Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1996
Flash Flood Warning 30, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Mar 19, 1996, 7:39 PM EST for Cameron County, Elk County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 4 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
- Mar 19, 1996, 7:39 PM EST (00:39 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 19, 1996, 11:45 PM EST
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Cameron County, PA, Elk County, PA
The radar
The State College radar (KCCX), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:42 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
Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 168 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2276 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 37 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 257 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 398 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KCTP 200039 FFWCTP PAC023-047-200445- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 739 PM EST TUE MAR 19 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...S... IN PENNSYLVANIA ...CAMERON COUNTY...ELK COUNTY AT 735 PM...DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR IN STATE COLLEGE INDICATED AN AREA OF HEAVY RAIN MOVING INTO SOUTHERN ELK AND CAMERON COUNTIES. AS THIS RAIN MOVES ACROSS THE COUNTIES...AN ADDITIONAL HALF TO ONE INCH OF RAIN WILL FALL BETWEEN 730 AND 900 PM. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS...AS WELL AS PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODS. IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY. MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING. JUNG
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 Mar 19, 2:45 PM EST, 4 hours 54 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 19, 2:45 PM EST, 4 hours 54 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 230 PM EST TUE MAR 19 1996 KCCX 88D SHOWS THAT SHOWERS/RAIN CONTINUES TO OVERSPREAD THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. SURFACE OBS INDICATE THAT SHOWERS HAVE MOVED INTO THE UNV AREA. MODELS STARTING TO CONVERGE ON A SOLUTION SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY/S AVN. EXCEPT FOR THE ETA WHICH INSISTS ON A WESTERLY TRACK...NGM AND AVN NOW SWING LOW ACROSS EASTERN PA. LOOKING AT PRESSURE FALL TRENDS...WILL AGREE WITH THE NGM/AVN SOLUTION. INITIAL BATCH OF RAIN WILL MOVE ACROSS THE FA TONIGHT. THE RAIN COULD BE HEAVY AT TIMES...WITH THE CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE. MODEL QPF/S NOW INDICATE 1-1.5 INCHES FOR MOST OF THE AREA FOR THE ENTIRE EVENT. DEPENDING ON THE SPLIT OF RAIN VS SNOW...COULD SPELL QUITE A DIFFERENT FORECAST. ATTM...IT SEEMS THAT RAFL WILL FOR THE MOST PART STAY BELOW FFG VALUES...ALTHOUGH A FEW LOCAL PROBLEMS MAY RESULT FROM LOCAL HEAVY RAINS (IE TRWS). FLOOD WATCH PROBABLY IN ORDER FOR THE SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES (PIT) OVERNIGHT AS PER PIT ADM. AS FAR AS SNOW IS CONCERNED ON THE BACK SIDE AFTER CHANGEOVER... AM STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF LOW PCPN AMOUNTS AND CONSEQUENTLY LOW SNOW TOTALS. BEST FORCING LIFTS INTO NYS DURING THE MORNING. MODEL QPF/S DO NOT SHOW ANYTHING SUPPORTING HEAVY SNOW DURING THE DAY AFTER 18Z. IT IS TOUGH THOUGH...TO FLY IN THE FACE OF THE H5 LOW MOVING OVERHEAD. AGREE WITH PIT AS PER PHONECALL THAT COMBINATION OF SNOW...STRONG WINDS...BLOWING AND DRIFTING COULD WARRANT WINTER STORM WATCHES FOR MUCH OF THE WESTERN CWA WEDNESDAY. HAVE ALSO TALKED TO PHL AND SEE THEIR CONCERN FOR LITTLE SNOW ACCUMS. THE CHANGEOVER HERE WILL BE LATER IN THE DAY...LIKELY AFTER SIGNIFICANT PCPN MOVES OUT. MAY NEED SOME TYPE OF WINTER WX ADVISORY TOMORROW FOR NORTHERN TIER CO/S...BUT WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. ...LAKE SNOW OUTLOOK... TUE 7 PM THRU WED 7 AM...N WED 7 AM THRU WED 7 PM...N WED 7 PM THRU THU 7 AM...N JUNG
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 19, 4:25 PM EST, 3 hours 14 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>036-200400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- HIGH WIND WARNING/WIND ADVISORY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 425 PM EST TUE MAR 19 1996 ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT OVER THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS... ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT TONIGHT FROM THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA... A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR SOMERSET AND CAMBRIA COUNTIES IN THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS. EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN 25 AND 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS IN THESE AREAS. THE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE OVER THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN... CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA WHICH INCLUDES THE CITIES OF WARREN... BRADFORD... RIDGWAY... ST MARYS... CLEARFIELD... STATE COLLEGE... ALTOONA... BEDFORD... CHAMBERSBURG AND LEWISTOWN. EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN 20 AND 35 MPH IN THESE AREAS... WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO NORTHWEST EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. AN INTENSE STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER NORTHERN KENTUCKY WILL TRACK NORTHEAST TO SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS STORM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STRONG EASTERLY WINDS OVER THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE TO CHURN UP STRONG WINDS THROUGH THE NIGHTTIME HOURS AS IT WORKS CLOSER TO PENNSYLVANIA. DOWNED TREES AND POWERLINES CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS TONIGHT WHERE THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED. LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS SHOULD BE SECURED ACROSS THE REGION. MOTORISTS IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS DUE TO DANGEROUS HIGH SPEED CROSS WINDS. NICOSIA
