Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 61, NWS State College, PA

August 28, 1990Centre County, Union County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 28, 1990, 10:05 PM EDT for Centre County, Union County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 55 min. 2 reports 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
Aug 28, 1990, 10:05 PM EDT (02:05 UTC)
Expired
Aug 28, 1990, 11:00 PM EDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Centre County, PA, Union 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
Aug 28, 10:08 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Centre, PA
Aug 28, 10:10 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 0Centre, 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

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 221 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 00:00Z on 1990-08-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3320 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 00:00Z on 1990-08-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 111 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
3320 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-40 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1296 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
228 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.1
Supercell composite
12.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHAR 290204 RRA
SVRHAR
PAC027-119-290300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
1005 PM EDT TUE AUG 28 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HARRISBURG HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
          ...CENTRE...UNION
 
AT 955PM THIS EVENING WE RECEIVED A REPORT OF WINDS DAMAGE IN
MILESBURG...NORTH OF BELLEFONTE IN CENTRE COUNTY. SOME TREES AND WIRES
WERE REPORTED DOWNED.
RADAR ALSO SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL AREAS
OF PENNSYLVANIA. THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EARLY
THIS EVENING IN NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING MAINLY EAST SOUTHEAST AROUND 35 MPH.
 
 
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLJESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

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, Aug 28, 6:40 PM EDT, 3 hours 25 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-282340

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
640 PM EDT MON AUG 6 1990

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT FOR...BRADFORD
   CLINTON...AND TIOGA COUNTIES...

...THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 640 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM WATERTOWN NEW YORK...SOUTHWEST INTO ERIE
COUNTY OF PENNSYLVANIA.  THERE WAS ALSO A DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM
AHEAD OF THIS LINE NEAR BRADFORD. THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
40 MPH.

THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO TIOGA COUNTY AT
APPROXIMATELY 730 PM EDT.  THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL AS
THEY MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST.  TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE FROM THESE
THUNDERSTORMS.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...FIND SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND REMAIN CALM. LIGHTNING IS THE
BIGGEST KILLER IN THUNDERSTORMS...TAKE MEASURES NOW TO INSURE YOU CAN
REACH A PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD THESE STORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA. STAY
TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION
STATIONS FOR FGURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JSN/PG
Special weather statement, Aug 28, 7:25 PM EDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-290025

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
725 PM EDT MON AUG 6 1990

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT FOR...BRADFORD
   CLINTON...AND TIOGA COUNTIES...

AT 725 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND HAIL MOVING THROUGH SOUTHCENTRAL
AND WESTERN NEW YORK. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH EXTENDED FROM NEAR ITHICA NEW YORK...SOUTHWEST TO
NEAR WARREN MCKEAN...AND POTTER COUNTIES OF NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE
STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS LINE WAS ENTERING NORTHERN TIOGA COUNTY.  AT
THIS TIME NO SEVERE WEATHER IS OCCURRING IN NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
HOWEVER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN CENTRAL NEW YORK.
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...FIND SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. TAKE MEAShURES NOW TO INSURE YOU CAN REACH A PLACE OF SAFETY
SHOULD THESE STORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JSN/PG
Special weather statement, Aug 28, 9:22 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
PAZ007-008-009-014-290230-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA.
915 PM EDT    TUE  AUG 28 1990

 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...
EXCEPT FOR LANCASTER AND YORK COUNTIES TIL 200 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING...

AT 910PM RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS REACHING FROM NORTHEAST
OF DUBOIS IN CLEARFIELD COUNTY...EAST TO COLUMBIA COUNTY NORTH OF BERWICK.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS
...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY HAIL.

THESE ARE DANGEROUS STORMS. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK
SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

THESE STORM WERE MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AROUND 35 TO 40 MPH.

WSO HAR JORDAN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 28, 8:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPTioga50 min
Aug 28, 9:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPClinton, Lycoming60 min
Aug 29, 6:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPYork43 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.