Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1996
Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jan 19, 1996, 6:47 AM EST for Adams County, Cumberland County, Franklin 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
- Jan 19, 1996, 6:47 AM EST (11:47 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 19, 1996, 10:45 AM EST
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Adams County, PA, Cumberland County, PA, Franklin County, PA
The radar
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:47 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 00:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 115 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
- 499 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 41 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 231 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 342 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 191147 FFWCTP PAC001-041-055-067-081-087-099-109-117-119-191545- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 647 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 1045 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN PENNSYLVANIA ...ADAMS COUNTY...CUMBERLAND COUNTY...FRANKLIN COUNTY ...JUNIATA COUNTY...LYCOMING COUNTY...MIFFLIN COUNTY...PERRY COUNTY ...SNYDER COUNTY...TIOGA COUNTY...UNION COUNTY A LINE OF HEAVY RAIN WILL MOVE INTO THESE COUNTIES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. RADAR ESTMATES INDICATE THAT 3/4 TO A INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND MILD TEMPERATURES HAS MELTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE SNOWPACK OVERNIGHT. ADDITIONAL RAIN MOVING INTO THE AREA WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING AND CAUSE SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS TO OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO QUITE LIKLEY ACROSS THE REGION AS THE HEAVY RAINS MOVE THROUGH 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. WINTHER
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 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 3:07 AM EST, 3 hours 40 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, 36 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, 34 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 | 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 | Lancaster, Lebanon, York | 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.