Alert archive / Massachusetts / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 21, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

May 31, 20084 counties in Massachusetts

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 2008, 6:20 PM EDT for 4 counties in Massachusetts. It was in force for 55 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 31, 2008, 6:20 PM EDT (22:20 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 2008, 7:15 PM EDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA
Area
Storm-based polygon

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

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:20 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
May 31, 6:55 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGMonson, MAPOWER LINES DOWNED ON LOWER HAMPDEN ROAD

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 31, 5:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC3 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 138 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 2008-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 33 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 2008-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 286 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
33 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-231 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
970 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
286 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
282 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS51 KBOX 312220
SVRBOX
MAC011-013-015-027-312315-
/O.NEW.KBOX.SV.W.0021.080531T2220Z-080531T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
620 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...
  EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  EASTERN HAMPDEN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...
  SOUTHEASTERN HAMPSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS...

* UNTIL 715 PM EDT

* AT 616 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE
  HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE
  LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM PELHAM TO HAMPDEN...OR ALONG A
  LINE EXTENDING FROM AMHERST TO SPRINGFIELD...AND MOVING EAST AT 41
  MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  PALMER BY 625 PM EDT...
  WARE AND MONSON BY 630 PM EDT...
  WARREN...WALES...HARDWICK AND BRIMFIELD BY 635 PM EDT...
  WEST BROOKFIELD AND NEW BRAINTREE BY 640 PM EDT...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND DEADLY CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING. GO INDOORS NOW...PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG
BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS. GO 
INDOORS NOW...PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDIN AND AWAY FROM 
WINDOWS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

LAT...LON 4240 7209 4203 7215 4204 7250 4242 7241
TIME...MOT...LOC 2219Z 282DEG 36KT 4241 7240 4207 7245

$$
MEKSTER
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS51 KBOX 312305
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
705 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

MAC011-015-312315-
/O.CAN.KBOX.SV.W.0021.000000T0000Z-080531T2315Z/
FRANKLIN MA-HAMPSHIRE MA-
705 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN HAMPSHIRE AND
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

LAT...LON 4217 7213 4203 7215 4204 7250 4213 7223
TIME...MOT...LOC 2305Z 285DEG 27KT 4206 7216

$$

MAC013-027-312315-
/O.CON.KBOX.SV.W.0021.000000T0000Z-080531T2315Z/
WORCESTER MA-HAMPDEN MA-
705 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM EDT
FOR SOUTHEASTERN HAMPDEN AND SOUTHWESTERN WORCESTER COUNTIES...

AT 702 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR WALES...OR 17 MILES NORTH OF MANSFIELD...MOVING EAST AT
31 MPH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

LAT...LON 4217 7213 4203 7215 4204 7250 4213 7223
TIME...MOT...LOC 2305Z 285DEG 27KT 4206 7216

$$
MLE
000 
WWUS51 KBOX 312310
SVSBOX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
710 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

MAC013-027-312320-
/O.EXP.KBOX.SV.W.0021.000000T0000Z-080531T2315Z/
WORCESTER MA-HAMPDEN MA-
710 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN HAMPDEN AND
SOUTHWESTERN WORCESTER COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 715 PM EDT...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

LAT...LON 4217 7213 4203 7215 4204 7250 4213 7223
TIME...MOT...LOC 2310Z 285DEG 27KT 4205 7211

$$

MLE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 5:19 AM EDTHigh Surf AdvisoryBOXBristol, Dukes, Nantucket39 hr
May 31, 5:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin, Hampden, Hampshire53 min
May 31, 5:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin, Hampden, Hampshire40 min
May 31, 6:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXFranklin19 min
May 31, 6:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXHampden32 min
May 31, 7:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOXWorcester40 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Massachusetts, 2008Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.