE WERE ALSO HELPING TO DE-STABILIZE THE AIRMASS ACROSS THE STATE. THE COLD FRONT WAS APPROACHING NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AT 3 PM. IT SHOULD CROSS MOST OF THE STATE DURING THE NIGHT. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA ARE URGED TO LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISION ...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WATCHES ...AND POSSIBLY WARNINGS. CDM
Local storm report, Jul 1, 4:25 PM EDT, 5 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
425 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 1990
TIME EVENT
423 PM EDT GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND IN PITTSBORO
...CHATHAM' COUNTY...NORTH CAROLINA. REPORTED BY
CHATHAM COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT.
LGLSpecial weather statement, Jul 1, 4:26 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
NCZALL-012200-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
425 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 1990
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES FOR THE ENTIRE STATE...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES WERE POSTED FOR ALL OF NORTH CAROLINA
THIS AFTERNOON. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE REPORTED OR INDICATED BY
WEATHER RADAR SINCE 330 PM OVER SEVERAL COUNTIES IN PIEDMONT AND
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
WARNINGS WERE POSTED BETWEEN 330 PM AND 425 PM FOR GASTON...NORTHERN
RANDOLPH...SOUTHERN GUILFORD...AND CHATHAM COUNTIES IN THE PIEDMONT
... AFFECTING GASTONIA...HIGH POINT...CHARLOTTE...AND PITTSBORO...
AND FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY IN THE EXTREME WESTERN TIP OF THE STATE.
MANY OF THESE LOCALITIES REPORTED MARBLE-TO-DIME-SIZED HAIL. GOLFBALL-
SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED NEAR PITTSBORO IN CHATHAM COUNTY AT 420 PM.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES WERE IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM TONIGHT FOR
ROUGHLY THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE STATE...AND UNTUL 11 PM FOR THE
SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE STATE.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO REPORTED AT 420 PM OVER NORTHAMPTON
COONTY IN THE NORTHERN COASTAL PLAIN...PRODUCING DIME-SIZED HAIL.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
THERE IS A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ANYWHERE ACROSS
THE STATE DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...AND FOR THESE STORMS TO
BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.
PERSONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE ARE URGED TO LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISIO/N
...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WATCHES ...AND
POSSIBLY WARNINGS.
CDMThe office that day
Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 8:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Edgecombe, Nash | 66 min |
| Jun 30, 9:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Wilson | 37 min |
| Jun 30, 9:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Pitt | 57 min |
| Jul 1, 3:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Chatham | 49 min |
| Jul 1, 4:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Chatham | 66 min |
| Jul 1, 4:44 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Wake | 46 min |
| Jul 1, 4:44 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Orange | 46 min |
| Jul 1, 5:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Wake | 33 min |
| Jul 1, 5:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Cumberland | 33 min |
| Jul 1, 5:56 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, Scotland | 64 min |
| Jul 1, 6:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Nash | 45 min |
| Jul 1, 6:55 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Edgecombe | 50 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 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.