Alert archive / Massachusetts / Tornado Warnings in 2008
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Boston/Norton, MA
NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this tornado warning at Aug 7, 2008, 2:39 PM EDT for Franklin County, Hampshire County, Worcester County, Massachusetts. It was in force for 33 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
- Aug 7, 2008, 2:39 PM EDT (18:39 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 7, 2008, 3:12 PM EDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Boston/Norton, MA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Franklin County, MA, Hampshire County, MA, Worcester County, MA
The radar
The Boston radar (KBOX), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:40 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2:42 PM EDT | FUNNEL CLOUD | New Salem, MA | FUNNEL CLOUD SIGHTED OVER NEW SALEM |
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 12:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Albany, NY (KALY), launched 12:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 127 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 989 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -26 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 650 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 26 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 42 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WFUS51 KBOX 071839 TORBOX MAC011-015-027-071930- /O.NEW.KBOX.TO.W.0003.080807T1839Z-080807T1930Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 239 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... WEST CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTY IN CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS... SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS... CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS... THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF AMHERST... * UNTIL 330 PM EDT * AT 236 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR NEW SALEM...OR 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF AMHERST...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. * THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... NEW SALEM BY 250 PM EDT... PETERSHAM AND 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PHILLIPSTON BY 330 PM EDT... THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...GO TO AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR SMALL ROOM THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. ABANDON MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES AND GET TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND CENTRAL RHODE ISLAND. LAT...LON 4256 7213 4237 7214 4237 7262 4261 7246 TIME...MOT...LOC 1839Z 278DEG 9KT 4249 7237 $$ FRANK
2 follow-up statements
000 WWUS51 KBOX 071853 SVSBOX SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 253 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 MAC011-015-027-071930- /O.CON.KBOX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-080807T1930Z/ WORCESTER MA-FRANKLIN MA-HAMPSHIRE MA- 249 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 330 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE...SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN AND WEST CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTIES... AT 242 PM EDT...THE PUBLIC REPORTED A POSSIBLE TORNADO WITH TREE TOPS BLOWN ONTO ROUTE 116 IN SUNDERLAND. AS OF 250 PM...THIS POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS NEAR NEAR LEVERETT MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR... SHUTESBURY BY 315 PM EDT... THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND CENTRAL RHODE ISLAND. LAT...LON 4256 7213 4237 7214 4237 7262 4261 7246 TIME...MOT...LOC 1849Z 278DEG 9KT 4249 7234 $$ FRANK
000 WWUS51 KBOX 071912 SVSBOX SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 312 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 MAC011-015-027-071921- /O.CAN.KBOX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-080807T1930Z/ WORCESTER MA-FRANKLIN MA-HAMPSHIRE MA- 311 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL HAMPSHIRE...SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN AND WEST CENTRAL WORCESTER COUNTIES IS CANCELLED... THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING AND POSSIBLE TORNADO HAS WEAKENED. THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELED. HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE STILL POSSIBLE FROM THIS STORM. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CONNECTICUT AND MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND CENTRAL RHODE ISLAND. LAT...LON 4256 7213 4237 7214 4237 7262 4261 7246 TIME...MOT...LOC 1911Z 278DEG 9KT 4248 7227 $$ FRANK
The office that day
Everything else NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 8:16 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Franklin, Hampshire, Worcester | 29 min |
| Aug 7, 1:03 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BOX | Hampden, Hampshire | 87 min |
| Aug 7, 1:25 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Hampden, Hampshire | 65 min |
| Aug 7, 1:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Middlesex, Worcester | 60 min |
| Aug 7, 2:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Middlesex, Norfolk, Worcester | 39 min |
| Aug 7, 2:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Franklin, Worcester | 64 min |
| Aug 7, 2:12 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Worcester | 63 min |
| Aug 7, 2:26 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Worcester | 34 min |
| Aug 7, 2:28 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Middlesex, Worcester | 39 min |
| Aug 7, 2:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Middlesex, Worcester | 27 min |
| Aug 7, 2:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Middlesex, Worcester | 62 min |
| Aug 7, 3:12 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Worcester | 49 min |
| Aug 7, 3:17 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BOX | Middlesex, Norfolk, Worcester | 2 hr |
| Aug 7, 3:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Middlesex, Worcester | 42 min |
| Aug 7, 3:44 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Middlesex, Worcester | 61 min |
| Aug 7, 3:57 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BOX | Middlesex, Worcester | 2 hr |
| Aug 7, 5:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Franklin, Hampshire | 56 min |
| Aug 7, 5:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Middlesex, Norfolk, Worcester | 18 min |
| Aug 7, 5:56 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | BOX | Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire | 3 hr |
| Aug 7, 6:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire | 55 min |
| Aug 7, 6:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire | 55 min |
| Aug 7, 7:43 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOX | Hampden, Hampshire | 62 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Massachusetts, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes 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.