Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 41, NWS Charleston, WV

June 29, 1990Preston County, Taylor County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 29, 1990, 6:55 PM EDT for Preston County, Taylor County, West Virginia. It was in force for 65 min. 2 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
Jun 29, 1990, 6:55 PM EDT (22:55 UTC)
Expired
Jun 29, 1990, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

Counties Preston County, WV, Taylor County, WV

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
Jun 29, 7:23 PM EDTHail 1Preston, WV
Jun 29, 7:28 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Taylor, WV

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

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 114 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 1990-06-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 237 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 1990-06-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 81 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
237 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-55 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1266 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
101 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 KEKN 292255
SVREKN
WVC077-091-300000-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
655 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ELKINS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...PRESTON COUNTY...NORTHERN TAYLOR COUNTY
 
WEATHER RADAR INDICATES A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS FAIRMONT
OF MARION COUNTY TOWARD NORTHERN TAYLOR COUNTY AND CENTRAL PRESTON
COUNTY OF WEST VIRGINIA. NUMEROUS TREES HAVE BEEN REPORTED DOWNED IN
MARION COUNTY AND A PERSON AS BEEN STRUCK WITH LIGHTNING. THIS STORM
IS ALSO PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WHICH COULD CAUSE RAPID FLOODING TO
LOW-LYING POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR
PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON TH-E LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME
OR BUSINESS.  IF FLASH FLOODING DEVELOPES MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY
IMMEDIATELY. DONT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS ROADWAYS.
 
NNNN

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, Jun 29, 2:51 PM EDT, 4 hours 4 minutes before
WVZ005-009-291930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
250 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN HARRISON COUNTY
OF WEST VIRGINIA...

WEATHER RADAR AT 245 PM EDT SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY
RAIN MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN HARRISON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA MOVING
EAST TOWARD BARBOUR COUNTY.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY
SMALL HAIL WILL ACCOMPANY THIS STORM. THE HEAVY RAIN COULD CAUSE
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

KEEP A WATCH ON THE SKY AND IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE
TO SAFE SHELTER. DON'T BE CAUGHT OUT IN THE OPEN IN A THUNDERSTORM.

GILKERSON
Special weather statement, Jun 29, 3:18 PM EDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before
KYZ006-OHZ009-WVZ003-292100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTINGTON WV
320PM EDT FRI JUN 29 1990

...SCATTERED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE TRI-STATE...

AT 310PM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE TRI-STATE AREA.  THE STORMS WERE OVER THE OHIO COUNTIES OF PIKE
AND LAWRENCE..THE KENTUCKY COUNTIES OF CARTER AND ELLIOT AND THE WEST
VIRGINIA COUNTIES OF WAYNE..CABELL AND MASON. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
EASTSOUTHEAST AT AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR.

BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS..GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE TRI-STATE DURING
THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR STORM DEVELOPMENT
ACROSS THE TRI-STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND FURTHER STATEMENTS
WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED.

END/DG
Special weather statement, Jun 29, 4:09 PM EDT, 2 hours 46 minutes before
WVZ005-009-010-292100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
405 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

WEATHER RADAR AT 400 PM EDT SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
RAIN MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN PRESTON...TUCKER...BARBOUR AND NORTHERN
UPSHUR COUNTIES OF WEST VIRGINIA. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST INTO
GRANT AND NORTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY
SMALL HAIL WILL ACCOMPANY THIS STORM. THE HEAVY RAIN COULD CAUSE
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

KEEP A WATCH ON THE SKY AND IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE
TO SAF!E SHELTER. DON'T BE CAUGHT OUT IN THE OPEN IN A THUNDERSTORM.

GILKERSON
Special weather statement, Jun 29, 4:12 PM EDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before
WVZ005-009-010-292100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
405 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA...

WEATHER RADAR AT 400 PM EDT SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
RAIN MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN PRESTON...TUCKER...BARBOUR AND NORTHERN
UPSHUR COUNTIES OF WEST VIRGINIA. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST INTO
GRANT AND NORTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY
SMALL HAIL WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. THE HEAVY RAIN COULD CAUSE
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

KEEP A WATCH ON THE SKY AND IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE
TO S*AFE SHELTER. DON'T BE CAUGHT OUT IN THE OPEN IN A THUNDERSTORM.

GILKERSON
Special weather statement, Jun 29, 6:24 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
WVZ002>009-012-VA015-016-300100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
WEST VIRGINIA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
623 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 1990

WEATEHER RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW A VIGOROUS THUNDERSTORM OVER
THE NORTHWESTERN WEST VIRGINIA COUNTY OF WETZEL.  THIS THUNDERSTORM IS
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A LARGE AMOUNT OF CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING...HAIL
...GUSTY WINDS...AND SUDDEN...BRIEFLY HEAVY RAIN.  THIS THUNDERSTORM
IS MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING INTO THE NORTHWESTERN WEST VIRGINIA COUNTY
OF MARION...AND SHOULD REACH IN OR NEAR THE TOWN OF FAIRMONT WV ABOUT
730 PM TO 800 PM EDT THIS EVENING.

AREAS WITHIN THE PATH OF THE STORM ARE IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.
THE STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DESTRUCTIVE WINDS.  LISTEN FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...OR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM.

END/PARKE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, WV issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 29, 6:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRLXMarion, Monongalia52 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 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.