Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1996

Flash Flood Warning 13, NWS State College, PA

January 19, 1996Montour County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jan 19, 1996, 7:01 AM EST for Montour County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 5 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 19, 1996, 7:01 AM EST (12:01 UTC)
Expired
Jan 19, 1996, 12:00 PM EST
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Montour County, PA

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 240 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 1996-01-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 28 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 1996-01-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 416 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
28 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
448 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
416 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
480 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCTP 191202
FFWCTP
PAC037-043-071-075-093-097-107-113-133-191700-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
701 AM EST FRI JAN 19 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A
FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL STREAMS...URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS
EFFECTIVE UNTIL NOON EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN  PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...COLUMBIA COUNTY...DAUPHIN COUNTY...LANCASTER COUNTY
   ...LEBANON COUNTY...MONTOUR COUNTY...NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
   ...SCHUYLKILL COUNTY...SULLIVAN COUNTY...YORK COUNTY
 
A LINE OF HEAVY RAIN WILL MOVE EAST AND EXTEND FROM WILLIAMSPORT TO NEAR
GETTYSBURG BY 8 AM AND CONTINUE EAST AND EXTEND FROM LAPORTE SOUTH TO
LEBANON AND YORK BY 9 AM.  STATE COLLEGE RADAR ESTIMATES THAT FROM 3/4
TO AN INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN UPSTREAM TO THE WEST OF THESE AREAS.
 
THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND MILD TEMPERATURES HAS MELTED A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE SNOWPACK OVERNIGHT.  ADDITIONAL RAIN MOVING
INTO THE AREA THIS MORNING WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING AND
CAUSE SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO LEAVE THEIR BANKS.
 
STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
DUNHAM

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jan 19, 3:07 AM EST, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 3:07 AM EST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
300 AM EST FRI JAN 19 1996

HAVE ALREADY TALKED TO BOTH PIT AND PHL FOR COORD.

RADAR WENT DOWN FOR .5 HR BUT BACK-UP NOW.

RADAR SHOWS AN AREA OF PRECIP MOVING THRU THE UPPER SUS ATTM.
PRECIP AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN BETWEEN .25 TO .50 AS A RESULT.

COLD FRONT JUST W OF A CLE-ZZV LINE AND MOVING EAST. FRONT WILL
MOVE INTO CENTRAL PA ARND 16Z AND INTO EAST PA 18-19Z. QUICK
BURST OF SNOW LIKLY BEHIND FRONT AS COLD AIR RACES EAST AT SFC
AND DIFF VORT ADV QUICKLY FOLLOWS. NO FLOODING PROBLEMS ATTM BUT
EXPECT THAT WILL CHANGE LATER THIS MORNING AS RAIN MOVES INTO
CENTRAL PA. SEEMS CONSENSUS IS TO FOLLOW ETA/AVN FCST PRECIP
AMOUNTS.

NOTICED NGM TRIES TO FORM A WAVE ON FRONT ACROSS VA AND QUICKLY
LIFT IT NE. IF THIS OCCURED...FRONT WOULD SLOW A BIT ALLOWING E
PA TO SEE GREATER PRECIP AMOUNTS. COMBINATION OF SNOW MELT AND 1
INCH OF RAIN WILL CREATE URBAN FLOODING PROBLEMS.

FAIR WX FOR SAT.
PIT/PHL AGREE WITH THINKING.

...LAKE SNOW OUTLOOK...

FRI 7 AM TO FRI 7 PM...N
FRI 7 PM TO SAT 7 AM...N
SAT 7 AM TO SAT 7 PM...N

WINTHER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 19, 6:11 AM EST, 50 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-191715-

BULLETIN -
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - FLOOD WATCH/WIND ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
611 AM EST FRI JAN 19 1996

...FLOOD WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR SMALL STREAMS...POOR DRAINAGE AND URBAN
AREAS OVER MUCH OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REST OF PENNSYLVANIA...

...A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA TODAY.
THIS INCLUDES THE NORTHERN...CENTRAL...SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND
LAUREL HIGHLANDS...

STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AS
A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES EAST. THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH
WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE EAST REACHING A
WILLIAMSPORT...HARRISBURG LINE BETWEEN 2-3 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY RAINS ALONG THE FRONT AND RAPID SNOW MELT
MAY PRODUCE FLOODING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE WATCH AREA. IN
ADDITION...ICE JAMS ARE ALSO QUITE POSSIBLE WHICH MAY LEAD TO VERY
RAPID RISES ALONG RIVERS...CREEKS AND STREAMS.

A WIND ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. WINDS
GUSTING BETWEEN 20 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKLY ACROSS THE ADVISORY AREA WITH
GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH POSSIBLE ALONG THE HIGHER RIDGES.

IF YOU ARE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA...YOU SHOULD MONITOR WATER LEVELS
AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND...SHOULD FLOOD WATERS
THREATEN.

WINTHER
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 6:13 AM EST, 48 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-191715-

BULLETIN -
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - FLOOD WATCH/WIND ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
611 AM EST FRI JAN 19 1996

...FLOOD WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR SMALL STREAMS...POOR DRAINAGE AND URBAN
AREAS OVER MUCH OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REST OF PENNSYLVANIA...

...A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA TODAY.
THIS INCLUDES THE NORTHERN...CENTRAL...SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND
LAUREL HIGHLANDS...

STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AS
A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES EAST. THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH
WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE EAST REACHING A
WILLIAMSPORT...HARRISBURG LINE BETWEEN 2-3 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY RAINS ALONG THE FRONT AND RAPID SNOW MELT
MAY PRODUCE FLOODING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE WATCH AREA. IN
ADDITION...ICE JAMS ARE ALSO QUITE POSSIBLE WHICH MAY LEAD TO VERY
RAPID RISES ALONG RIVERS...CREEKS AND STREAMS.

A WIND ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. WINDS
GUSTING BETWEEN 20 TO 40 MPH ARE LIKLY ACROSS THE ADVISORY AREA WITH
GUSTS TO NEAR 60 MPH POSSIBLE ALONG THE HIGHER RIDGES.

IF YOU ARE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA...YOU SHOULD MONITOR WATER LEVELS
AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND...SHOULD FLOOD WATERS
THREATEN.

WINTHER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 19, 5:00 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPElk, McKean, Warren5 hr
Jan 19, 5:00 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCambria, Somerset5 hr
Jan 19, 5:00 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPClearfield5 hr
Jan 19, 6:23 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPBlair, Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon4 hr
Jan 19, 6:23 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCameron, Potter4 hr
Jan 19, 6:23 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPBedford, Fulton4 hr
Jan 19, 6:47 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPMifflin, Union4 hr
Jan 19, 6:47 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPLycoming, Tioga4 hr
Jan 19, 6:47 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPAdams, Cumberland, Franklin4 hr
Jan 19, 6:47 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPJuniata, Perry, Snyder4 hr
Jan 19, 7:01 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Northumberland, Schuylkill, York5 hr
Jan 19, 7:01 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPColumbia, Sullivan5 hr
Jan 19, 8:55 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPBedford, Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon6 hr
Jan 19, 8:55 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCambria, Clearfield, Somerset6 hr
Jan 19, 8:55 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCameron, Elk, McKean, Warren6 hr
Jan 19, 9:17 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCumberland, Franklin, Juniata, Perry6 hr
Jan 19, 9:17 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPLycoming, Potter, Tioga6 hr
Jan 19, 9:17 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPAdams6 hr
Jan 19, 9:17 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCentre, Mifflin6 hr
Jan 19, 9:17 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPClinton6 hr
Jan 19, 10:07 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPColumbia, Dauphin, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder and 1 more5 hr
Jan 19, 10:07 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPLancaster, Lebanon, York5 hr
Jan 19, 10:07 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPSullivan5 hr
Jan 19, 11:37 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPMcKean3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1996Every flash flood warning in 1996

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.