Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1996
Flash Flood Warning 23, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jan 19, 1996, 10:07 AM EST for Lancaster County, Lebanon County, York 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, 10:07 AM EST (15:07 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 19, 1996, 3:00 PM EST
- In force
- 5 hr
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Lancaster County, PA, Lebanon County, PA, York County, PA
The radar
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 153 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:10 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
The nearest sounding before it
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 3.1 hours before the alert went out and 151 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.
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KCTP 191510 FFWCTP PAC037-043-071-075-093-097-107-109-113-119-133-192100- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1007 AM EST FRI JAN 19 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS EXTENDED THE FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 4 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN PENNSYLVANIA ...COLUMBIA COUNTY...DAUPHIN COUNTY...LANCASTER COUNTY ...LEBANON COUNTY...MONTOUR COUNTY...NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY ...SCHUYLKILL COUNTY...SNYDER COUNTY...SULLIVAN COUNTY ...UNION COUNTY...YORK COUNTY... THE FLOOD WARNINGS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON...AS HEAVY RAINS SPREAD EAST ACROSS AREAS ALREADY EXPERIENCING SNOWMELT PROBLEMS. RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES HAS BEEN REPORTED IN PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL PA AS THE HEAVY RAIN MOVED EAST THIS MORNING. 2.25 INCHES FELL IN STATE COLLEGE. THE HEAVY RAIN SHOULD REACH EASTERN PARTS OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY REGION BY LATE MORNING. RAPID SNOWMELT COMBINED WITH THE HEAVY RAINS HAS CAUSED SEVERE FLOODING IN MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL PA. ROADS AND BASEMENTS ARE FLOODED IN MANY LOCALITIES. EVACUATIONS HAVE OCCURED IN WESTERN PARTS OF THE STATE. ROUTE 45 BETWEEN LEWISBURG AND STATE COLLEGE HAS BEEN WASHED OUT IN SPRING MILLS IN CENTRE COUNTY. AGAIN THIS IS A SEVERE FLOOD EVENT. DO NOT TRY TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED AREAS. MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. 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, 9:23 AM EST, 44 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 9:23 AM EST, 44 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 925 AM EST FRI JAN 19 1996 PIT/PHL...LOOKS LIKE BACK EDGE STARTING TO LIFT NE AGAIN. THINK SOME SNOW ON BACK EDGE...BEFORE THINGS END. LIKE TO KEEP THINGS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE...CALL IF QUESTIONS. NO CHANGE MADE TO BELOW. ...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 MARTIN
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 6:11 AM EST, 3 hours 56 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, 3 hours 54 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 A DVISORY 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 19, 5:00 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Elk, McKean, Warren | 5 hr |
| Jan 19, 5:00 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Cambria, Somerset | 5 hr |
| Jan 19, 5:00 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Clearfield | 5 hr |
| Jan 19, 6:23 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Blair, Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon | 4 hr |
| Jan 19, 6:23 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Cameron, Potter | 4 hr |
| Jan 19, 6:23 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Bedford, Fulton | 4 hr |
| Jan 19, 6:47 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Mifflin, Union | 4 hr |
| Jan 19, 6:47 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Lycoming, Tioga | 4 hr |
| Jan 19, 6:47 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Adams, Cumberland, Franklin | 4 hr |
| Jan 19, 6:47 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Juniata, Perry, Snyder | 4 hr |
| Jan 19, 7:01 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Northumberland, Schuylkill, York | 5 hr |
| Jan 19, 7:01 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Columbia, Sullivan | 5 hr |
| Jan 19, 7:01 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Montour | 5 hr |
| Jan 19, 8:55 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Bedford, Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon | 6 hr |
| Jan 19, 8:55 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Cambria, Clearfield, Somerset | 6 hr |
| Jan 19, 8:55 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Cameron, Elk, McKean, Warren | 6 hr |
| Jan 19, 9:17 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Cumberland, Franklin, Juniata, Perry | 6 hr |
| Jan 19, 9:17 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Lycoming, Potter, Tioga | 6 hr |
| Jan 19, 9:17 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Adams | 6 hr |
| Jan 19, 9:17 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Centre, Mifflin | 6 hr |
| Jan 19, 9:17 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Clinton | 6 hr |
| Jan 19, 10:07 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Columbia, Dauphin, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder and 1 more | 5 hr |
| Jan 19, 10:07 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Sullivan | 5 hr |
| Jan 19, 11:37 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | McKean | 3 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.