Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 23, NWS State College, PA

July 30, 1996Fulton County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Jul 30, 1996, 5:12 PM EDT for Fulton County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 63 min. 2 reports 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
Jul 30, 1996, 5:12 PM EDT (21:12 UTC)
Expired
Jul 30, 1996, 6:15 PM EDT
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Fulton County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:13 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
Jul 30, 5:45 PM EDTHail 1.75Gracey, PA
Jul 30, 5:45 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 50Wells Tannery, 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

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 125 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 1996-07-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 568 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 1996-07-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 68 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
568 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
477 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
86 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCTP 302112
TORCTP
PAC057-302215-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
512 PM EDT TUE JUL 30 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  615 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN  PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...NORTHERN FULTON COUNTY
 
AT 510 PM STATE COLLEGE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A STRONGLY ROTATING
THUNDERSTORM AND POSSIBLE TORNADO ENTERING NORTHERN FULTON COUNTY. THE
STORM WILL HIT WELLS TOWNSHIP BY 530 PM.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING.  AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH
OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
 
LA CORTE
 
&

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Jul 30, 1:23 PM EDT, 3 hours 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 30, 1:23 PM EDT, 3 hours 49 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
125 PM EDT TUE JUL 30 1996

...ZONE SUGGESTIONS...
FFA/S MIGHT BE NEEDED. CUD HOLD ON FOR NOW AS SYS IS STILL
PROGRESSING EWRD AT A DECENT PACE. SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IF
THE SYS SLOWS DOWN.
TONIGHT... RW/TRW FOR THIS EVE... HIGHLIGHTING HVY
DOWNPOURS/GUSTY WINDS. CLDY AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH PATCHY FOG.
WED INTO WED EVE... CHC POPS MORE TRW... OTHRW BECMG PS.

...DISCUSSION...
KCLE 88D SHOWS LINE OF CNVTN WORKG TWD WRN PA ATTM IN ASSCTN WITH
A PERSISTANT MCS THAT HAS TRACKED ACR NRN OH VLLY. THE MID-LVL
WINDS WERE QUITE IMPRESSIVE IN ASSCTN WITH THIS FEATURE AS PER
SPC DSCN AND THUS DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM
BOW-ECHO LIKE ELEMENTS INTO PA. VSBL IMAGERY SHOWS SCT-BKN CU
ACRS WRN 1/2 OF PA WITH AMS DESTABILIZING DUE TO SFC HEATING.
CAPES SHUD TOP 2000 J/KG AS THE COMPLEX REACHED WRN PA LATER THIS
AFTRN AND SUPPORT CONTINUED DVLPMENT OF CONVECTION. ANTHR FEATURE
OF INTEREST IS THE BNDRY/CNVRGNCE ZONE (OLD WARM FRONT) THAT WAS
SETTING UP OVR CNTRL PA AS SEEN IN LATEST SFC ANYLS. VSBL IMAGERY
SHOWS THIS BNDRY WELL WITH DEEPER CLDS IN ERN 1/2 OF PA AS SERLY
FLO ASCENDS INTO MTNS. THESE CLDS SHUD TEND TO MIX OUT THIS AFTRN
SOME.

THE MAIN EFFECT OF THE PERSISTANT SERLY SFC FLO ACRS ERN PA IS
THAT IT WILL LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE CONV ACRS CNTRL PA THIS
EVE AS A MORE SSW FLO CONTINUES TO FLO ACRS WRN PA. NGM/ETA BOTH
HV STRG LOW-LVL MOISTURE CONV ACRS CNTRL PA THRU THIS EVE. MCS
WILL WORK INTO CNTRL PA AND SHUD INTERSECT THIS BNDRY W/ CUD LEAD
TO PTNLLY HVY RAINFALL AGAIN THIS EVE. ALSO... NOTICED SOMEWHAT
OF A DIFFLUENT THICKNESS PATTERN ACRS PA AT 00Z ON ETA/NGM WHICH
CUD SLOW DOWN OF THE PROGRESSION OF THE MCS. THIS MCS WILL REACH
ERN PA THIS EVE AND LIKELY WILL STRATIFORM OUT IN TIME AS IT
BEGINS TO OVERRUN THE MORE STBL AIR IN FAR ERN PA. THE SUS VLLY
STILL WILL BE VULNERABLE TO SVR CVTN HOWEVER. THE LARGE SCALE
SET-UP ASSCTD WITH THIS MCS IS ALSO QUITE FAVORABLE TO SUPPORT
CNVTN INTO PA THIS AFTRN/EVE. MODELS INDICATE THAT AN UPR JET
CORE WILL SHIFT E TWD PA BY 00Z WITH PA NEAR THE LEFT FRONT QUAD.
THIS WILL ENHANCE UPR LVL DRVG AS THE LOW-LVL/S RESPONSE WITH
CONVERGENCE SRLY AGEO FLO INTO PA.

