Alert archive / Rhode Island / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

May 23, 1994Newport County, Rhode Island

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 23, 1994, 3:49 PM EDT for Newport County, Rhode Island. It was in force for 86 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 23, 1994, 3:49 PM EDT (19:49 UTC)
Expired
May 23, 1994, 5:15 PM EDT
In force
86 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

County Newport County, RI

The nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 111 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 1994-05-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Chatham, MA at 12:00Z on 1994-05-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1157 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
87 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 KPVD 231951 RRA
SVRPVD
RIC001-003-005-007-009-RIZ502-501-232145-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDENCE RI
349 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PROVIDENCE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN  RHODE ISLAND
 
   ...BRISTOL COUNTY...KENT COUNTY...NEWPORT COUNTY
   ...PROVIDENCE COUNTY...WASHINGTON COUNTY
 
  AND FOR MARINE INTERESTS ON THE COASTAL WATERS FROM...
 
   ...NARRAGANSETT BAY  TO  WATCH HILL
   ...WATCH HILL  TO  SANDY POINT
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND STRONG SQUALLY WINDS...HEAVY
DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE OCCURRING IN RHODE ISLAND AND WILL
BE MOVING THROUGH THE STATE UNTIL AROUND 600 PM EDT.
 
PEOPLE OUT OF DOORS SHOULD SEEK A SAFE SHELTER AND KEEP AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.  THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.
 
IF YOU ARE lON THE WATER...SEEK SAFE HARBOR IMMEDIATELY.  DARK
...THREATENING CLOUDS MAY FORETELL A SQUALL OR A THUNDERSTORM
WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND ROUGH WATERS.
 
CARBONE

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

Local storm report, May 23, 3:11 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
310 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1994

TIME(EDT)  LOCATION         REPORT

257 PM     MARLBOROUGH      HAIL RANGING FROM PEA TO DIME SIZE
           (MIDDLESEX CTY)

FIELD

724 PM     DANVERS          NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.  REPORTED BY LOCAL
           (ESSEX CTY)      POLICE.  LAST CALL OF DOWNED TREES
                            RECEIVED 921 PM.

745 PM     W. PEABODY       HAIL...NUMEROUS DIME SIZED STONES WITH AT
           (ESSEX CTY)      LEAST 1 STONE STONE JUST A TOUCH SMALLER
                            THAN THE SIZE OF A QUARTER.

746 PM     SALEM            ONE TREE DOWN.  REPORTED BY LOCAL
           (ESSEX CTY)      POLICE

758 PM     LEXINGTON        FUNNEL CLOUDS AS REPORTED BY TV 4.
           (MIDDLESEX CTY)

805 PM     BEVERLY          SEVERAL TREES DOWN AND SEVERAL HOUSES
           (ESSEX CTY)      STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.  REPORTED BY LOCAL
                            POLICE

810 PM     TOPSFIELD        ONE TREE DOWN.  REPORTED BY LOCAL POLICE
           (ESSEX CTY)

830 PM     HAMILTON         TREES DOWN.  REPORTED BY LOCAL POLICE
           (ESSEX CTY)

837 PM     SALEM            ANOTHER TREE DOWN.  REPORTED BY LOCAL
           (ESSEX CTY)      POLICE

843 PM     FRAMINGHAM       NUMEROUS WIRES AND TREES DOWN...ESPECIALLY
           (MIDDLESEX CTY)  SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN.

852 PM     NEWTON           EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE TO HOME CAUSED
           (MIDDLESEX CTY)  BY LIGHTNING AS REPORTED BY TV 5

UNCONFIRMED FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE ALSO REPORTED IN THE ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
AND CONCORD AREAS NORTHWEST OF BOSTON (TIMES UNKNOWN).

NUMEROUS REPORTS OF PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL WERE RECEIVED OVER
SOUTHEASTERN MIDDLESEX AND SOUTHERN ESSEX COUNTIES FROM 644 PM THROUGH
845 PM.

ALSO...NUMEROUS REPORTS OF LIGHTNING STRIKES AND LIGHTNING ASSOCIATED
FIRES WERE RECEIVED FROM MIDDLESEX AND ESSEX COUNTIES.  AT LEAST ONE
MINOR INJURY OCCURRED IN WENHAM BECAUSE OF LIGHTNING.

THERE WAS LOCALIZED STREET FLOODING FROM THUNDERSTORMS NORTH AND
NORTHEAST OF BOSTON WITH PEABODY HAVING 1.68 INCHES.

THOMPSON/DRAG
Local storm report, May 23, 3:12 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
310 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1994

TIME(EDT)  LOCATION         REPORT

257 PM     MARLBOROUGH      HAIL RANGING FROM PEA TO DIME SIZE
           (MIDDLESEX CTY)

FIELD
Local storm report, May 23, 3:13 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT.....CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BOSTON MA
310 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1994

TIME(EDT)  LOCATION         REPORT

257 PM     MARLBOROUGH      HAIL RANGING FROM PEA TO DIME SIZE
           (MIDDLESEX CTY)

CORRECTED BECAUSE DATA WAS ERRONEOUSLY TRANSMITTED FROM AUG 4 1993.

FIELD
Special weather statement, May 23, 3:19 PM EDT, 30 minutes before
MAZ005>007-013>019-MAZ501>504-232030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
318 PM EST MON MAY 23 1994

...A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
LATE THIS AFTERNOON MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...STRONG WIND GUSTS...AND
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS...

AT 315 PM THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHERN WORCESTER
COUNTY AND NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND AND MOVING INTO WESTERN NORFOLK
COUNTY AND NORTHWEST BRISTOL COUNTY.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY EXPIRED
AT 3 PM.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY WEAKEN SOME AS THEY APPROACH THE COAST.
NEVERTHELESS...BOATERS ALONG THE MASSACHUSETTS COAST SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT TO THE POSSIBLITY OF SUDDEN SQUALLS UNTIL 5 OR 6 PM THIS
EVENING.

BE ALERT FOR ANY LATER WARNINGS OR STATEMENTS.  SEEK SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY IF A WARNING IS ISSUED OR THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, May 23, 3:25 PM EDT, 24 minutes before
CTZALL-232200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED FOR OLD INFORMATION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARTFORD CT
325 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1994

...THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN CONNECTICUT TODAY...

WITH THE TEMPERATURE RISING UP TO 88 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON AND A COLD
FRONT APPROACHING THE AREA THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY UNSTABLE.  THERE
HAVE BEEN THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS WHICH HAVE
PRODUCED ONE INCH SIZE HAIL.  STAY ON THE LOOKOUT IN THE NEXT FEW
HOURS FOR ANY THUNDERSTORMS TO POP UP IN CONNECTICUT.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION
STATIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

CHORNEY
Special weather statement, May 23, 3:36 PM EDT, 13 minutes before
CTZALL-232200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED FOR OLD INFORMATION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARTFORD CT
325 PM EDT MON MAY 23 1994

...THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN CONNECTICUT TODAY...

WITH THE TEMPERATURE RISING UP TO 88 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON AND A COLD
FRONT APPROACHING THE AREA THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY UNSTABLE.  THERE
HAVE BEEN THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS WHICH HAVE
PRODUCED ONE INCH SIZE HAIL.  STAY2 ON THE LOOKOUT IN THE NEXT FEW
HOURS FOR ANY THUNDERSTORMS TO POP UP IN CONNECTICUT.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION
STATIONS FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

CHORNEY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 23, 3:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXProvidence97 min
May 23, 3:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBristol, Kent, Providence51 min
May 23, 3:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWashington116 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Rhode Island, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994

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.