Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 1, NWS State College, PA

January 14, 1992Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Jan 14, 1992, 9:46 AM EST for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 29 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 14, 1992, 9:46 AM EST (14:46 UTC)
Expired
Jan 14, 1992, 10:15 AM EST
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Lancaster County, PA

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 157 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 1992-01-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1992-01-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 456 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
64 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
456 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
579 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHAR 141452
TORHAR
PAC071-141515-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
946 AM EST TUE JAN 14 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HARRISBURG HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 AM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...LANCASTER COUNTY
 
WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HARRISBURG INDICATES A PROBABLE TORNADO
MOVING INTO CENTRAL LANCASTER COUNTY FROM YORK COUNTY. AS THE STORMS
APPROACH SEEK SHELTER IN A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM...ACT NOW.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

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, Jan 14, 7:17 AM EST, 2 hours 29 minutes before
PAZ006-009-013-141500-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
715 AM EST TUE JAN 14 1992

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...

AT 700AM EST WEATHER RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS SHOWING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN FROM CLEARFIELD COUNTY TO BEFORD COUNTY
THEN INTO MINERAL COUNTY...WEST VIRGINIA. THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE OVER
CENTRAL BEDFORD COUNTY.

THESE STORMS HAVE HAD THE HISTORY OF PRODUCING DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY
DOWNPOURS AND STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AS THEY PASSED THROUGH SOUTHWESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS.

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 40 MPH.

TAKE SHEyLTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

RODGERS
Special weather statement, Jan 14, 7:22 AM EST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-141330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
722 AM EST THU JAN 2 1992

...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS APPROACHING NORTHCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 715 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...EXTENDING FROM NEAR DUBOIS SOUTH TO
NEAR ALTOONA.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS LINE WERE LOCATED
SOUTH OF ALTOONA.  THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING RAPIDLY
NORTHEAST AT NEAR 55 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN SEVERE AS THEY PASSED THROUGH
SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...PRODUCING PEA-SIZED HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS
AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

THE CURRENT SPEED AND MOTION OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WOULD BRING THEM
INTO WESTERN CLINTON COUNTY AROUND 800 AM.

ANY THUNDERSTORM CAN BE DANGEROUS...PRODUCING LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS
AND HAIL.  IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH...TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.  A
STRONG BUILDING OFFERS THE BEST PROTECTION.

JSN/HM
Special weather statement, Jan 14, 8:15 AM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-141400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
815 AM EST TUE JAN 14 1992

...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS APPROACHING NORTHCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 805 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...EXTENDING FROM NEAR RENOVO IN
CLINTON COUNTY SOUTH THROUGH CENTRE COUNTY...THEN CONTINUED SOUTH INTO
MARYLAND.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS LINE WERE LOCATED IN
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CENTRE COUNTY.  THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS
MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST AT NEAR 55 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN SEVERE AS THEY PASSED THROUGH
SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...PRODUCING BASEBALL-SIZED HAIL IN BEDFORD
COUNTY...DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

ANY THUNDERSTORM CAN BE DANGEROUS...PRODUCING LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS
AND HAIL.  IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH...TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.  A
STRONG BUILDING OFFERS THE BEST PROTECTION.

TG/HM
Special weather statement, Jan 14, 8:17 AM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
PAZ006-009-013-141500-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
815 AM EST TUE JAN 14 1992

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...

AT 800AM EST WEATHER RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS SHOWING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN FROM STATE COLLEGE IN CENTER COUNTY SOUTH
TO FULTON COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE OVER EASTERN HUNTINGDON COUNTY.

THESE STORMS HAVE HAD THE HISTORY OF PRODUCING STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...SMALL
HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS THEY MOVED ACROSS WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS.

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING RAPIDLY TOWARD THE EAST AT 45 MPH.

TAKE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

AHNERT
Special weather statement, Jan 14, 8:19 AM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes before
PAZ006-008-009-013-141500-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED HEADER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
815 AM EST TUE JAN 14 1992

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...

AT 800AM EST WEATHER RADAR IN HARRISBURG WAS SHOWING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN FROM STATE COLLEGE IN CENTER COUNTY SOUTH
TO FULTON COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE OVER EASTERN HUNTINGDON COUNTY.

THESE STORMS HAVE HAD THE HISTORY OF PRODUCING STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...SMALL
HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS THEY MOVED ACROSS WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS.

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING RAPIDLY TOWARD2 THE EAST AT 45 MPH.

TAKE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

AHNERT
Special weather statement, Jan 14, 9:05 AM EST, 41 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-141500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
905 AM EST TUE JAN 14 1992

...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING THROUGH NORTHCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 900 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...EXTENDING FROM NEAR WELLSBORO IN
TIOGA COUNTY THROUGH CLINTON COUNTY...THEN CONTINUING SOUTH THROUGH
CENTRAL UNION AND SNYDER COUNTIES TO HARRISBURG AND INTO MARYLAND. THE
STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS LINE WERE LOCATED IN CENTRAL UNION AND
SNYDER COUNTIES.  THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING RAPIDLY
NORTHEAST AT NEAR 55 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN SEVERE AS THEY PASSED THROUGH
SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...PRODUCING BASEBALL-SIZED HAIL IN BEDFORD
COUNTY...DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

ANY THUNDERSTORM CAN BE DANGEROUS...PRODUCING LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS
AND HAIL.  IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH...TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.  A
STRONG BUILDING OFFERS THE BEST PROTECTION.

TG/PG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 14, 8:26 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPFranklin64 min
Jan 14, 9:19 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPDauphin, Lancaster, York56 min
Jan 14, 9:19 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPAdams56 min
Jan 14, 9:23 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLebanon67 min
Jan 14, 10:11 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLancaster34 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

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.