Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 63, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

June 30, 1998Barnstable County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 30, 1998, 10:30 PM EDT for Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 35 min. 2 reports 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
Jun 30, 1998, 10:30 PM EDT (02:30 UTC)
Expired
Jun 30, 1998, 11:05 PM EDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

County Barnstable County, MA

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:32 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 30, 10:31 PM EDTHail 1Bourne, MA
Jun 30, 10:47 PM EDTHail 0.75Barnstable, 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 nearest sounding before it

Chatham, MA (KCHH), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 25 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 00:00Z on 1998-07-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 127 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, Chatham, MA at 00:00Z on 1998-07-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 99 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
127 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-151 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
657 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
99 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
78 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.

738 
WUUS1 KBOS 010231
SVRBOS
MAC001-010305-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1030 PM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME WESTERN BARNSTABLE IN SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS

* UNTIL 1105 PM EDT

* AT 1030 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR WAREHAM...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* TOWNS IN/NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  BOURNE AT 1035 PM NEAR THE CAPE COD CANAL

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN ONSET AT
1030 PM.

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...VERY FREQUENT
CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALSO LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.  GET AWAY
FROM OPEN FIELDS...BODIES OF WATER...AND TALL OBJECTS.

&

JL/TF

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, Jun 30, 9:22 PM EDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MASSACHUSETTS
922 PM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0930 AM    STOUGHTON                 MA   FLOODING
06/30/98   NORFOLK                        WESTWOOD BROOK SPILLING
                                          OVER ITS BANKS

1045 AM    STOUGHTON                 MA   FLOODING
06/30/98   NORFOLK                        WESTWOOD BROOK 5 FEET OUT
                                          OF BANK.

1200 PM    CUMBERLAND                RI   FLOODING
06/30/98   PROVIDENCE                     SMALL STREAMS IN
                                          FLOOD...ROADS WASHED OUT
                                          AND MANHOLE COVERS BEING
                                          LIFTED UP FROM TORRENTIAL
                                          RAINS AND RUNOFF.

1210 PM    MANSFIELD                 MA   FLOODING
06/30/98   BRISTOL                        ROADS
                                          IMPASSABLE...UNDERPASSES
                                          TO ROUTE 106 AND NORTH
                                          MAIN STREETS IMPASSABLE
                                          WITH WATER SEVERAL FEET
                                          DEEP.

0100 PM    FOSTER                    RI   FLOODING
06/30/98   PROVIDENCE                     PONAGANSET RIVER HAS RISEN
                                          ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BASED ON
                                          GAGE REPORT.

0115 PM    ATTLEBORO                 MA   FLOODING
06/30/98   BRISTOL                        10 MILE RIVER REPORTED OUT
                                          OF ITS BANKS FLOODING A
                                          NEARBY ROAD.

0200 PM    LINCOLN                   RI   FLOODING
06/30/98   PROVIDENCE                     TRIBUTARIES TO THE
                                          BLACKSTONE RIVER ARE IN
                                          FLOOD AFFECTING NEARBY
                                          HOMES.

0230 PM    BROCKTON                  MA   FLOODING
06/30/98   PLYMOUTH                       SIGNIFICANT FLOODING ALONG
                                          BELMONT AVENUE.
                                          EVACUATION OF LOCAL
                                          RESIDENTS IS BEING
                                          CONSIDERED AT THIS TIME.

0230 PM    PROVIDENCE                RI   FLOODING
06/30/98   PROVIDENCE                     LOUISQUISSET RIVER
                                          REPORTED OUT OF ITS BANKS.

0610 PM    SOUTHINGTON               CT   FLOODING
06/30/98   HARTFORD                       QUINNIPIAC RIVER OVER ITS
                                          BANKS IN SOUTHINGTON.

0810 PM    NORTH PROVIDENCE          RI   FLOODING
06/30/98   PROVIDENCE                     WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER
                                          SPILLING OVER ITS BANKS
                                          FLOODING LOW LYING
                                          SECTIONS FROM SMITHFIELD
                                          INTO NORTH PROVIDENCE.

0820 PM    RICHMOND ARPT             RI   2.75 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   WASHINGTON                     REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          SPOTTER IN THE CLEARVIEW
                                          SECTION OF RICHMOND.
Local storm report, Jun 30, 9:28 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MASSACHUSETTS
928 PM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0610 PM    SOUTHINGTON               CT   FLOODING
06/30/98   HARTFORD                       QUINNIPIAC RIVER OVER ITS
                                          BANKS IN SOUTHINGTON.

0810 PM    NORTH PROVIDENCE          RI   FLOODING
06/30/98   PROVIDENCE                     WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER
                                          SPILLING OVER ITS BANKS
                                          FLOODING LOW LYING
                                          SECTIONS FROM SMITHFIELD
                                          INTO NORTH PROVIDENCE.

0820 PM    RICHMOND ARPT             RI   2.75 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   WASHINGTON                     REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          SPOTTER IN THE CLEARVIEW
                                          SECTION OF RICHMOND.

0919 PM    RICHMOND ARPT             RI   1.75 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   WASHINGTON                     REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          SPOTTER IN RICHMOND

0920 PM    EXETER                    RI   .75 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   WASHINGTON                     REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          SPOTTER
Local storm report, Jun 30, 9:36 PM EDT, 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MASSACHUSETTS
936 PM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0935 PM    NORTH KINGSTOWN           RI   .75 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   WASHINGTON                     REPORTED BY NWS SPOTTER
Local storm report, Jun 30, 9:46 PM EDT, 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MASSACHUSETTS
946 PM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0945 PM    BARRINGTON                RI   .88 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   BRISTOL                        REPORTED BY NWS SPOTTER
Local storm report, Jun 30, 10:17 PM EDT, 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MASSACHUSETTS
1017 PM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1010 PM    SOUTH DARTMOUTH           MA   .75 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   BRISTOL                        REPORTED BY NWS SPOTTER

1015 PM    FAIRHAVEN                 MA   1 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   BRISTOL                        REPORTED BY NWS SPOTTER
Local storm report, Jun 30, 10:25 PM EDT, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MASSACHUSETTS
1025 PM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1013 PM    FAIRHAVEN                 MA   .75 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   BRISTOL                        REPORTED BY NWS SPOTTER

1015 PM    MATTAPOISETT              MA   1 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   PLYMOUTH                       REPORTED BY HAM SPOTTER

1018 PM    FAIRHAVEN                 MA   WIND DAMAGE
06/30/98   BRISTOL                        LARGE BRANCHES DOWN IN
                                          DARTMOUTH

1020 PM    FAIRHAVEN                 MA   .88 INCH HAIL
06/30/98   BRISTOL                        REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          SPOTTERS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 30, 9:05 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXBristol11 hr
Jun 30, 10:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXBristol, Plymouth62 min
Jun 30, 10:37 PM EDTTornado WarningBOXBarnstable33 min
Jul 1, 10:04 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningBOXBristol10 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Massachusetts, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.