Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

June 9, 1990Clearfield County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 9, 1990, 1:16 AM EDT for Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 9, 1990, 1:16 AM EDT (05:16 UTC)
Expired
Jun 9, 1990, 3:30 AM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Clearfield 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

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 152 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 1990-06-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1817 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 1990-06-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 192 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
1817 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1091 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
192 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
233 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
10.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPIT 090522
FFWPIT
PAC033-090730-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
116 AM EDT SAT JUN 9 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS EXTENDED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  330 AM EDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...CLEARFIELD COUNTY
 
WEATHER SERVICE RADAR STILL SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
RAIN OVER CLEARFIELD COUNTY. THESE STORMS CAN CAUSE RAPID FLOODING OF
SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS.
 
THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR THE OTHER FOUR COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED.
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
>CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 8, 7:41 PM EDT, 5 hours 35 minutes before
PAZ001>006-013>015-WVZ001-090400-

SPECIAL WEATHER/FLOOD STATEMENT AND WEATHER RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
740 PM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990

...TORNADO WARNING FOR WESTMORELAND COUNTY TIL 815...
...TORNADO WATCH TIL 10 PM FOR THE WEST VIRGINIA NORTHERN PANHANDLE AND
FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80.  FLOOD WATCH FOR AREA
STREAMS AND CREEKS TIL MIDNIGHT...

AT 730 PITTSBURGH WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS STILL CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING A TORNADO AND LARGE HAIL OVER NORTHERN WESTMORELAND COUNTY
HEADING EASTWARD AT 25 MILES AN HOUR TOWARD VANDERGRIFT AND BLAIRSVILLE
IN SOUTHERN ARMSTRONG AND INDIANA COUNTIES.  THERE WERE OTHER STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN WESTMORELAND COUNTY AND NORTHERN FAYETTE
COUNTY ALSO GOING EAST...AFFECTING MOUNT PLEASANT AND CONNELLSVILLE.
REPEATED HEAVY RAIN FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE FLOODING.

RADAR SHOWED OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWEST
PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN CLEARFIELD DUBOIS AND FRANKLIN...WITH STILL MORE
OVER EASTERN OHIO...BETWEEN YOUNGSTOWN AND AKRON...AND NEAR THE TAPPAN
RESEVOIR AND COLUMBUS AREAS.  ALL MOVING EASTSOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN
HOUR.

IF YOURE OUT THIS EVENING...BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER...KNOW WHERE YOU CAN GO FOR SAFE SHELTER...AND KEEP TUNED FOR
ADDITIONAL ADVISORIES AND UPDATES.

GIORDANO/HIGGINS/REHAK/NOUHAN
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 10:52 PM EDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
PAZ001>006-013>015-WVZ001-090800-

SPECIAL WEATHER AND FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1040 PM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990

...TORNADO WATCH TIL 3 AM FOR THE WEST VIRGINIA NORTHERN PANHANDLE AND
FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SOUTH OF PITTSBURGH AND ALTOONA...

...FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE AND ALL OF WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA TIL 4 AM...

THE WEST VIRGINIA NORTHERN PANHANDLE AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...
PARTICULARLY THOSE AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80...WILL CONTINUE TO BE
PLAGUED OVERNIGHT BY THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND STRONG WIND
GUSTS.  THE DOWNPOURS MAY BE HEAVY ENOUGH TO CAUSE FLOODING ALONG SMALL
STREAMS AND WHERE THERES POOR DRAINAGE.  THE WIND GUSTS MAY BE DAMAGING
WITH EVEN A TORNADO POSSIBLE.

IF YOU LIVE IN AN AREA PRONE TO FLOODING FROM SMALL STREAMS AND POOR
DRAINAGE...WATCH OUT FOR REPEATED HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND RISING WATER.
BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF NEEDED.  WHENEVER THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES...TAKE SHELTER INDOORS.  LIGHTNING KILLS AS OFTEN AS
STRONG WIND AND FLOODING.

HIGH HUMIDITY AND A STALLED FRONT ARE THE CAUSE OF TONIGHTS DANGEROUS
THUNDERSTORMS.  STORMS FROM OHIO WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO WEST
VIRGINIA AND PENNSYLVANIA OVERNIGHT.  THERE MAY BE A BREAK SATURDAY
MORNING...BUT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY REDEVELOP SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING WHEN A SECOND FRONT COMING FROM WISCONSIN MOVES THE STALLED
FRONT OUT.

GIORDANO/STEWART/HIGGINS/ALESSI

~
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 12:49 AM EDT, 27 minutes before
PAZ001>006-013>015-WVZ001-090900-

SPECIAL WEATHER AND FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1245 AM EDT SAT JUN 9 1990

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING TIL 130 AM FOR
CLEARFIELD INDIANA BUTLER ARMSTRONG AND ALLEGHENY COUNTIES...

...TORNADO WATCH TIL 3 AM FOR THE WEST VIRGINIA NORTHERN PANHANDLE AND
FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SOUTH OF PITTSBURGH AND ALTOONA...

...FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE AND ALL OF WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA TIL 4 AM...

JUST BEFORE 1 AM...THE WORST STORMS WERE OVER INDIANA CLEARFIELD AND
CENTRE COUNTIES IN THE CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAINS.  REPEATED HEAVY
RAIN MAY CAUSE THE RAPID FLOODING OF STREAMS AND CREEKS AND WHERE
DRAINAGE IS POOR.  THERE WERE ALSO THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN OVER
THE WEST VIRGINIA NORTHERN PANHANDLE AND THE SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA
COUNTIES OF GREENE AND WASHINGTON.  THESE TOO CAN CAUSE FLOODING.

THE RAIN HAS LESSENED OVER ALLEGHENY ARMSTRONG AND BUTLER
COUNTIES...BUT RUNOFF FROM THE PREVIOUS HEAVY RAIN CAN STILL CAUSE
FLOODING TIL AROUND 130.  IN GENERAL THE THREAT OF HIGH WINDS AND LARGE
HAIL HAS DIMINISHED...BUT THERES STILL LOTS OF DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WITH
THESE STORMS WHICH HAS CAUSED FIRES AND MANY OF THE POWER OUTAGES.

GIORDANO/SISK/ALESSI/PALKO/LEONARDON/REHAK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 8, 8:29 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZSomerset61 min
Jun 8, 9:29 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZBedford61 min
Jun 8, 11:21 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZAllegheny, Armstrong, Butler2 hr
Jun 8, 11:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZAllegheny, Armstrong, Butler2 hr
Jun 9, 12:10 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZClearfield, Indiana80 min
Jun 9, 12:10 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZClearfield, Indiana80 min
Jun 9, 6:00 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZWashington60 min
Jun 9, 6:15 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZAllegheny, Beaver, Butler60 min
Jun 9, 6:26 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZWestmoreland64 min
Jun 9, 7:51 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZCambria, Somerset39 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1990Every flash flood 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.