Alert archive / California / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Sacramento, CA

July 18, 1990Siskiyou County, Trinity County, California

NWS Sacramento, CA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 18, 1990, 6:44 PM PDT for Siskiyou County, Trinity County, California. 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 18, 1990, 6:44 PM PDT (01:44 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 1990, 8:45 PM PDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Sacramento, CA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Siskiyou County, CA, Trinity County, CA

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 18, 8:00 PM PDTHail 1Trinity, CA

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

Medford/Jackson, OR (KMFR), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 139 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, Medford/Jackson, OR at 00:00Z on 1990-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 157 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, Medford/Jackson, OR at 00:00Z on 1990-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -6 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
157 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-94 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3185 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-6 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 KRDD 190145
SVRRDD
CAC089-093-105-190345-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REDDING CA
644 PM PDT WED JUL 18 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN REDDING HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 PM PDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...S...
 
IN NORTH CALIFORNIA
 
   ...WESTERN SHASTA COUNTY...SOUTHWESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY
 
IN NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA
 
   ...TRINITY COUNTY
 
MEDFORD WEATHER RADAR REPORTS A VIP LEVEL 5 THUNDERSTORM LOCATED IN
THE VICINITY OF HAYFORK IN TRINITY COUNTY. LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE
REPORTED HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER AS WELL AS HEAVY RAIN IN THE
HAYFORK, BIG BAR RANGER STATION, AND BIG FLAT AREAS.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS 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.
 
GARRETT

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 18, 4:35 PM PDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
CAZ006>009-190330
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REDDING CA
430 PM PDT WED JUL 18 1990

           ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTH VALLEY AND
                     NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...

SACREMENTO RADAR HAS DETECTED SEVERAL AREAS OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS OF THE NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY. IN AN AREA
OF THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES WEST OF RED BLUFF GROUND
OBSERVERS REPORTED SEEING LIGHTNING...BUT AT THE PRESENT TIME
THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF ANY HAIL OR HEAVY RAIN.  THESE STORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND MAY REACH THE REDDDING
AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE STRONG WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND HEAVY
RAIN...AS WELL AS THE EVER-PRESENT DANGERS FROM LIGHTNING.  SEEK
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING IF THESE STORMS MOVE INTO YOUR AREA.

MOISTURE MOVING NORTHWARD FROM THE TROPICS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THESE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.  SCATTERED MOUNTAIN
THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND BUT THUNDERSTROM
ACTIVITY SHOULD BE MOSTLY CONFINED TO THE NORTHERN SIERRAS AND
CASCADES AFTER WEDNESDAY.

TRAVELERS TO THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY WARY OF THUNDERSTORMS
AND STAY AWAY FROM EXPOSED HIGH GROUND, TREES ON RIDGES, AND
BUILDINGS ON RIDGES.

GARRETT

The office that day

Everything else NWS Sacramento, CA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 6:44 PM PDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSTOShasta2 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in California, 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.