Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 46, NWS State College, PA

July 20, 1990Lycoming County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 1990, 4:15 PM EDT for Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 60 min. 1 report 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
Jul 20, 1990, 4:15 PM EDT (20:15 UTC)
Expired
Jul 20, 1990, 5:15 PM EDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Lycoming County, PA

The radar

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

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 20, 4:35 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Lycoming, PA

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. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 222 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 1990-07-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 34 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 1990-07-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 33 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
34 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-71 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1104 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
76 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KIPT 202015
SVRIPT
PAC081-202115-

BULLETIN-IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
415 PM EDT FRI JULY 20 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 515 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...LYCOMING

AT 415 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF WILLIAMSPORT. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS..HAIL..HEAVY
RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCES WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 58 MPH AND/OR HAIL 3/4 INCH OR LARGER IN DIAMETER.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE
IMMEDIATELY.  TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER CALL THE NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE AND ASK THEM TO
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

FJG/HM

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

Special weather statement, Jul 20, 1:30 PM EDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-201830

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
130 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
FOR NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. THIS INCLUDES TIOGA...BRADFORD...
CLINTON...LYCOMING AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
WILL EXIST UNTIL 800 PM EDT THIS FRIDAY EVENING.

AT 1:20 PM A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDEERSTORS WAS MOVING THROUGH
MCKEAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN
REPORTED AS YET.

PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA ARE A#DVISED
TO BE ALERT FOR THUNDEERSTORMS AND TAKE SHELTER IF THEY ARE OBSERVED.

PG/HM
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:40 PM EDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-2019400

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
240 PM EDT FRI JUL 20 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA. THIS INCLUDES TIOGA...BRADFORD...CLINTON...LYCOMING AND
SULLIVAN COUNTIES.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
WILL EXIST UNTIL 800 PM EDT THIS FRIDAY EVENING.

AT 230 PM A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NORTHWEST
TIOGA COUNTY THROUGH SOUTHERN POTTER COUNTY AND NORTHWEST CLEARFIELD
COUNTY. THE LINE THEN EXTENDED SOUTHWEST TO PITTSBURGH. NO SEVERE
WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AS YET IN THAT PORTION OF THE LINE CLOSEST
TO NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA ARE ADVISED
TO BE ALERT FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND TAKE SHELTER IF THEY ARE OBSERVED.

PG/HM
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 4:11 PM EDT, 4 minutes before
PAZ006-008-009-013-202100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
400 PM EST FRI JUL 20 1990

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 355 PM EDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS
SHOWING A 30 MILE WIDE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH EXTENDED
FROM BINGHAMTON NEW YORK TO 25 MILES SOUTH OF PITTSBURGH.

GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...SMALL HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING COULD
ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE STATE.

AT 355 PM THE STONGEST STORMS WERE IN EXTREME WEST CENTRE COUNTY...ABOUT
15 MILES WEST OF STATE COLLEGE...SOUTHERN CLEARFIELD COUNTY...ABOUT 15
MILES NORTH OF ALTOONA...AND IN WEST CAMBRIA COUNTY...ABOUT 15 MILES TO
THE WEST OF ALTOONA.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND AT THIS
RATE THE STONGEST STORMS WILL BE MOVING IN TO SOUTHEAST CENTRE AND
CENTRAL HUNTINGDON COUNTIES BY AROUND 500 PM. AND INTO THE WEST PORTION
OF THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY BY 600 PM.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

WSO HAR RBH

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

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.