Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

May 31, 2002Hampden County, Hampshire County, Worcester County, Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 2002, 5:26 PM EDT for Hampden County, Hampshire County, Worcester County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 64 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
May 31, 2002, 5:26 PM EDT (21:26 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 2002, 6:30 PM EDT
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Hampden County, MA, Hampshire County, MA, Worcester County, MA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 31, 5:35 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 50 EWinchendon, MA
May 31, 6:10 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 50 EHolyoke, 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
May 31, 2:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 126 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 2002-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 59 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 2002-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 138 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
59 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-161 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
835 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
141 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 
WUUS51 KBOX 312126
SVRBOX
MAC013-015-027-312230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
524 PM EDT FRI MAY 31 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS
  HAMPDEN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
    INCLUDING SPRINGFIELD...CHICOPEE
  EASTERN HAMPSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
    INCLUDING HADLEY

* UNTIL 630 PM EDT.

* AT 522 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF PELHAM TO   
  GRANVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  SOUTH HADLEY AND PELHAM AROUND 530 PM EDT
  SOUTHWICK AND GRANBY AROUND 535 PM EDT
  WEST SPRINGFIELD AND CHICOPEE AROUND 540 PM EDT
  PETERSHAM AROUND 545 PM EDT
  PHILLIPSTON AND BELCHERTOWN AROUND 550 PM EDT
  TEMPLETON...SPRINGFIELD AND LUDLOW AROUND 555 PM EDT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND/OR WIND STRONG ENOUGH TO
KNOCK DOWN TREES AND POWER LINES. MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND 
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

$$

GAF/AED

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 4:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin, Hampden, Hampshire38 min
May 31, 4:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester49 min
May 31, 5:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXMiddlesex50 min
May 31, 5:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXEssex26 min
May 31, 6:05 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX85 min
May 31, 6:07 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX21 hr
May 31, 6:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin48 min
May 31, 7:17 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX88 min
May 31, 7:17 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningBOX21 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Massachusetts, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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.