Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS State College, PA

August 13, 1990Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 13, 1990, 7:21 PM EDT for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 39 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 13, 1990, 7:21 PM EDT (23:21 UTC)
Expired
Aug 13, 1990, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
39 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, 11.4 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 1990-08-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1990-08-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 92 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
92 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
114 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 132323
SVRHAR
PAC071-140000-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
721 PM EDT MON AUG 13 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HARRISBURG HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
          ...EAST CENTRAL LANCASTER
 
AT 718 PM WE RECEIVED REPORTS OF LARGE TREES DOWNED AND WIRE DOWN NEAR
THE CITY OF LANCASTER. THE TOWER AT THE LANCASTER AIRPORT REPORTED
WINDS TO NEAR 60 MILES AN HOUR.
 
RADAR ALSO SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...POSSIBLE STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL MOVING THROUGH EASTERN AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
 
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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

Local storm report, Aug 13, 6:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
600 PM EDT MON AUG 13 1990

CITY/TOWN/                   COUNTY       TIME
VILLAGE                                   /EDT   XEPORT

3 MILES EAST OF CALVERT     LYCOMING      1534   POSSIBLE TORNADO
GAMBLE TOWNSHIP                                  NUMEROUS TREES AND
                                                 POWER LINES DOWN.
   >                                              MANY PLACES WITHOUT
                                                 POWER.

FJG
Special weather statement, Aug 13, 6:20 PM EDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
PAZ007-008-014-132320-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
620 PM EDT MON AUG 13 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR ALL OF NORTHCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 9 PM...

AT 620 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY DOWNPOURS MOVING OUT OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...STRETCHING FROM
BERWICK TO SHAMOKIN AND ON TO HARRISBURG AND HAGERSTOWN MARYLAND.
OTHER SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS WERE ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35
MPH.

MOST OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE EITHER MOVING OUT OF THE
REGION OR WERE RAPIDLY DIMINISHING IN INTENSITY AT THIS TIME.  A
SEVEREE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT AND
PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND LISTEN FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.

FJG/JN
Special weather statement, Aug 13, 6:24 PM EDT, 57 minutes before
PAZ008-009-132300-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
620 PM EDT MON AUG 13 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL
   AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 607 PM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS SHOWING A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE LOWER AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA
VALLEY.

THE 5 MILE LINE EXTENDED FROM 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLOOMSBURG...SOUTHWEST
THROUGH HARRISBURG...THEN DOWN THROUGH GETTYSBURG. THERE WERE ALSO A FEW
STRONG STORMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT.

AT 607 PM THE STRONGEST OF THE STORMS WAS IN NORTHWEST YORK COUNTY AROUND
DILLSBURG.

THE LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR. AT THIS
THE LINE OF STORMS SHOULD EXTEND FROM 10 MILES EAST OF HAZELTON...TO
SOUTHWEST YORK COUNTY...AROUND 10 MILES EAST OF HANOVER...BY AROUND
700 PM. AND BY 800 PM...THE LINE SHOULD BE MOVING OUT OF THE LOWER
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY.

GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND HAIL COULD
ACCOMPANY THESES STORMS.

AS THE STORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH DOWNTOWN HARRISBURG WIND GUSTS WERE AROUND
50 MILES AND HOUR AND RAINS REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO.

IF THREAKTENING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

WSO HAR RBH
Special weather statement, Aug 13, 6:50 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
PAZ009-132345-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
650 PM EDT MON AUG 13 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL
   AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 641 PM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS SHOWING A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY.

THE 5 MILE LINE EXTENDED FROM 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HAZELTON...SOUTHWEST
TO 10 MILES EAST OF HARRISBURG...THEN SOUTH THROUGH HANOVER AND INTO
MARYLAND.

AT 641 PM THE STRONGEST OF THE STORMS WAS ABOUT 15 MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST
OF HARRISBURG.

THE LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR. AT
THIS RATE THE LINE OF STORMS SHOULD MOVING OUT OF EASTERN LANCASTER COUNTY
BY AROUND 741 PM.
.
GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND HAIL COULD
ACCOMPANY THESES STORMS.

AS THE STORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH DOWNTOWN HARRISBURG WIND GUSTS WERE AROUND
5e0 MILES AND HOUR AND RAINS REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST STATEMENT ON THESE STORMS UNLESS FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
TAKES PLACE.

WSO HAR RBH
Special weather statement, Aug 13, 6:52 PM EDT, 29 minutes before
PAZ009-132345-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
650 PM EDT MON AUG 13 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL
   AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 641 PM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS SHOWING A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY.

THE 5 MILE LINE EXTENDED FROM 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HAZELTON...SOUTHWEST
TO 10 MILES EAST OF HARRISBURG...THEN SOUTH THROUGH HANOVER AND INTO
MARYLAND.

AT 641 PM THE STRONGEST OF THE STORMS WAS ABOUT 15 MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST
OF HARRISBURG.

THE LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR. AT
THIS RATE THE LINE OF STORMS SHOULD MOVING OUT OF EASTERN LANCASTER COUNTY
BY AROUND 741 PM.
.
GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND HAIL COULD
ACCOMPANY THESES STORMS.

AS THE STORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH DOWNTOWN HARRISBURG WIND GUSTjS WERE AROUND
50 MILES AND HOUR AND RAINS REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

WSO HAR RBH

COR...TO REMOVE LAST TWO LINES...WILL LIKELY HAVE AT LEAST ONE MORE SPS
Special weather statement, Aug 13, 7:00 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-140000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
700 PM EDT MON AUG 13 1990

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

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 9 PM EDT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE RADAR NOW INDICATES THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED
INTO EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL xBE ENDING ACROSS NORTHCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA THIS EVENING SO THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED
ACROSS THE REGION.

FJG/JN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 13, 3:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBradford47 min
Aug 13, 3:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLycoming35 min
Aug 13, 3:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSullivan43 min
Aug 13, 6:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBerks66 min
Aug 13, 6:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCarbon66 min
Aug 13, 7:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBerks, Lehigh52 min
Aug 13, 7:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCarbon, Northampton52 min
Aug 13, 7:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLehigh, Northampton48 min

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.