Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 1, NWS State College, PA

June 15, 1989Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Jun 15, 1989, 6:39 PM EDT for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 21 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 15, 1989, 6:39 PM EDT (22:39 UTC)
Expired
Jun 15, 1989, 7:00 PM EDT
In force
21 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Lancaster County, PA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 157 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 1989-06-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 79 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 1989-06-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 92 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
79 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-169 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
614 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
92 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
156 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 
TTAA00 KHAR 152232
TORHAR
PAC071-152300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
630 PM EDT THU JUN 15 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HARRISBURG HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
          ...LANCASTER
 
AT 630 PM EDT PUBLIC REPORTS A TORNADO ON THE GROUND IN THE VICINITY
OF MOUNTVILLE IN WESTERN LANCASTER COUNTY. THIS TORNADO WAS MOVING
EAST NORTHEAST AT AROUND 35 MPH.
 
 
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Jun 15, 3:36 PM EDT, 3 hours 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA.
330 PM EDT    THU  JUN 15 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR YORK AND LANCASTER COUNTIES IN THE
LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM 330 PM THIS AFTERNOON
UNTIL 1000 PM TONIGHT FOR YORK AND LANCASTER COUNTIES. THIS WATCH ALSO
EXTENDS INTO SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN
AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE
AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND
LISTEN FOR LAT?ER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

WSO HAR JORDAN
Special weather statement, Jun 15, 4:21 PM EDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA.
415 PM EDT THU JUN 15 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AND MOVING THROUGH FRANKLIN COUNTY...

AT 410 PM EDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS OBSERVING A SMALL
CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM
JUST EAST OF MERCERSBURG TO JUST NORTHWEST OF CHAMBERSBURG IN FRANKLIN
COUNTY.   THIS CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT
30 TO 35 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY
RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND MAY ALSO CONTAIN BRIEF STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AND SMALL HAIL.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH AND
WILL REACH INTO TlHE CARLISLE AND MECHANICSBURG AREA BETWEEN
500 AND 530 PM.

WSO HAR FITZSIMMONS
Special weather statement, Jun 15, 5:20 PM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA.
515 PM EDT THU JUN 15 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH CUMBERLAND AND NORTHERN YORK COUNTIES...

AT 510 PM EDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS OBSERVING
THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN IN THE VICINITY OF
MECHANICSBURG IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND SOUTHEAST OF DILLSBURG IN EXTREME
NORTHWESTERN YORK COUNTY AND NORTHERN ADAMS COUNTY.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY
RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND MAY ALSO CONTAIN BRIEF STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AND SMALL HAIL.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH AND
WILL REACH EXTREME SOUTHEAST PERRY AND WESTERN DAUPHIN COUNTIES BETWEEN
530 AND 600 PM THIS EVENING.

WSO HAR FITZSIMMONS
Special weather statement, Jun 15, 5:59 PM EDT, 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA.
550 PM EDT THU JUN 15 1989

...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...

AT 545 PM EDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS OBSERVING A LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM
15 MILES NORTH OF HARRISBURG TO 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE CITY OF YORK.
THE LINE OF THUNDWRSTORMS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35
MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY
RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND MAY ALSO CONTAIN BRIEF STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AND SMALL HAIL.

AS THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH CUMBERLAND COUNTY...
.82 OF AN INCH OF RAIN WAS MEASURED IN TWENTY MINUTES JUST NORTH OF
MECHANICSBURG IN HAMPDEN TOWNSHIP.  WITH IN THE CITY OF HARRISBURG...
1.03 INCHES OF RAIN WAS MEASURED AT THE TELEVISION STUDIOS OF WHTM ALONG
WITH WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 35 MPH RECORDED AT THE FEDERAL BUILDING.

IN ADAMS COUNTY...A HAM OPERATOR REPORTED THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH OF
RAIN IN A FIFTEEN MINUTE PERIOD.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH
AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLT SMALL HAIL.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN LEBANON AND LANCASTER COUNTIES
BY 630 PM THIS EVENING.

WSO HAR FITZSIMMONS
Special weather statement, Jun 15, 6:02 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA.
550 PM EDT THU JUN 15 1989

...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...

AT 545 PM EDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS OBSERVING A LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM
15 MILES NORTH OF HARRISBURG TO 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE CITY OF YORK.
THE LINE OF THUNDWRSTORMS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35
MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY
RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND MAY ALSO CONTAIN BRIEF STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AND SMALL HAIL.

AS THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH CUMBERLAND COUNTY...
.82 OF AN INCH OF RAIN WAS MEASURED IN TWENTY MINUTES JUST NORTH OF
MECHANICSBURG IN HAMPDEN TOWNSHIP.  WITH IN THE CITY OF HARRISBURG...
1.03 INCHES OF RAIN WAS MEASURED AT THE TELEVISION STUDIOS OF WHTM ALONG
WITH WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 35 MPH RECORDED AT THE FEDERAL BUILDING.

IN ADAMS COUNTY...A HAM OPERATOR REPORTED THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH OF
RAIN IN A FIFTEEN MINUTE PERIOD.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH
AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...
FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN LEBANON AND LANCASTER COUNTIES
BY 630 PM THIS EVENING.

WSO HAR FITZSIMMONS

The office that day

Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 15, 6:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLancaster38 min
Jun 15, 6:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBerks56 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes in 1989

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.