Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

June 8, 1990Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this tornado warning at Jun 8, 1990, 7:09 PM EDT for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 66 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 8, 1990, 7:09 PM EDT (23:09 UTC)
Expired
Jun 8, 1990, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
66 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Westmoreland 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, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 233 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 1990-06-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 54 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 12:00Z on 1990-06-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 62 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
54 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-251 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1053 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
239 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 KPIT 082312 COR
TORPIT
PAC129-090015-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
709 PM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM EDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN WEST PENNSYLVANIA

   ...WESTMORELAND COUNTY

WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A TORNADO OVER WESTMORELAND COUNTY MOVING
EASTSOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH TOWARD JEANETTE AND GREENSBURG
AND LATROBE.  HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE FLOODING.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE L_OWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, 2:56 PM EDT, 4 hours 13 minutes before
PAZ001>006-013>015-WVZ001-082000-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
240 PM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLING THROUGH SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 240 PM THE PITTSBURGH WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED IN A LINE BETWEEN WHEELING WEST VIRGINIA AND
LATROBE PENNSYLVANIA...MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 45 MPH.
THE STRONGEST STORM WAS NEAR LATROBE PENNSYLVANIA.

THIS STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE JOHNSTOWN AREA SHORTLY AFTER 3 PM...AND
THEN TO SOUTHERN BLAIR AND NORTHERN BEDFORD COUNTIES BY 330 PM.
THIS STORM CONTAINS HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WIND...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...
AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.

WHEN STORMS APPROACH...MOVE INDOORS.  NEVER DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED AREAS.

OTHER STORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE NORTHERN
PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA.

OVER THE PAST HOUR...COVERAGE AND INTENSITIES REMAINED ABOUT THE SAME.
AGAIN...THESE ]STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 45 MPH.

REHAK/NOUHAN
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 3:50 PM EDT, 3 hours 19 minutes before
PAZ001>006-013>015-WVZ001-082000-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
345 PM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE LAUREL MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 345 PM THE PITTSBURGH WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM NEAR CONFLUENCE...NORTHEAST TO LIGONIER
...THEN EAST TO MARTINSBURG. THESE COMMUNITIES ARE IN FAYETTE...SOMERSET
...AND BEDFORD COUNTIES OF PENNSYLVANIA.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING
TOWARD THE EAST AT 45 MPH.

THESE STROMS WILL MOVE THROUGH SOMERSET COUNTY AND INTO THE BEDFORD
AREA BY 430 PM...AND THEN INTO SOUTHERN HUNTINGDON AND FULTON COUNTIES
BY 5 PM.  HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WIND...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND SMALL
HAIL WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.

WHEN STORMS APPROACH...MOVE INDOORS.  NEVER DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED AREAS.

OTHER STORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN
WEST VIRGINIA...AND CENTRAL OHIO.

OVER THE PAST HOUR...COVERAGE AND INTENSITIES REMAINED ABOUT THE SAME.
AGAIN...THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 45 MPH.

REHAK/NOUHAN
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 5:00 PM EDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
PAZ001>006-013>015-WVZ001-090300-

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

...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...

IF YOURE IN FAYETTE SOMERSET SOUTHERN CAMBRIA...THE JOHNSTOWN AREA...
BEDFORD FULTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES EARLY THIS EVENING...BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR FLOODING ALONG SMALL STREAMS AND WHERE DRAINAGE IS POOR.
SOME AREAS GOT CLOSE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN BETWEEN 3 AND 430.

JUST BEFORE 5 PM...THE ONLY STORMS LEFT WERE OVER FRANKLIN COUNTY IN
THE SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAINS...AND THESE...MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 30 MILES AN HOUR...WILL BE OUT OF FRANKLIN COUNTY BY 530.
RADAR SHOWS MORE STORMS BREWING OVER OHIO.  THE CLOSEST TO WEST
VIRGINIA AND PENNSYLVANIA WAS NEAR ZANESVILLE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30
MILES AN HOUR.