THIS MCS PASSES E OF A CTP CWA LATE THIS EVE. A LOOP OF THE UPR
LVL PVOR FIELDS FOR LATE TONIGHT THRU WED SUGGESTS THAT THE UPR
LVL PV MAX DOESN/T PUSH THRU PA TONIGHT OR WED... THUS A WRINKLE
IN THE TROP WILL EXIST IN A SW-NE AXIS ACRS PA THRU WED AND THUS
SUPPORT AN UPR LVL JET CORE OVR PA. THIS WILL KEEP INTENSE UPR
LVL DRVG S OF PA FOR WED/WED NGT AND SUPPORT LOW-LVL CYCLONIC
DVLPMENTS ASSCTD WITH THE THERMALLY DIRECT CIRC NR ANTHR FRNTL
BNDRY THAT STAYS S OF PA. THUS THINK MAIN ACVTY WED/WED NGT WILL
BE S OF PA (MAYBE CLIPPING FAR SERN PA). THE COOL FRNT AND
LEADING EDGE OF DRIER AIR WILL STILL NOT REACH THRU PA WED GIVEN
THE POSITIONING OF THE UPR JET OVR PA. THE NGM SUGGESTS DRIER AIR
WORKS IN BY WED EVE WITH ETA A LITTLE SLOWER IN BRINGING IN THE
DRIER AIR. AMS WILL BECOME UNSTBL AGAIN WED INTO WED EVE SO WUD
HV STILL CHC POPS FOR TRW ALL ZONES WED INTO WED EVE.

NICOSIA

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 30, 11:34 AM EDT, 5 hours 38 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-310000-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1135 AM EDT TUE JUL 30 1996

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING OVER CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...

A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF
PENNSYLVANIA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE AIR OVER PENNSYLVANIA WAS WARM
AND HUMID WHICH WILL PROVIDE FUEL FOR THE STORMS ARE THEY REACH THE
CENTRAL THIRD OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON.

THE MAIN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF
PENNSYLVANIA TOWARD MID AFTERNOON... AND WILL EXTEND FROM THE UPPER
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY REGION SOUTHWEST TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS LATE
THIS AFTERNOON. THE LOWER AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY REGIONS WILL
SEE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP ANY TIME THIS AFTERNOON WITH A MORE
WIDESPREAD AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE BY EARLY THIS EVENING.

ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT FORMS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58 MPH AND/OR LARGE HAIL.
IN ADDITION... THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING MAY PRODUCE
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL THAT COULD CAUSE PONDING ON ROADWAYS AND
FLOODING PROBLEMS IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE RADIO/TV STATIONS FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER IxNFORMATION. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS...
SHORT-TERM FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES OR FLASH FLOOD
WATCHES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

NICOSIA
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 1:44 PM EDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017-024-033-045-310000-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 880
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
145 PM EDT TUE JUL 30 1996

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FROM THE
NORTHERN MOUNTAINS TO LAUREL HIGHLANDS...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 800 PM EDT TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

WARREN... ELK... MCKEAN... SOMERSET... CAMERON... CLEARFIELD...

CLINTON... POTTER AND CAMBRIA.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE LARGE DAMAGING HAIL 3/4 OF AN INCH
IN DIAMETER OR LARGER... DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS OF 58 MPH OR
GREATER AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

NICOSIA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 30, 3:28 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPClearfield4 hr
Jul 30, 4:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBedford61 min
Jul 30, 4:48 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPBedford42 min
Jul 30, 4:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBlair, Huntingdon68 min
Jul 30, 5:02 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPBlair, Huntingdon58 min
Jul 30, 5:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPClearfield67 min
Jul 30, 5:43 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPClearfield47 min
Jul 30, 5:59 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPFranklin61 min
Jul 30, 6:16 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPJuniata, Mifflin59 min
Jul 30, 6:45 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPPerry60 min
Jul 30, 7:06 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPCumberland, Franklin69 min
Jul 30, 7:19 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPMifflin41 min
Jul 30, 7:32 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPAdams58 min
Jul 30, 7:46 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPCumberland3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes 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.