Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1996

Flash Flood Warning 33, NWS State College, PA

March 20, 1996Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Mar 20, 1996, 8:57 AM EST for Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 8 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 20, 1996, 8:57 AM EST (13:57 UTC)
Expired
Mar 20, 1996, 5:00 PM EST
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Huntingdon County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:56 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, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 171 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 1996-03-20Temperature 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 1996-03-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 66 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
667 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
86 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 KCTP 201358 RRA
FFWCTP
PAC061-202200-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
857 AM EST WED MAR 20 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A
FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS EFFECTIVE UNTIL 500 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN  PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...SOUTHERN HUNTINGDON COUNTY
 
HUNTINGDON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS THAT SOME LOWLYING AREAS
IN SOUTHERN HUNTINGDON COUNTY ARE EXPERIENCING FLOODING PROBLEMS THIS
MORNING. MC CLURES RD, T378, IS ALREADY COVERED WITH WATER AND ENGART
RD, T365, WILL LIKELY BE WATER COVERED WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO.
 
AUGHWICK CREEK AT SHIRLEYSBURG IS EXPECTED TO CREST AROUND NOONTIME
TODAY.  THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA, ALTHOUGH S
ELINGERING LIGHT RAIN OR SNOW IS EXPECTED TODAY.  CONDITIONS SHOULD BEGIN
TO IMPROVE IN THE AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON.
 
 
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.
 
 
RISHEL/MICHAUD
 j

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 20, 2:06 AM EST, 6 hours 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 20, 2:06 AM EST, 6 hours 51 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
205 AM EST WED MAR 20 1996

PIT...LOOKS LIKE THERE IS 2 LOW CENTERS...MAY BE HARD TO GET MUCH
SNOW INTO MUCH OF THE REGION BEFORE THIS EVENING...AS LONG AS OLD
LOW REMAINS TO THE WEST.  BY THIS EVENING THEN COLDEST AIR AND
MOST SNOW WOULD BE ACROSS HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO THE WEST OF A
ROUGH LINE FROM BEDFORD...ALTOONA...TO ELM NY.  HIGHEST RISK OF
SIG. SNOW FROM THIS SYSTEM WOULD BE EXT. NW PA AND INTO NY STATE.

PIT...WILL CALL IN A FEW MINUTES.

DAYTIME HEATING WILL HURT COLD ADV.  COLD AIR WORKS INTO AREA
LATER TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...GIVEN WHAT IS LEFT OF IT.

SOME SNOW WILL PERSIST ACROSS PORTIONS OF W AND C PA INTO THU.

WINDS FROM SYSTEM NOT LIKELY TO PICK UP MUCH...AS WE ARE NEAR
SFC/UL LOW.  MAY PICK UP MORE LATE TONIGHT AND THU.

VAD WINDS INDICATE THAT LOW IS STILL TO THE SW OF US.

PHL...F.Y.I...HEARD FROM PEMA THE FOLLOWING INFO. EARLIER.

3 ROOFS OFF AROUND 1827 BERKS CO...BETHAL TWNSHIP AND READING.
8000 WITHOUT POWER.

LE SNOW NOT LIKELY...BUT NE FLOW OFF ONT. WILL ADD TO OVERALL
MOITURE OF SYSTEM...JUST WILL ADD UP TO MORE SNOW...AND THE DELAY
OF SPRING.

...LAKE SNOW OUTLOOK...

WED 7 AM THRU WED 7 PM...N
WED 7 PM THRU THU 7 AM...N
THU 7 AM THRU THU 7 PM...N

MARTIN

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 20, 4:38 AM EST, 4 hours 19 minutes before
PAZ004-005-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>035-045-201740-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - WINTER WEATHER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
439 AM EST WED MAR 20 1996

...WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT
TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

...THE FLOOD WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR A SMALL PORTION OF WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

...THE HIGH WIND WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR SOMERSET AND CAMBRIA
COUNTIES IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

...THE WIND ADVISORY THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR MCKEAN...ELK
...POTTER...CAMERON...CLEARFIELD...CAMBRIA...AND SOMERSET COUNTIES.

WINTER WEATEHR ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR CENTRE...NORTHERN CLINTON
...BLAIR...BEDFORD...HUNTINGDON...FULTON...FRANKLIN...MIFFLIN...JUNIATA
...AND WARREN COUNTIES.

RAIN HAS ALREADY TURNED TO SNOW ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS EARLY THIS
MORNING.  SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD EASTWARD THIS MORNING...AND MOST
AREAS WILL HAVE MAINLY SNOW BY AFTERNOON.  THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THURSDAY.  SNOWFALL AMOUNTS BY THIS EVENING WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO
5 INCHES IN THE ADVISORY AREA...TO 4 TO 7 INCHES IN THE WARNING AREA.
ANOTHER INCH OR TWO OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS THE REGION.

OVERALL...THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE MAINLY ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
THE SNOW WILL BE ON THE WET SIDE...AND GUSTY WINDS MAY RESULT IN SOME
DOWNED TREE LIMBS.  POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.

FURTHER EAST ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...THE CHANGEOVER WILL BE
SLOWER...AND AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE.

A DEEP STORM SYSTEM OVER EASTERN OHIO THIS MORNING WILL SLOWLY DRIFT
ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PERSONS TRAVELING SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A LARGE VARIATION IN
CONDITIONS...AND LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS.

MARTIN
Special weather statement, Mar 20, 4:39 AM EST, 4 hours 18 minutes before
PAZ004-005-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>035-045-201740-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - WINTER WEATHER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
439 AM EST WED MAR 20 1996

...WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT
TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

...THE FLOOD WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR A SMALL PORTION OF WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

...THE HIGH WIND WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR SOMERSET AND CAMBRIA
COUNTIES IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

...THE WIND ADVISORY THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT...

WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR MCKEAN...ELK
...POTTER...CAMERON...CLEARFIELD...CAMBRIA...AND SOMERSET COUNTIES.

WINTER WEATEHR ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR CENTRE...NORTHERN CLINTON
...BLAIR...BEDFORD...HUNTINGDON...FULTON...FRANKLIN...MIFFLIN...JUNIATA
...AND WARREN COUNTIES.

RAIN HAS ALREADY TURNED TO SNOW ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS EARLY THIS
MORNING.  SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD EASTWARD THIS MORNING...AND MOST
AREAS WILL HAVE MAINLY SNOW BY AFTERNOON.  THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THURSDAY.  SNOWFALL AMOUNTS BY THIS EVENING WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO
5 INCHES IN THE ADVISORY AREA...TO 4 TO 7 INCHES IN THE WARNING AREA.
ANOTHER INCH OR TWO OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS THE REGION.

OVERALL...THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE MAINLY ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.
THE SNOW WILL BE ON THE WET SIDE...AND GUSTY WINDS MAY RESULT IN SOME
DOWNED TREE LIMBS.  POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.

FURTHER EAST ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...THE CHANGEOVER WILL BE
SLOWER...AND AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE.

A DEEP STORM SYSTEM OVER EASTERN OHIO THIS MORNING WILL SLOWLY DRIFT
ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PERSONS TRAVELING SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A LARGE VARIATION IN
CONDITIONS...AND LISTEN FOR LATER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS.

MARTIN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 19, 7:39 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCameron, Elk4 hr
Mar 19, 9:55 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCambria5 hr
Mar 19, 11:01 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPBedford4 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.