Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 2, NWS Pittsburgh, PA
NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this tornado warning at Jun 8, 1990, 8:29 PM EDT for Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 61 min. 1 report 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
- Jun 8, 1990, 8:29 PM EDT (00:29 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 8, 1990, 9:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 61 min
- Issued by
- NWS Pittsburgh, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Somerset 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 9:15 PM EDT | Tornado F0 | Somerset, 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
Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 103 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KPIT 090031 RRA TORPIT PAC111-090130- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 829 PM EDT FRI JUN 8 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN WEST PENNSYLVANIA ...SOMERSET COUNTY AT 825 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER SOMERSET COUNTY HEADING EASTWARD AT 25 MILES AN HOUR TOWARD SOMERSET AND CENTRAL CITY. FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM. SO A TORNADO IS POSSIBLE. HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE FLOODING. ANOTHER STORM MOVING ACROSS THE JOHNSTOWN AREA MAY ALSO 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 LOWEST 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, 3:50 PM EDT, 4 hours 39 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, 3 hours 29 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, 2 hours 38 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, 1 hour 42 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, 1 hour 37 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
Special weather statement, Jun 8, 7:41 PM EDT, 48 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
The office that day
Everything else NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 9:29 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | PBZ | Bedford | 61 min |
| Jun 8, 11:21 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler | 2 hr |
| Jun 8, 11:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler | 2 hr |
| Jun 9, 12:10 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Clearfield, Indiana | 80 min |
| Jun 9, 12:10 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Clearfield, Indiana | 80 min |
| Jun 9, 1:16 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Clearfield | 2 hr |
| Jun 9, 6:00 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Washington | 60 min |
| Jun 9, 6:15 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Allegheny, Beaver, Butler | 60 min |
| Jun 9, 6:26 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Westmoreland | 64 min |
| Jun 9, 7:51 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PBZ | Cambria, Somerset | 39 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.