Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1991

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 46, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

August 20, 1991Chester County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 20, 1991, 11:17 AM EDT for Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 43 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 20, 1991, 11:17 AM EDT (15:17 UTC)
Expired
Aug 20, 1991, 12:00 PM EDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Whole counties

County Chester County, PA

The nearest sounding before it

Atlantic City In, NJ (KACY), launched 12:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 122 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, Atlantic City In, NJ at 12:00Z on 1991-08-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 772 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, Atlantic City In, NJ at 12:00Z on 1991-08-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 9 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
772 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
615 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
9 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
65 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPHL 201516
SVRPHL
PAC029-201600-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA PA
1117 AM EDT TUE AUG 20 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHILADELPHIA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL NOON EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...SOUTHERN CHESTER COUNTY
 
AT 1110 AM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN CHESTER COUNTY NEAR THE TOWN OF OXFORD.
 
THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL
PASS THROUGH THE REST OF CHESTER COUNTY WITHIN THE HOUR.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA...PREPARE
FOR STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING.  SHOULD THE STORM APPROACH YOU...SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER
INDOORS...BUT DO NOT STAND NEAR WINDOWS.  MOBILE HOMES ARE MOST
VULNERABLE TO HIGH WINDS AND SHOULD BE A/VOIDED.
 
 
DCY

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 20, 5:24 AM EDT, 5 hours 53 minutes before
DEZ001-201030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON DE
521 AM EDT TUE AUG 20 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHERN DELAWARE AND BAY...

AT 520 AM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF RAPIDLY DEVELOPING
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUTH OF THE DELAWARE BAY SOUTHWEST INTO SOUTH
CENTRAL SUSSEX COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE
NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY AND MAY CONTAIN GUSTY
WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. BOATERS SHOULD MOVE TO
SAFE HARBOR IMMEDIATELY USING CAUTION AS THESE STORMS CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP.

PERSONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN DELAWARE SHOULD STAY INDOORS
UNTIL THE STORMS PASS DUE TO THE EXTREME DANGER OF THE CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES. STAY AWAY FROM ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES...SINKS AND DO
NOT USE TELEPHONES DURING AN ELECTRICAL STORM. LIGHTNING THAT STRIKES
A TELEPHONE LINE WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE PHONE AND ELECTRICUTE
THE USER.

LOMBARDY
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 10:27 AM EDT, 50 minutes before
DEZ001-201425-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON DE
1020 AM EDT TUE AUG 20 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS HEADING FOR NORTHERN DELAWARE...

AT 1010 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
STRETCHING FROM HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA SOUTHEASTWARD TO JUST SOUTH OF
ABERDEEN MARYLAND.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT
30 MPH.

THESE STORMS WILL BE AFFECTING THE NORTHERN AREAS OF NEW CASTLE COUNTY
AFTER 1115 THIS MORNING.  THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...
GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL.

WEATHER SPOTTERS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE REPORTING VERY HEAVY DOWN-
POURS WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF MORE THAN 1 INCH AND HOUR.  IF YOU SEE THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHING OR HEAR THUNDER TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY INDOORS.

VAUGHAN
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 10:35 AM EDT, 42 minutes before
PAZ007>012-NJZ002>004-201900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - THUNDERSTORM AND HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA PA
1030 AM EDT TUE AUG 20 1991

...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS WITH THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO CHESTER COUNTY...

AT 1030 THIS MORNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATES HEAVY
RAINS WITH THUNDERSTORMS OVER HARFORD COUNTY IN MARYLAND MOVING NORTHEAST
TOWARD SOUTHERN CHESTER COUNTY. PERSONS IN SOUTHERN CHESTER COUNTY CAN
EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS TO MOVE INTO THEIR AREA BY 1130
THIS MORNING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME
CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS.

EARLY THIS AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE
REMAINDER OF SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE DELAWARE VALLEY. LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS ALSO.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
STATIONS FOR THE LATEST FORECAST...AS WELL AS ANY POSSIBLE WEATHER
WATCHES OR WARNINGS THAT MAY BE ISSUED LATER TODAY.

GCH
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 11:03 AM EDT, 14 minutes before
PAZ011-016-201800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALLENTOWN PA
1100 AM EDT TUE AUG 20 1991

...HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARDS EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANA...

A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LOCATED FROM NORTHWEST OF
WILLIAMSPORT PENNSYLVANIA TO SOUTHEAST OF LANCASTER...WEST TO HAGERSTOWN
MARYLAND. THIS AREA IS ABOUT 50 MILES WIDE AND CONTAINS SOME VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS AND IS MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 30 MPH.
THE LEADING EADGE OF THIS AREA SHOULD REACH THE LEHIGH VALLEY BETWEEN 1230
AND 100 PM THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH
THE LEHIGH VALLEY PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED.

STAY TUNtED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WATCHS OR WARNINGS THAT MAY BE ISSUED
LATER.

GIANNETTA
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 11:16 AM EDT, 1 minute before
DEZ003-201425-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON DE
1020 AM EDT TUE AUG 20 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS HEADING FOR NORTHERN DELAWARE...

AT 1010 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
STRETCHING FROM HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA SOUTHEASTWARD TO JUST SOUTH OF
ABERDEEN MARYLAND.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT
30 MPH.

THESE STORMS WILL BE AFFECTING THE NORTHERN AREAS OF NEW CASTLE COUNTY
AFTER 1115 THIS MORNING.  THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...
GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL.

WEATHER SPOTTERS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE REPORTING VERY HEAVY DOWN-
POURS WITH ACCUMULATIONS OF MORE THAN 1u INCH AND HOUR.  IF YOU SEE THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHING OR HEAR THUNDER TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY INDOORS.
VAUGHAN

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1991Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1991

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.