Alert archive / West Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 93, NWS Charleston, WV

July 20, 1990Monongalia County, West Virginia

NWS Charleston, WV issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 1990, 5:45 PM EDT for Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was in force for 2 hr. 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
Jul 20, 1990, 5:45 PM EDT (21:45 UTC)
Expired
Jul 20, 1990, 7:45 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, WV
Area
Whole counties

County Monongalia 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
Jul 20, 5:55 PM EDTHail 0.88Monongalia, 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, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 87 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 1990-07-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 66 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 1990-07-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 96 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
66 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-90 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1131 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
96 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
117 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 202139
SVREKN
WVC061-202345-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
539 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ELKINS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH WEST VIRGINIA
 
   ...MONONGALIA COUNTY
 
WEATHER RADAR INDICATES A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS
NORTHERN MONONGALIA COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TOWARD THE
SOUTHEAST. HEAVY RAINS WITH THESE STORMS COULD CAUSE FLOODING TO STREE
AND 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.
 
GILKERSON/VENITSANOS
 
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, Jul 20, 2:33 PM EDT, 3 hours 12 minutes before
WVZ006>008-202000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BECKLEY WV
233 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990

AT 228 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT BECKLEY SHOWED SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR BECKLEY IN RALEIGH COUNTY NORTH INTO
NICHOLAS COUNTY AND EAST THROUGH GREENBRIER COUNTY..ON INTO VIRGINIA
NEAR STUNTON..SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO SEEN IN WYOMING COUNTY
IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

VERY HEAVY RAIN..GUSTY WINDS..AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY ACCOMPANY THESE
STORMS AS THEY MOVE SLOWLY THROUGH SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA THIS AFTERNOON.

THE VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY CAUSE SOME MINOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING FLOOD
PRONE AREAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

END/CDB
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:47 PM EDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
WVZ001-002-003-004-005-009-202200-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON, WV
345 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DOTTED CENTRAL AND WESTERN WEST VIRGINIA
DURING THE HEAT OF THE LATE AFTERNOON.  IN THE MUGGY AIR...ISOLATED
DOWNPOURS COULD BRIEFLY COOL DOWN SOME RESIDENTS.

AT 3:30 PM...THE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE
LOCATED OVER THE LOWER KANAWHA VALLEY IN MASON COUNTY AND
INTO JACKSON COUNTY.  THESE STORMS COULD AFFECT SOUTHERN WOOD...WIRT
AND NORTHERN ROANE COUNTIES BETWEEN 4 AND 5 PM.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG THE DODDRIDGE/LEWIS COUNTY LINE
WEST OF WESTON AND NEAR GRAFTON.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25
MILES PER HOUR.  NO DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OR LARGE HAIL WAS
INDICATED WITH THESE PARTICULAR STORMS AT 3:30 PM.

A MORE EXTENSIVE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM NEAR WHEELING
WESTWARD TO CAMBRIDGE...ZANESVILLE...AND COLUMBUS.  THESE STORMS
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST AND BRING MORE DOWNPOURS INTO THE NORTHERN
PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA EARLY THIS EVENING.  SO THE NORTHERN
PANHANDLE HAS THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SOME WATER PROBLEMS IN
WEST VIRGINIA EARLY THIS EVENING.  /MONITOR STATEMETNS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN PITTSBURGH/

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINED POSTED FOR THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE
PLUS THE COUNTIES OF WETZEL...TYLER...MONONGALIA...AND MARION
UNTIL 8 PM.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFECT FOR THE NXORTHERN
PANHANDLE COUNTIES UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

END/BATTY
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:11 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
WVC005-009-MDC008-009-202200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKINS WV
5:10 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT
FOR MONONGALIA...WETZEL..TYLER AND MARION COUNTIES OF NORTHERN WEST
VIRGINIA...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT 5:05 PM EDT INDICATED A BROKEN LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN OHIO EAST ACROSS MARSHALL COUNTY WEST
VIRGINIA INTO EXTREME SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA NORTH OF MONONGALIA
COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST WHILE THE ENTIRE LINE IS
DROPPING SLOWLY SOUTH AND WILL BE MOVING INTO MONONGALIA AND WETZEL
COUNTIES DURING THE NEXT HOUR. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE
ALSO INDICATED EXTENDING FROM BARBOUR COUNTY NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN
PRESTON COUNTY.

SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THE LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVED ACROSS SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AND THE
NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA.

PERSONS LIVING ALONG..OR WITH RECREATIONAL INTERESTS ALONG SMALL
STREAMS OR CREEKS IN THE AREA OF THESE STORMS SHOULD WATCH WATER
LEVELS CLOSELY. IF WATER LEVELS BEGIN RISING QUICKLY MOVE TO HIGHER
GROUND. HEAVY THUNDERSTORM RAINS CAN CAUSE RAPID PONDING OF
WATER AND FLOODING TO POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. KEEP A WATCH ON THE SKY
AND MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

GILKERSON

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:45 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
WVZ001-002-003-004-005-009-210000-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON, WV
545 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990

AT 540 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS ALONG THE WEST VIRGINIA...
PENNSYLVANIA BORDER FROM JUST NORTH OF MORGANTOWN WEST THROUGH NORTHERN
WETZEL COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA AND THEN SOUTHWEST INTO WASHINGTON AND
HOCKING COUNTIES IN OHIO. THIS LINE WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT
AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR.

INDIVIDUAL STORMS WITHIN THIS LINE MAY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...
GUSTY SURFACE WINDS...HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. IF THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES OR A WARNING IS ISSUED...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

THE COMMINITIES OF MORGANTOWN...NEW MARTINSVILLE...SISTERSVILLE...
ST MARYS AND PARKERSBURG WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS DURING THE
NEXT HOUR.

END/PCZ

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.