Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 40, NWS Blacksburg, VA

June 18, 1990Halifax County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 18, 1990, 4:39 PM EDT for Halifax County, Virginia. It was in force for 36 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
Jun 18, 1990, 4:39 PM EDT (20:39 UTC)
Expired
Jun 18, 1990, 5:15 PM EDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Whole counties

County Halifax County, VA

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 18, 4:39 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 70Halifax, VA

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, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 115 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 1990-06-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 9 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 1990-06-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 76 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
9 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-100 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1018 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
76 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
88 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 KROA 182039
SVRROA
VAC083-182115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VA
439 PM EDT MON JUN 18 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ROANOKE VAHAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  515 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
 
   ...HALIFAX COUNTY
 
A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTEND FROM APPOMATTOX COUNTY SOUTH INTO
NORTHERN HALIFAX COUNTY. VERY STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS.
 
 
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 EMERGENC>Y UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

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 18, 12:37 PM EDT, 4 hours 2 minutes before
VAC045-071-181830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VA
1235 PM EDT MON JUN 18 1990

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN WEST
VIRGINIA...AND WILL BE MOVING INTO THE WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF
VIRGINIA IN THE NEXT HOUR. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY
RAIN WAS INDICATED OVER EASTERN GILES COUNTY NEAR MOUNTAIN LAKE.
MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL~ HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THEY COULD ALSO CONTAIN SOME HAIL. PEOPLE IN THE
PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR APPROACHING WEATHER...
AND TAKE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 2:16 PM EDT, 2 hours 23 minutes before
VA008-009-013-014-182000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VA
215 PM EDT MON JUN 18 1990

...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO CENTRAL VIRGINIA...

AT 210 PM RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
OVER THE WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF VIRGINIA...EXTENDING SOUTHWARD
THROUGH THE SOUTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
BEGINNING TO MOVE INTO BOTETOURT...BEDFORD AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 20 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THEY COULD ALSO CONTAIN SOME HAIL. PEOPLE IN THE
PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR APPROACHING WEATHER$...AND BE
PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.
END/JJ
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 3:02 PM EDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
VAZALL-182000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VA
200  PM  EDT  MON JUN 18 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS INTENSIFYING BETWEEN BOTETOURT AND ROCKBRIDGE
     COUNTIES OF VIRGINIA...
AT 200 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THAT THUNDERSTORMS WERE STILL
DEVELOPING IN BOTETOURT AND ROCKBRIDGE COUNTIES.  THESE STORMS...
PARTICULARLY THE ONE OVER ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY...APPEARED TO BE
ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS THEY MOVED TO THE EAST TO
SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.  PERSONS IN AMHERST AND BEDFORD COUNTIES
SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THESE STORMS SHORTLY.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE POPPING UP OVER WIDELY SCATTERED PARTS
OF SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA.

STAY ALERT FOR ADDIwTIONAL STATEMENTS REGARDING THUNDERSTORM
FORMATION THIS AFTERNOON...AS THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME OF
THESE STORMS TO REACH THE SEVERE STAGE. END/HM
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 3:06 PM EDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
VAZALL-182000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT      (CORRECTED FOR TIME)
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VA
300  PM  EDT  MON JUN 18 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS INTENSIFYING BETWEEN BOTETOURT AND ROCKBRIDGE
     COUNTIES OF VIRGINIA...
AT 300 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THAT THUNDERSTORMS WERE STILL
DEVELOPING IN BOTETOURT AND ROCKBRIDGE COUNTIES.  THESE STORMS...
PARTICULARLY THE ONE OVER ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY...APPEARED TO BE
ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS THEY MOVED TO THE EAST TO
SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.  PERSONS IN AMHERST AND BEDFORD COUNTIES
SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THESE STORMS SHORTLY.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE POPPING UP OVER WIDELY SCATTERED PARTS
OF SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL VI}RGINIA.

STAY ALERT FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS REGARDING THUNDERSTORM
FORMATION THIS AFTERNOON...AS THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME OF
THESE STORMS TO REACH THE SEVERE STAGE. END/HM(CORRECTED TIMES
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 3:41 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
VAZALL-182100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VA
335  PM  EDT  MON JUN 18 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A LARGE PORTION OF VIRGINIA...
    INCLUDING ROANOKE AND LYNCHBURG AREAS...UNTIL 900 PM THIS EVENING..
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
UNTIL 900 PM MONDAY EVENING FOR MUCH OF THE NORTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF
VIRGINIA.  IN THE ROANOKE AND LYNCHBURG AREAS THE FOLLOWING ARE
INCLUDED:  COUNTIES OF AMHERST...APPOMATTOX...BEDFORD...BOTETOURT...
CAMPBELL...FLOYD...FRANKLIN...AND ROANOKE...PLUS THE INDEPENDENT
CITIES OF:ROANOKE...SALEM...LYNCHBURG...BEDFORD AND BUENA VISTA.

AT 330 PM NO SEVERE WEATHER HAD BEEN REPORTED TO THE ROANOKE WEATHER
OFFICE...BUT NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE
RIDGES FROM BEDFORD AND AMHERST COUNTIES NORTHWARD THROUGH THE
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA AREA AND THE GREATEST THREAT SEEMS TO BE EAST
OF THAT LINE.  STAY ALERT FOR DEVELOPING WEATHER AND FOR THE
ISSUANCE OF FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. END/MCINTOSH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 18, 5:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKCharles City35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 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.