Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 8, NWS State College, PA

August 28, 1992Berks County, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Aug 28, 1992, 7:47 PM EDT for Berks County, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 28 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
Aug 28, 1992, 7:47 PM EDT (23:47 UTC)
Expired
Aug 28, 1992, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Berks County, PA, Schuylkill County, PA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 28, 7:50 PM EDTTornado F1Berks, 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

Atlantic City In, NJ (KACY), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 182 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 1992-08-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 382 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 1992-08-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 47 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
382 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
889 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
47 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
65 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 KABE 282352
TORABE
PAC011-107-290015-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALLENTOWN PA
747 PM EDT FRI AUG 28 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALLENTOWN HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...S...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...BERKS COUNTY...SCHUYLKILL COUNTY
 
AT 745 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE
TORNADO OVER WESTERN BERKS COUNTY ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF HAMBURG. IT IS
MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST TOWARDS SCHUYLKILL HAVEN...SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
 
 
 
DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO.  CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS.  IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF
A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING.  IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.
 
MILLER

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, Aug 28, 4:38 PM EDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
PAZ006-009-013-282300-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...THUNDERSTORMS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
430 PM EDT FRI AUG 28 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE APPROACHING SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 425 PM EDT HARRISBURG RADAR WAS SHOWING A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE
RAINSHOWERS WITH SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
THE ALTOONA AREA IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA DOWN TO THE EASTERN PANHANDLE
OF WEST VIRGINIA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE AROUND MARTINSBURG...WV AND MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH.

IF YOU LIVE IN FRANKLIN OR ADAMS COUNTY...BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THESE STORMS AS
THEY MOVE THROUGH BETWEEN 5 AND 6 PM. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS
...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY HAIL. OTHER COUNTIES THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY
THE STORMS BETWEEN 5 AND 8 PM INCLUDE HUNTINGDON...CENTRE...MIFFLIN...JUNIATA
...PERRY AND CUMBERLAND.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK SHELTER INDOORzS BY STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

RODGERS
Special weather statement, Aug 28, 5:40 PM EDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-282300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...THUNDERSTORMS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
540 PM EDT WED AUG 26 1992

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR CLINTON...LYCOMING...AND
SULLIVAN COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 PM EDT TONIGHT...

AT 530 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERING MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA.  HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAIN WERE FALLING FROM THE
THUNDERSTORMS WITH BETWEEN A HALF /.50/ TO ONE /1.00/ INCHES REPORTED
IN ONE HOUR OVER NORTHERN LYCOMING AND CLEARFIELD COUNTIES.  ALSO A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS BETWEEN
PHILLIPSBURG AND HAGARSTOWN MARYLAND.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD
BECOME SEVERE AS THEY MOVE INTO NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.  DAMAGING
WINDS UP TO AND GREATER THAN 58 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED AS THEY MOVE
THROUGH NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN 630 PM EDT AND 900 PM EDT
THIS EVENING.

HEAVY RAIN CAN CAUSE MINOR FLOODING IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.  ALSO
PREPARE TO TIE DOWN LOOSE OBJECTS ON YOUR PROPERTY.  IF THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES...MOVE INDOORS TO A SAFE PLACE...PREFERABLY AN
INTERIOR ROOM OF YOUR HOME.  ABANDON MOBILE HOMES...THEY DO NOT ALWAYS
PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION FROM STRONG WINDS.

KJF
Special weather statement, Aug 28, 5:43 PM EDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
PAZ006-009-013-008-282300-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...THUNDERSTORMS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
530 PM EDT FRI AUG 28 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 525 PM EDT HARRISBURG RADAR WAS SHOWING A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE
RAINSHOWERS WITH SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS. THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
NEAR STATE COLLEGE IN CENTRE COUNTY SOUTH CHAMBERSBURG IN FRANKLIN COUNTY
AND FURTHER INTO NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED
5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CHAMBERSBURG IN FRANKLIN COUNTY AND 15 MILES SOUTH OF
LEWISTOWN IN MIFFLIN AND JUNIATA COUNTIES.

IF YOU LIVE IN FRANKLIN...CUMBERLAND...PERRY...JUNIATA...AND MIFFLIN COUNTIES
BE ALERT FOR THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH BETWEEN 530 PM AND 600 PM.
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY
HAIL.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR HUNTINGDON COUNTY UNTIL 700 PM. A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
UNTIL 1100 PM.

PRA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 28, 6:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPAdams, Franklin58 min
Aug 28, 6:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPClinton69 min
Aug 28, 6:53 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPLancaster37 min
Aug 28, 7:23 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPLebanon37 min
Aug 28, 7:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLycoming33 min
Aug 28, 7:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBradford68 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.