Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 46, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

July 9, 1997Franklin County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 9, 1997, 2:42 PM EDT for Franklin County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 63 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 9, 1997, 2:42 PM EDT (18:42 UTC)
Expired
Jul 9, 1997, 3:45 PM EDT
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

County Franklin County, MA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 9, 3:30 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 50Leverett, MA

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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 9, 1:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 102 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, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 1997-07-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1101 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, Albany, NY at 12:00Z on 1997-07-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 122 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1101 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-82 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
936 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
122 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KBOS 091843 RRA
SVRBOS
MAC011-013-015-091945-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
242 PM EDT WED JUL 9 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  345 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST MASSACHUSETTS
 
   ...FRANKLIN COUNTY...HAMPDEN COUNTY...HAMPSHIRE COUNTY
 
AT 240 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM SOUTHWESTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO BERKSHIRE COUNTY
IN MASSACHUSETTS. THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR.
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.  TORRENTIAL
DOWNPOURS WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING.  DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
 
DRV/WGH

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 9, 11:15 AM EDT, 3 hours 27 minutes before
NHZ011>012-MAZ002>024-MAZ501>504-CTZ002>004-RIZALL-100000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1115 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...NORTHERN CONNECTICUT
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...

A WARM MOIST AIRMASS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL
PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT.  SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME
SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS.  THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE ACROSS CENTRAL
AND WESTERN AREAS OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INTO SOUTHERN NEW
HAMPSHIRE.  THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER INTO EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS
WELL.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE
BERKSHIRES AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AFTER 2 PM...THEN PUSH INTO
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AFTER 4 PM.

THE FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND RHODE ISLAND TONIGHT...SO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY.  THE SEVERE
WEATHER WILL DIMINISH ACROSS THE REGION LATE TONIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS OR LISTEN
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS OR ANY WATCHES OR
WARNINGS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MAY BE ISSUED ON THIS
WEATHER SITUATION.

VALLIER-TALBOT
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 11:17 AM EDT, 3 hours 25 minutes before
NHZ011>012-MAZ002>024-MAZ501>504-CTZ002>004-RIZALL-100000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1115 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...NORTHERN CONNECTICUT
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...

A WARM MOIST AIRMASS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL
PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT.  SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME
SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS.  THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE ACROSS CENTRAL
AND WESTERN AREAS OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INTO SOUTHERN NEW
HAMPSHIRE.  THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER INTO EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS
WELL.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE
BERKSHIRES AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AFTER 2 PM...THEN PUSH INTO
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AFTER 4 PM.

THE FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND RHODE ISLAND TONIGHT...SO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY.  THE SEVERE
WEATHER WILL DIMINISH ACROSS THE REGION LATE TONIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS OR LISTEN
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS OR ANY WATCHES OR
WARNINGS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MAY BE ISSUED ON THINS
WEATHER SITUATION.

VALLIER-TALBOT
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 11:19 AM EDT, 3 hours 23 minutes before
NHZ011>012-MAZ002>024-MAZ501>504-CTZ002>004-RIZALL-100000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED LAST SENTENCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1120 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...NORTHERN CONNECTICUT
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...

A WARM MOIST AIRMASS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL
PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT.  SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME
SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS.  THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE ACROSS CENTRAL
AND WESTERN AREAS OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INTO SOUTHERN NEW
HAMPSHIRE.  THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER INTO EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS
WELL.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE
BERKSHIRES AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AFTER 2 PM...THEN PUSH INTO
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AFTER 4 PM.

THE FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND RHODE ISLAND TONIGHT...SO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY.  THE SEVERE
WEATHER WILL DIMINISH ACROSS THE REGION LATE TONIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS OR LISTEN
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS OR ANY WATCHES OR
WARNINGS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHEZR SERVICE MAY ISSUE ON THIS
WEATHER SITUATION.

VALLIER-TALBOT
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 11:20 AM EDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before
NHZ011>012-MAZ002>024-MAZ501>504-CTZ002>004-RIZALL-100000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED LAST SENTENCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1120 AM EDT WED JUL 9 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...NORTHERN CONNECTICUT
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE...

A WARM MOIST AIRMASS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL
PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT.  SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME
SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS.  THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE ACROSS CENTRAL
AND WESTERN AREAS OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INTO SOUTHERN NEW
HAMPSHIRE.  THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER INTO EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS
WELL.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE
BERKSHIRES AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AFTER 2 PM...THEN PUSH INTO
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AFTER 4 PM.

THE FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST INTO EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND RHODE ISLAND TONIGHT...SO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY.  THE SEVERE
WEATHER WILL DIMINISH ACROSS THE REGION LATE TONIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS OR LISTEN
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS OR ANY WATCHES OR
WARNINGS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MAY ISSUE ON THIS
WEATHER SITUATION.

VALLIER-TALBOT
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 2:30 PM EDT, 12 minutes before
NHZ011>012-MA002>024-501>504-CTZ002>004-RIZALL-100000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
230 PM EDT WED JUL 9 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR ALL OF
CONNECTICUT...ALL OF RHODE ISLAND...AND ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS
EXCEPT CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR WESTERN AND
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND CHESHIRE AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTIES IN
NEW HAMPSHIRE...

AS OF 230 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO THE EASTERN SLOPES
OF THE BERKSHIRES AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.  THEY WILL CONTINUE
AN EASTWARD TRACK INTO CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN
CONNECTICUT AFTER 3 PM...AND INTO EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE
ISLAND AFTER 4 PM.

SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN.  AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS OR LISTEN
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR WARNINGS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE MAY ISSUE ON THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

JL
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 2:33 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
NHZ011>012-MA002>024-501>504-CTZ002>004-RIZALL-100000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
230 PM EDT WED JUL 9 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR ALL OF
CONNECTICUT...ALL OF RHODE ISLAND...AND ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS
EXCEPT CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR WESTERN AND
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND CHESHIRE AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTIES IN
NEW HAMPSHIRE...

AS OF 230 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO THE EASTERN SLOPES
OF THE BERKSHIRES AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.  THEY WILL CONTINUE
AN EASTWARD TRACK INTO CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN
CONNECTICUT AFTER 3 PM...AND INTO EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE
ISLAND AFTER 4 PM.

SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN.  AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS OR LIxSTEN
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR WARNINGS THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE MAY ISSUE ON THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

JL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 9, 2:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXHampden, Hampshire63 min
Jul 9, 3:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester62 min
Jul 9, 3:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin, Hampden, Hampshire64 min
Jul 9, 3:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXMiddlesex68 min
Jul 9, 4:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester64 min
Jul 9, 4:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXMiddlesex55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Massachusetts, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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.