Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS State College, PA

April 12, 1996Centre County, Clinton County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 12, 1996, 9:43 PM EDT for Centre County, Clinton County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 62 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Apr 12, 1996, 9:43 PM EDT (01:43 UTC)
Expired
Apr 12, 1996, 10:45 PM EDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Centre County, PA, Clinton County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:47 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 12, 10:27 PM EDTThunderstorm WindLamar, PA

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 213 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 1996-04-13Temperature 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 1996-04-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 96 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
2813 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
96 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
144 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCTP 130143
SVRCTP
PAC021-027-035-117-130245-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
946 PM EDT FRI APR 12 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...S...
 
IN  PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...CAMBRIA COUNTY...CENTRE COUNTY...CLINTON COUNTY
   ...TIOGA COUNTY
 
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AT 945 EXTENDED FROM NORTHEASTERN TIOGA
COUNTY THROUGH SINNEMAHONING THROUGH CURWINSVILLE. THIS LINE IS MOVING
TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MILES PER HOUR. IT WILL BE NEAR WELLSBORO..
RENOVO AND PHILIPSBURG BY 10 PM.
 
STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE
THROUGH THE REGION.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST. FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
GRUMM/LACORTE

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 12, 9:00 PM EDT, 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 12, 9:00 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
845 PM EDT FRI APR 12 1996

RADAR VERY ACTIVE TONIGHT WITH ELEVATED CONVECTION MOVING ALONG
THE FRONT.  MOST OF THE CONVECTION IS ON THE COLD SIDE OF THE
BOUNDARY.  LOOKS LIKE AN ELEVATED CONVECTIVE SYSTEM...BUT ITS NOT
TOTALLY DECOUPLED FROM THE BOUNDARY LAYER.  THIS DERECHO SHOULD
TURN TO THE RIGHT AS IT MOVES ESEWD TONIGHT.

RAMSDIS IMAGERY SHOWS ANOTHER CONVECTIVE AREA BUILDING OVER
MI...RIGHT WHERE THE CURRENT ONE CAME FROM.

SHOWERS AND TSTMS WILL BE A PROBLEM FOR MOST OF CWA AS THE MCS
MOVE ACROSS THE REGION.  MOSTLY SHOWERS IN SERN AND SRN ZONES.
THUNDER IN NW/CNTRL.

FRONT SAGS SWD TONIGHT ACROSS CNTRL PA.  LOOKS WET TOMORROW.  BUT
HAVE TO WATCH THE RADAR.

GRUMM

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 12, 8:00 PM EDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>026-045-130400-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
759 PM EDT FRI APR 12 1996

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA... WARREN... MCKEAN... POTTER... ELK... CAMERON
CLINTON...CLEARFIELD...CENTRE... CAMRIA...BLAIR AND HUNTINGDON....

A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ACROSS OHIO EARLIER THIS
EVENING AND PRODUCED DAMAGE DUE TO HIGH WINDS.  THIS LINE HAS MOVED
INTO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND WILL TRACK ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT.

AS OF 8 PM THUNDERSTORMS WERE ENTERING WARREN COUNTY.  SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY HAIL.

TON(E ALERT YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE
STATION FOR WEATHER INFORMATION IN CASE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS
ARE ISSUED.
GRUMM
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 8:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>026-045-130400-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
805 PM EDT FRI APR 12 1996

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA... WARREN... MCKEAN... POTTER... ELK... CAMERON
CLINTON...CLEARFIELD...CENTRE... CAMRIA...BLAIR...MIFFLIN AND HUNTINGDON....

A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ACROSS OHIO EARLIER THIS
EVENING AND PRODUCED DAMAGE DUE TO HIGH WINDS.  THIS LINE HAS MOVED
INTO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND WILL TRACK ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT.

AS OF 8 PM THUNDERSTORMS WERE ENTERING WARREN COUNTY.  SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY HAIL*.

TONE ALERT YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE
STATION FOR WEATHER INFORMATION IN CASE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS
ARE ISSUED.
CORRECTED TO ADD MIFFLIN COUNTY.
GRUMM/SKEEN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 12, 8:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPElk, McKean, Warren65 min
Apr 12, 9:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCameron, Clearfield70 min
Apr 12, 9:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPPotter70 min
Apr 12, 9:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPTioga62 min
Apr 12, 9:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCambria62 min
Apr 12, 10:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLycoming61 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1996Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.