Alert archive / Virginia / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 50, NWS Blacksburg, VA

July 11, 1990Franklin County, Virginia

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 11, 1990, 3:25 PM EDT for Franklin County, Virginia. It was in force for 65 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
Jul 11, 1990, 3:25 PM EDT (19:25 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 1990, 4:30 PM EDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Whole counties

County Franklin 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
Jul 11, 4:10 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Franklin, 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, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 101 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 1990-07-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 889 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 1990-07-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 21 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
889 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-116 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1015 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
22 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 111927
SVRROA
VAC067-112030-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VA
325 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ROANOKE VAHAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  430 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
 
   ...FRANKLIN COUNTY
 
WEATHER RADAR SHOWS A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WESTERN
HALF OF FRANKLIN COUNTY VIRGINIA. THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT ABOUT
25 MPH AND SHOULD BE IN THE ROCKY MT. AREA SHORTLY FOLLOWED BY THE
SMITH MT. LAKE AREA THEREAFTER.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESaS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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 11, 1:18 PM EDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
VAZ008-009-111700

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LYHCHBURG VA
 12 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990

AT 1130 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS FORMING
IN GILES..MONTGOMERY AND TAZEWELL COUNTIES. THE STORMS WILL MOVE
EASTWARD AT AROUND 25 MPH AND SHOULD ENTER THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF
THE LYNCHBURG AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. OTHER
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOPE IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

PEOPLE IN AMHERST..APPOMATTOX..BEDFORD..CAMPBELL..CHARLOTTE..HALIFAX
.. PITTSYLVANIA COUNTIES AND THE INDEPENDENT CITIES OF BEDFORD..
DANVILLE..LYHCHBURG AND SOUTH BOSTON CAN EXPECTED SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VIVID LIGHTNING..POSSIBLE HAIL..AND BRIEF
LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND GUSTY WINDS.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO AND TV SOURCES FOR FURTHER UPDATE ON THE WEATHER
THIS AFTERNOON.

MEADOWS
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 1:18 PM EDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
VAZ014-015-111900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VA
110 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS FIRE UP ACROSS THE NEW RIVER VALLEY OF VIRGINIA...

AT 110 PM EDT VOLENS WEATHER RADAR DETECTED A CLUSTER OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG THE NEW RIVER IN THE COUNTIES OF
GILES AND MONTGOMERY. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS NEAR SHAWSVILLE IN
MONTGOMERY COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EASTWARD AT NEAR
25 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF CRAIG
AND ROANOKE COUNTIES BY 130 PM.

PEOPLE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA SHOULD KEEP
ABREAST OF CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH
SEEK SHELTER. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS A MAJOR HAZZARD IN SUMMER
THUNDERSTORMS. SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE
IN OR NEAR THUNDERSTORMS.
.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL TV OR RADIO STATION FOR
FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS THIS AFTERNOON.
END/CACCIAPAGLIA
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 1:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
VAZ008-009-111700

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LYHCHBURG VA
100 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990 CORRECTION FOR THE TIME

AT 1230 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS FORMING
IN GILES..MONTGOMERY AND TAZEWELL COUNTIES. THE STORMS WILL MOVE
EASTWARD AT AROUND 25 MPH AND SHOULD ENTER THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF
THE LYNCHBURG AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. OTHER
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOPE IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

PEOPLE IN AMHERST..APPOMATTOX..BEDFORD..CAMPBELL..CHARLOTTE..HALIFAX
.. PITTSYLVANIA COUNTIES AND THE INDEPENDENT CITIES OF BEDFORD..
DANVILLE..LYHCHBURG AND SOUTH BOSTON CAN EXPECTED SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VIVID LIGHTNING..POSSIBLE HAIL..AND BRIEF
LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND GUSTY WINDS.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO AND TV SOURCES FOR FURTHER UPDATE ON THE WEATHER
THIS AFTERNOON.

MEADOWS
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 2:27 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
VAZ008-009-013-014>016-111900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROANOKE VA
220 PM EDT WED JUL 11 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO FEED ON THE MOIST HUMID AIR...

AT 215 PM EDT VOLENS WEATHER RADAR DETECTED WIDELY SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. THE
STRONGEST STORM WAS MOVING EAST NEAR BOONES MILL IN NORTHERN
FRANKLIN COUNTY. THIS STORM IS TRACKING EASTWARD AT 25 MPH AND
WILL APPROACH THE SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE AREA BY 300 PM. BOATERS
ON THE LAKE SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR DURING THE PASSAGE OF THESE
STORMS. OTHER STRONG STORM WERE LOCATED NEAR BUFFALO MOUNTAIN IN
SOUTHERN FLOYD COUNTY AND IN WESTERN PATRICK COUNTY.

FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHfTNING...SMALL HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AND BRIEF BUT VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON.

LISEN NOAA WEATHER RADIO...YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR
FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
END/CACCIAPAGLIA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 3:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKBedford, Pittsylvania2 hr

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.