Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 75, NWS Raleigh, NC

August 16, 1990Chatham County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 16, 1990, 1:47 PM EDT for Chatham County, North Carolina. It was in force for 43 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
Aug 16, 1990, 1:47 PM EDT (17:47 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 1990, 2:30 PM EDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

County Chatham 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 16, 2:31 PM EDTHail 0.75Chatham, 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, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 72 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1990-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1735 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1990-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -7 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1735 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-22 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
697 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 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 KRDU 161749
SVRRDU
NCC037-161830-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
147 PM EDT THU AUG 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  230 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...EASTERN CHATHAM COUNTY
 
AT 145 RALEIGH WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EASTsERN
CHATHAM COUNTY. THE STORM WAS MOVING SLOWLY TO THE EAST.
 
 
THIS SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORM MAY ALSO CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
STREAMS...LOW AREAS...AND UNDERPASSES.

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, Aug 16, 11:22 AM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
NCZALL-161800-
NCZ003>005-014-015-DDHHMM-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
1120 AM EDT THU AUG 16 1990

SKYWARN OUTLOOK...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH CAROLINA. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JBP
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 11:22 AM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
NCZALL-161800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
1120 AM EDT THU AUG 16 1990

SKYWARN OUTLOOK...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH CAROLINA. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JBP
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 12:12 PM EDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
NCZ006-161600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
1205 PM EDT THU AUG 16 1990

AT 1205 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE HAIL OVER NORTHEAST GUILFORD COUNTY
MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCURRING
OVER THE COUNTIES OF STOKES, FORSYTH, ROCKINGHAM AND ALAMANCE.

ALONG WITH THE VERY HEAVY RAIN THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE...
...FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS, HAIL AND SOME MINOR
FLOODING OF STREAMS AND ROADS.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM THEN BE ON THE ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SAFE SHELTER
IF THE STORM  APPROACHES.

JMS
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 1:29 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
NCZ006-161830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
128 PM EDT THU AUG 16 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN IN THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NC...

AT 120 PM RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN JUST SOUTHEAST
OF WINSTON SALEM.  ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS IN NORTHERN STOKES COUNTY
ALONG THE VIRGINIA BORDER NORTH OF DANBURY.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING
EAST SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH.

ALONG WITH THE VERY HEAVY RAIN..THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE
FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING..STRONG GUSTY WINDS..HAIL AND SOME MINOR
FLOODING OF CREEKS AND LOW LYING URDAB AREAS.

HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER AND RAINS RANGING BETWEEN 1 AND 3 INCHES
HAVE BEEN REPORTED WIXTH SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS THIS AFTERNOON.

PERSONS IN THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IF STORMS
APPROACH.

RBN
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 1:33 PM EDT, 14 minutes before
NCZ006-161830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
128 PM EDT THU AUG 16 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN IN THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NC...

AT 120 PM RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN JUST SOUTHEAST
OF WINSTON SALEM.  ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS IN NORTHERN STOKES COUNTY
ALONG THE VIRGINIA BORDER NORTH OF DANBURY.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING
EAST SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH.

ALONG WITH THE VERY HEAVY RAIN..THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE
FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING..STRONG GUSTY WINDS..HAIL AND SOME MINOR
FLOODING OF CREEKS AND LOW LYING URBAN AREAS.

HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER AND RAINS RANGING BETWEEN 1 AND 3 INCHES
HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS THIS AFTERNOON.

PERSONS IN THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IF STORMS
APPROACH.

RBN

CORRECTED SPELLING OF URBAN IN 2NaD PARAGRAPH.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 15, 10:37 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRAHPitt3 hr
Aug 15, 11:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningRAHGreene3 hr
Aug 16, 12:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHChatham, Orange63 min
Aug 16, 3:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHMoore58 min
Aug 16, 4:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHHoke, Moore, Scotland42 min
Aug 16, 7:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHWake42 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.