Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 1990, 2:55 PM EDT for Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 35 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
- May 17, 1990, 2:55 PM EDT (18:55 UTC)
- Expired
- May 17, 1990, 3:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 35 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2:57 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Lycoming, PA | |
| May 17, 3:09 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Lycoming, 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, 6.9 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 96 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -4 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 577 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 57 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 83 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 141 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KIPT 171855 SVRIPT PAC081-171930- BULLETIN-EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA 255 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXTENDED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 330 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...LYCOMING 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. THERE IS ALSO A THREAT OF TORNADOES IN THIS AREA. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY. TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER CALL THE NEARESNT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 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, May 17, 12:05 PM EDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
PAZ009-172000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA. 1200 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON... JUST PRIOR TO NOON...A COLD FRONT WAS MOVING INTO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA... WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OUT AHEAD. THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE PUSHING ACROSS THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE SPREADING EAST. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE HAIL...LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND GUSTY WINDS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. HOWEVER... THESE STONGER STORMS WILL MAINLY BE CONFINED TO THE EAST HALF OF THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. CONDITIHONS WILL THEN QUITE DOWN AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT. IF YOU SEE STORMS APPROACHING PLEASE SEEK SHELTER. ALSO STAY TUNED TO THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND UPDATES. WSO HAR
Special weather statement, May 17, 12:55 PM EDT, 2 hours before
PAZ006-171800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA. 1250 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TOWARDS CENTRE COUNTY... AT 1240 PM EDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS SHOWING A 7 MILE WIDE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH EXTENDED FROM BRADFORD THROUGH INDIANA AND JUST SOUTHEAST OF LETROBE. THE STRONGEST OF THE STORMS WAS LOCATED JUST NORTH OF INDIANA...AT AROUND DIXONVILLE. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AS WELL AS A BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOUR. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT AROUND 50 MILES AN HOUR. AS THE RATE THE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO CENTRE COUNTY BY AROUND 130 PM. THESE STORMS COULD INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE EAST. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST UPDATES. WSO HAR RBH
Special weather statement, May 17, 1:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
PAZ006-013-009-171830- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA. 130 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING INTO THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS... AT 120 PM EDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS SHOWING A 20 MILE WIDE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH EXTENDED FROM WEST POTTER COUNTY THROUGH EAST SOMERSET COUNTY. THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS WAS IN NORTHWEST BLAIR COUNTY AROUND BELLWOOD. THIS LINE WAS MOVING VERY RAPIDLY...AROUND 55 MILES AN HOUR TO THE EAST... AND THIS COULD POSSIBLY CONTAIN DAMAGING WINDS. THESE STORMS COULD ALSO INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE EAST. AT THERE PRESENT RATE OF MOTION...THE STORMS WILL AT THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE SUSQEHANNA VALLEY BY 230 PM. THE STRONGER STORMS...THAT WERE IN CLEARFIELD COUNTY AT 120 PM... SHOULD MOVE INTO SOUTH CENTRE AND NORTH HUNTINDON SHORTLY...THEN MIFFLIN BY AROUND 210 PM...AND NORTH JUNIATA BY AROUND 230 PM. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO THE NOAA WEATHER RAIO OF THE LATEST UPDATES. WSO HAR
Special weather statement, May 17, 1:50 PM EDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-171900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA 150 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH ISSUED FOR NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FROM 200 PM UNTIL 900 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT 145 PM EDT...RADAR SHOWED AN INTENSFYING LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM POTTER COUNTY THROUGH WESTERN CLINTON AND WESTERN CENTRE COUNTY TO NEAR ALTOONA. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AT LEAST UNTIL 300 PM EDT. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. 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.
Special weather statement, May 17, 2:22 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
PAZ006-013-009-171930- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA. 225 PM EDT THU MAY 17 1990 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TOWARD THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY... AT 210 PM EDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS SHOWING A 20 MILE WIDE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH EXTENDED FROM WEST TIOGA COUNTY...EAST CENTRE COUNTY...THROUGH CENTRAL FULTON AND DOWN INTO MARYLAND. THE STONGEST OF THE STORMS WAS ALONG WEST MIFFLIN COUNTY. THIS LINE WAS MOVING VERY RAPIDLY...AROUND 55 MILES AN HOUR TO THE EAST... AND THIS COULD POSSIBLY CONTAIN DAMAGING WINDS. THESE STORMS COULD ALSO INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE EAST. AT THERE PRESENT RATE OF MOTION...THE STORMS WILL BE IN THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE SUSQEHANNA VALLEY BY 320 PM. THE STRONGER STORMS...THAT WERE IN EAST MIFFLIN COUNTY AT 210 PM...SHOULD MOVE INTO WEST SYNDER AND JUNIATA BY AROUND 250 PM...THEN INTO NORTHUMBERLAND BY AROUND 330 PM. PLEASE STAY TUNED TO THE NOAA WEATHER RAIO OF THE LATEST UPDATES. WSO HAR
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 8:18 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Montour | 3 hr |
| May 17, 2:07 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Tioga | 38 min |
| May 17, 2:22 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lycoming | 38 min |
| May 17, 2:52 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Sullivan | 38 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.