Special weather statement, Mar 19, 5:55 PM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>036-200400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- WINTER STORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 555 PM EST TUE MAR 19 1996 ...WINTER STORM WATCHES IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT... A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR MOST OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS... THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY IN WARREN COUNTY. AN INTENSE WINTER STORM CENTERED OVER WEST VIRGINIA TUESDAY EVENING WILL TRACK EAST INTO SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA WEDNESDAY MORNING. RAIN WILL FALL TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE STORM AS A STRONG FLOW OF WARM MOIST AIR FROM THE EAST MOVES ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA. AS THE STORM NEARS SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA... THE WIND WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH BRINGING COLDER AIR INTO THE WESTERN HALF OF PENNSYLVANIA LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS WILL CAUSE THE RAIN TO CHANGE TO SNOW BEFORE DAWN FROM THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TO LAUREL HIGHLANDS. THE RAIN WILL TURN TO SNOW ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE SNOW... POSSIBILY HEAVY AT TIMES... WILL CONTINUE IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WEDNESDAY. THE SNOW WILL END IN WARREN COUNTY BEFORE NIGHTFALL WEDNESDAY BUT CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE REST OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS. TOTAL SNOWFALL FROM THIS STORM WILL RANGE BETWEEN 4 AND 8 INCHES BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. UP TO 10 INCHES IS POSSIBLE OVER THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS BY THE TIME THE SNOW ENDS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE HIGHEST OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO TRAVEL ON WEDNESDAY IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST FORECASTS AND LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WINTER STORM WARNINGS OR WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES. TRAVEL COULD BECOME DIFFICULT WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN THE WATCH AREA. NICOSIA/MACH
Special weather statement, Mar 19, 5:58 PM EST, 1 hour 41 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>036-200400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- WINTER STORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 555 PM EST TUE MAR 19 1996 ...WINTER STORM WATCHES IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT... A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR MOST OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS... THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY IN WARREN COUNTY. AN INTENSE WINTER STORM CENTERED OVER WEST VIRGINIA TUESDAY EVENING WILL TRACK EAST INTO SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA WEDNESDAY MORNING. RAIN WILL FALL TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE STORM AS A STRONG FLOW OF WARM MOIST AIR FROM THE EAST MOVES ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA. AS THE STORM NEARS SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA... THE WIND WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTH BRINGING COLDER AIR INTO THE WESTERN HALF OF PENNSYLVANIA LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS WILL CAUSE THE RAIN TO CHANGE TO SNOW BEFORE DAWN FROM THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TO LAUREL HIGHLANDS. THE RAIN WILL TURN TO SNOW ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE SNOW... POSSIBILY HEAVY AT TIMES... WILL CONTINUE IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WEDNESDAY. THE SNOW WILL END IN WARREN COUNTY BEFORE NIGHTFALL WEDNESDAY BUT CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE REST OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS. TOTAL SNOWFALL FROM THIS STORM WILL RANGE BETWEEN 4 AND 8 INCHES BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. UP TO 10 INCHES IS POSSIBLE OVER THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS BY THE TIME THE SNOW ENDS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE HIGHEST OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO TRAVEL ON WEDNESDAY IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST FORECASTS AND LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WINTER STORM WARNINGS OR WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES. TRAVEL COULD BECOME DIFFICULT WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN THE WATCH AREA. NICOSIA/MACH
Special weather statement, Mar 19, 6:20 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
PAZ037-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059-063>066-301800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- HIGH WIND WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 620 PM EST TUE MAR 19 1996 ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT... A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT ACROSS MOST OF EASTERN AND EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WHICH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF TIOGA... LYCOMING...SULLIVAN...SOUTHERN CLINTON...UNION...SNYDER... NORTHUMBERLAND...MONTOUR...COLUMBIA...PERRY...DAUPHIN... SCHUYLKILL...CUMBERLAND...ADAMS...YORK...LEBANON AND LANCASTER. EASTERLY WINDS OF 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO OVER 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT ACROSS THE REGION. AN INTENSE STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER WEST VIRGINIA TUESDAY EVENING WILL TRACK EAST INTO SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA WEDNESDAY MORNING. STRONG EASTERLY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BUFFET MOST OF PENNSYLVANIA TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH FROM SOUTH TO NORTH AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS SHOULD BE SECURED ACROSS THE REGION. DRIVERS OF HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES NEED TO BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS DUE TO HIGH SPEED CROSS WINDS. CHRISTOE
Special weather statement, Mar 19, 6:30 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
PAZ037-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059-063>066-301800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- HIGH WIND WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 620 PM EST TUE MAR 19 1996 ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT TONIGHT... A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT ACROSS MOST OF EASTERN AND EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WHICH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF TIOGA... LYCOMING...SULLIVAN...SOUTHERN CLINTON...UNION...SNYDER... NORTHUMBERLAND...MONTOUR...COLUMBIA...PERRY...DAUPHIN... SCHUYLKILL...CUMBERLAND...ADAMS...YORK...LEBANON AND LANCASTER. EASTERLY WINDS OF 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO OVER 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT ACROSS THE REGION. AN INTENSE STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER WEST VIRGINIA TUESDAY EVENING WILL TRACK EAST INTO SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA WEDNESDAY MORNING. STRONG EASTERLY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BUFFET MOST OF PENNSYLVANIA TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH FROM SOUTH TO NORTH AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS SHOULD BE SECURED ACROSS THE REGION. DRIVERS OF HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES NEED TO BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS DUE TO HIGH SPEED CROSS WINDS. CHRISTOE
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19, 9:55 PM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Cambria | 5 hr |
| Mar 19, 11:01 PM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Bedford | 4 hr |
| Mar 20, 8:57 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Huntingdon | 8 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.