Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 80, NWS Raleigh, NC

August 29, 1990Wake County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 29, 1990, 4:29 PM EDT for Wake County, North Carolina. It was in force for 31 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 29, 1990, 4:29 PM EDT (20:29 UTC)
Expired
Aug 29, 1990, 5:00 PM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

County Wake 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 29, 4:35 PM EDTHail 0.75Wake, 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 117 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 1990-08-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 436 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 1990-08-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 21 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
436 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-160 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1776 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
48 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 292031
SVRRDU
NCC183-292100-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
429 PM EDT WED AUG 29 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  500 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...WAKE COUNTY
 
AT 430 PM DIME SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN THE TOWN OF CARY. RADAR
INDICATED THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
 
 
 
PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD 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, Aug 29, 1:30 PM EDT, 2 hours 59 minutes before
NCZ-006-007-009-292200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
130 PM EDT WED AUG 29 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN HAS DEVELOPED IN THE NORTHWEST
PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWS A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN IN
STOKES COUNTY DUE NORTH OF WINSTON SALEM...FROM WHAT RADAR IS SHOWING
THIS STORM COULD POSSIBLE PRODUCE SOME SMALL HAIL. THIS STORM IS
MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS HAVE
DEVELOPED IN SURRY COUNTY IN THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND ALLEGHANY
COUNTY IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ANY LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

RJD
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 3:01 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
NCZ005-291920-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
300 PM EDT WED AUG 29 1990

THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY IN THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT
OF NORTH CAROLINA.

AT 300 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT WERE DEVELOPING EASTWARD TOWARD THE
TRIANGLE AREA. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER ALAMANCE AND ORANGE COUNTIES
WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 30 MPH AND WILL AFFECT DURHAM COUNTY
BEFORE 330 PM.

A THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHEAST GUILFORD COUNTY PRODUCED MARBLE SIZE
HAIL AT 240 PM.

THE ATMOSPHERE OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA IS VERY MOIST
AND UNSTABLE. THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST FOR
THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. PEOPLE IN CENTRAL
AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLcY WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

LGL
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 3:53 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
NCZALL-292020-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
352 PM EDT AUG 29 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 704 IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL 10 PM EDT...

AT 350 PM...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS THE
TRIANGLE AREA. THEY WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH.

WTVD IN DURHAM REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL OCCURRED IN CHAPEL HILL
AT 345 PM.

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

LGL
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 4:06 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
NCZALL-292030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
405 PM EDT WED AUG 29 1990

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 704 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR
MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

AT 405 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM EXTREME NORTHERN WAKE COUNTY SOUTHWEST
ACROSS DURHAM COUNTY...SOUTHERN ORANGE COUNTY...AND CHATHAM COUNTY.
THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTHERN DURHAM COUNTY AND OVER CHATHAM
COUNTY. AT 400 PM...MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS OCCURRING IN NORTHWEST CHATHAM
COUNTY NEAR SILER CITY.

BOATERS ON FALLS LAKE AND JORDAN LAKE SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE
POSSIBILITY OF STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL.
^
THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER WARREN COUNTY AT 405 PM.
^
LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLY WARNINGS.

LGL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 29, 4:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHNash32 min
Aug 29, 5:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHEdgecombe, Wilson49 min
Aug 29, 5:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHHalifax, Northampton40 min
Aug 29, 6:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHNorthampton31 min
Aug 29, 7:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHJohnston, Nash47 min
Aug 29, 7:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHWilson50 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.