Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS State College, PA

April 13, 1994York County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 13, 1994, 5:19 PM EDT for York County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 56 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 13, 1994, 5:19 PM EDT (21:19 UTC)
Expired
Apr 13, 1994, 6:15 PM EDT
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

County York County, PA

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 1994-04-13Temperature 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 1994-04-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 217 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
524 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
217 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
256 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 KHAR 132119
SVRHAR
PAC133-132215-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
519 PM EDT WED APR 13 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HARRISBURG HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  615 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION......
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...YORK COUNTY
 
AT 515 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM MOVING FROM NORTH CENTRAL MARYLAND INTO YORK COUNTY. LARGE
HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THIS STORM AS IT MOVES OVERHEAD.
 
THE POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT
30 MILES AN HOUR.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
 
DPM/GRC
 
&
NNNN

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, Apr 13, 2:10 PM EDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
PAZ012-037-038-041-042-045-046-049>052-132000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
210 PM EDT WED APR 131994

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS APPROACHING NORTHCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 200 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM SMETHPORT IN MCKEAN COUNTY
SOUTH TO NEAR CLEARFIELD AND ALTOONA.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING THROUGH BLAIR AND CLEARFIELD COUNTIES.  HIGH WINDS...IN
EXCESS OF 50 MPH...WERE REPORTED WITH THOSE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY
MOVED THROUGH CAMBRIA AND WESTMORELAND COUNTIES EARLIER THIS
AFTERNOON.  ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

THE RAPID MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING THEM
INTO CLINTON COUNTY BY 300 PM EDT AND THEN ACROSS TIOGA AND LYCOMING
BETWEEN 300 AND 400 PM.

STRONG WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.  BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON.  IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH YOUR
LOCATION...MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
AVOID USING THE TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES WHEN A THUNDERSTORM
IS NEAR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE LATEST RADAR
SUMMARIES AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING THUNDERSTORMS.

NEMETH
Special weather statement, Apr 13, 3:05 PM EDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before
PAZ012-037-038-041-042-045-046-049>052-132005-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
305 PM EDT WED APR 13 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS APPROACHING NORTHCENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 300 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR WESTFIELD IN TIOGA
COUNTY SOUTH TO RENOVO...STATE COLLEGE AND BEDFORD.  THUNDERSTORMS
WERE INDICATED NEAR COUDERSPORT IN POTTER COUNTY AND RENOVO IN CLINTON
COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE
STATE OVER BLAIR AND BEDFORD COUNTIES.  ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REACH WELLSBORO AND LOCK HAVEN BY 330
PM AND TROY...WILLIAMSPORT AND LEWISBURG BY 400 OR 430 PM.

STRONG WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.  BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON.  IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH YOUR
LOCATION...MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
AVOID USING THE TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES WHEN A THUNDERSTORM
IS NEAR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE LATEST RAhDAR
SUMMARIES AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING THUNDERSTORMS.

NEMETH
Special weather statement, Apr 13, 4:03 PM EDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
PAZ012-037-038-041-042-045-046-049>052-132105-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
400 PM EDT WED APR 13 1994

...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING THROUGH
NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 400 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR ELMIRA NEW YORK
SOUTH TO WILLIAMSPORT...MIFFLINTOWN AND CHAMBERSBURG.  A POSSIBLE
THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED IN WESTERN TIOGA COUNTY NEAR WESTFIELD AND
GAINES AND IN UNION COUNTY NEAR LAURELTON.  SHOWERS WITH BRIEFLY HEAVY
RAIN WERE LOCATED NEAR MILL HALL AND LAMAR IN CLINTON COUNTY.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE
JUST TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF HARRISBURG.  ALL OF THE
PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REACH TOWANDA...LAPORTE...LEWSIBURG
AND SUNBURY AROUND 500 PM.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.  IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH YOUR
LOCATION...MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
LIGHTNING IS THE GREATEST POTENTIAL KILLER IN ANY THUNDERSTORM.  AVOID
USING THE TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES WHEN A THUNDERSTORM IS
NEAR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE LATEST RADAR
SUMMARIES AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING THUNDERSTORMS.

NEMETH
Special weather statement, Apr 13, 5:08 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
PAZ012-037-038-041-042-045-046-049>052-132210-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA
505 PM EDT WED APR 13 1994

...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING THROUGH
NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

AT 505 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR WARREN CENTER IN
BRADFORD COUNTY SOUTH TO BLOOMSBURG...THEN TO HARRISBURG.  A LINE OF
POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WAS EXTENDING FROM
LAWRENCEVILLE IN EASTERN TIOGA COUNTY SOUTH TO MONTGOMERY IN LYCOMING
COUNTY...THEN TO SELINSGROVE.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE
FROM HARRISBURG INTO NORTHERN MARYLAND.  ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.  POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN
SHOULD REACH TOWANDA...LAPORTE...AND BLOOMSBURG BY 600 PM.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.  IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH YOUR
LOCATION...MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
LIGHTNING IS THE GREATEST POTENTIAL KILLER IN ANY THUNDERSTORM.  AVOID
USING THE TELEPHONE OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES WHEN A THUNDERSTORM IS
NEAR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO THIS EVENING FOR THE LATEST RADAR
SUMMARIES AND STATEMENTS CONCERNING THUNDERSTORMS.

GINGRICH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 13, 3:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPFranklin, Fulton57 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994

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.