Alert archive / Massachusetts / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

July 8, 1993Middlesex County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this tornado warning at Jul 8, 1993, 6:27 PM EDT for Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 33 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 8, 1993, 6:27 PM EDT (22:27 UTC)
Expired
Jul 8, 1993, 7:00 PM EDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

County Middlesex County, MA

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 148 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, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 1993-07-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 865 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 1993-07-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -10 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
865 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-90 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1257 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
27 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 KBOS 082232
TORBOS
MAC017-082300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
627 PM EDT THU JUL 8 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BOSTON HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN  MASSACHUSETTS
 
   ...EASTERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY
 
AT 625 PM A TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY RADAR 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE
CITY OF BOSTON. THE TORNADO WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 20 MPH AND WILL 
AFFECTING THE TOWNS OF MEDFORD ARLINGTON AND MALDEN DURING THE NEXT HALF
HOUR.
 
TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 8, 4:19 PM EDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
MAZ005-082200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARTFORD CT
418 PM EDT THUR JUL 08 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF MASSACHUSETTS
TO INCLUDE HAMPDEN COUNTY UNTIL 1000 PM EDT...

AT 350 PM EDT THERE WAS AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WHICH WERE
SEVERE STRETCHING FROM JUST NORTH OF POUGHKEEPSIE NEW YORK EXTENDING
TOWARDS THE NORTH NEAR BURLINGTON VERMONT.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE
LOCATED IN THE ALBANY NEW YORK AREA WHICH RECEIVED A SQUALL LINE WIND
OF 37 MILES PER HOUR.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS HAIL AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNING.  THE STORMS ARE CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST
AT 20 MILES PER HOUR.

PEOPLE IN MASSACHUSETTS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT IN THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS FOR THESE STRONG STORMS.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND
YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THESE STORMS.

CHORNEY
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 4:19 PM EDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
MAZ005-082200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARTFORD CT
418 PM EDT THUR JUL 08 1993

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF MASSACHUSETTS
TO INCLUDE HAMPDEN COUNTY UNTIL 1000 PM EDT...

AT 350 PM EDT THERE WAS AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WHICH WERE
SEVERE STRETCHING FROM JUST NORTH OF POUGHKEEPSIE NEW YORK EXTENDING
TOWARDS THE NORTH NEAR BURLINGTON VERMONT.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE
LOCATED IN THE ALBANY NEW YORK AREA WHICH RECEIVED A SQUALL LINE WIND
OF 37 MILES PER HOUR.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS HAIL AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNING.  THE STORMS ARE CURRENTLY MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST
AT 20 MILES PER HOUR.

PEOPLE IN MASSACHUSETTS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT IN THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS FOR THESE STRONG STORMS.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND
YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THESE STORMS.

CHORNEY
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 4:20 PM EDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
MAZALL-082300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
420 PM EDT THU JUL 8 1993

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL BUT SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS
UNTIL 10 PM...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF
MASSACHUSETTS.  THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN SEVERE AROUND THE ALBANY NEW YORK
AREA AND ARE MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT AROUUND 20 MPH.

RESIDENTS OF ALL BUT SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HIGH WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE HAIL
INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN KILL FROM A STORM ALMOST 10 MILES AWAY...WHICH
MEANS YOU DONT HAVE TO HEAR THUNDER IN ORDER TO BE THREATENED.

PLEASE LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS ON THIS SITUATION.

GIRODO
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 4:21 PM EDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before
MAZALL-082300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
420 PM EDT THU JUL 8 1993

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL BUT SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS
UNTIL 10 PM...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF
MASSACHUSETTS.  THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN SEVERE AROUND THE ALBANY NEW YORK
AREA AND ARE MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT AROUUND 20 MPH.

RESIDENTS OF ALL BUT SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HIGH WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE HAIL
INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN KILL FROM A STORM ALMOST 10 MILES AWAY...WHICH
MEANS YOU DONT HAVE TO HEAR THUNDER IN ORDER TO BE THREATENED.

PLE.ASE LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS ON THIS SITUATION.

GIRODO
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 5:20 PM EDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
MAZ004-007-001-082230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
520 PM EDT THU JUL 8 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTHEAST MASACHUSETTS...

AT 515 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEGUN TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTY.  THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AROUND 20 MPH
AND WILL BE MOVING INTO BOSTON'S NORTHERN AND WESTERN SUBURBS SOON AFTER
530 PM THIS EVENING.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR POSSIBLE HIGH WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND HAIL
INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN KILL FROM A STORM ALMOST 10 MILES AWAY...WHICH
MEANS YOU DONT HAVE TO HEAR THUNDER IN ORDER TO BE THREATENED.

PLEASE LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS ON THIS SITUATION.
<
GIRODO
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 5:23 PM EDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
MAZ004-007-001-082230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
520 PM EDT THU JUL 8 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTHEAST MASACHUSETTS...

AT 515 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEGUN TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL MIDDLESEX COUNTY.  THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AROUND 20 MPH
AND WILL BE MOVING INTO BOSTON'S NORTHERN AND WESTERN SUBURBS SOON AFTER
530 PM THIS EVENING.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR POSSIBLE HIGH WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND HAIL
INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN KILL FROM A STORM ALMOST 10 MILES AWAY...WHICH
MEANS YOU DONT HAVE TO HEAR THUNDER IN ORDER TO BE THREATENED.

PLEASE LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS ON THIS SITUATION.
<
GIRODO

The office that day

Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 8, 4:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin69 min
Jul 8, 5:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXHampden57 min
Jul 8, 5:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester65 min
Jul 8, 6:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXHampden43 min
Jul 8, 6:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester65 min
Jul 8, 6:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXEssex, Middlesex57 min
Jul 8, 6:45 PM EDTTornado WarningBOXNorfolk, Suffolk45 min
Jul 8, 7:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXMiddlesex26 min
Jul 8, 7:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXNorfolk, Suffolk31 min
Jul 8, 7:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBristol, Plymouth57 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Massachusetts, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.