GIORDAaNO
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 5:51 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
PAZ001>006-013>015-WVZ001-090400-

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

...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...

IF YOURE IN FAYETTE SOMERSET...THE JOHNSTOWN AREA OF CAMBRIA COUNTY...
BEDFORD FULTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES EARLY THIS EVENING...BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR FLOODING ALONG SMALL STREAMS AND WHERE DRAINAGE IS POOR.
SOME AREAS GOT CLOSE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN BETWEEN 3 AND 430.

JUST BEFORE 6 PM...THERE WERE NO THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA...ONLY STORMS OVER OHIO.  THE NEAREST OHIO STORMS WERE
AROUND CAMBRIDGE AND ZANESVILLE STILL MOVING EASTSOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES
AN HOUR.  THIS STORM MAY AFFECT MARSHALL COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA AROUND 7
PM OR SO...WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS POSSIBLE.

THERE WERE OTHER STORMS IN OHIO BEHIND THIS ONE...AND THESE COULD BRING
HEAVY RAIN AND HIGH WIND TO THE PENNSYLVANIA AND WEST VIRGINIA WATCH
AREA LATER THIS EVENING.  SO IF YOURE OUT THIS EVENING...KEEP AN EYE
OUT FOR APPROACHING BAD WEATHER AND WHERE YOU CAN GO FOR SAFE SHELTER.
ALSO KEEP THE RADIO OR TV ON FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

GIORDANO/STEWART/REHAK
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 6:47 PM EDT, 22 minutes before
PAZ001>006-013>015-WVZ001-090400-

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

...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 645 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED TWO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER ALLEGHENY
COUNTY OF PENNSYLVANIA.  ONE STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH
...AND THE OTHER WAS JUST TO THE WEST OF DOWNTOWN.

HAIL...A HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...WAS REPORTED IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH
WITH ONE STORM.  HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY
ALSO ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.
THERE WERE OTHER STORMS IN OHIO BEHIND THIS ONE...AND THESE COULD BRING
HEAVY RAIN AND HIGH WIND TO THE PENNSYLVANIA AND WEST VIRGINIA WATCH
AREA LATER THIS EVENING.  SO IF YOURE OUT THIS EVENING...KEEP AN EYE
OUT FOR APPROACHING BAD WEATHER ANDG WHERE YOU CAN GO FOR SAFE SHELTER.
ALSO KEEP THE RADIO OR TV ON FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

GIORDANO/STEWART/REHAK
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 6:52 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
PAZ001>006-013>015-WVZ001-090400-

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

...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 645 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED TWO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER ALLEGHENY
COUNTY OF PENNSYLVANIA.  ONE STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH
...AND THE OTHER WAS JUST TO THE WEST OF DOWNTOWN.

HAIL...A HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...WAS REPORTED IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH
WITH ONE STORM.  STRONG WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING MAY ALSO OCCUR.
REPEATED HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE FLOODING.  NEVER DRIVE THROUGH FLOODING.

THERE WERE OTHER STORMS IN OHIO BEHIND THIS ONE...AND THESE COULD BRING
HEAVY RAIN AND HIGH WIND TO THE PENNSYLVANIA AND WEST VIRGINIA WATCH
AREA LATER THIS EVENING.  SO IF YOURE OUT THIS EVENING...NKEEP AN EYE
OUT FOR BAD WEATHER AND FOR SAFE PLACES TO TAKE SHELTER.
ALSO KEEP THE RADIO OR TV ON FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

REHAK/GIORDANO/NOUHAN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 8, 7:14 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBeaver61 min
Jun 8, 7:25 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZAllegheny65 min
Jun 8, 7:49 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZGreene, Washington56 min
Jun 8, 9:05 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZCambria, Somerset55 min
Jun 8, 3:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZFayette, Somerset65 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes 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.