Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

July 19, 1996Indiana County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this tornado warning at Jul 19, 1996, 11:48 AM EDT for Indiana County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 57 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 19, 1996, 11:48 AM EDT (15:48 UTC)
Expired
Jul 19, 1996, 12:45 PM EDT
In force
57 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Indiana County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:01 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

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 90 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 12:00Z on 1996-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1573 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 1996-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 259 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
1573 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
639 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
259 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
257 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.1
Supercell composite
10.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPIT 191549
TORPIT
PAC063-191645-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1148 AM EDT FRI JUL 19 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1245 PM EDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...INDIANA COUNTY
 
WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO IN
CENTRAL INDIANA COUNTY BETWEEN MARION CENTER AND INDIANA. THIS STORM IS
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
 
THIS DANGEROUS STORM CAN CAUSE VERY DAMAGING WIND...TORNADOES...
LARGE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING.
SEEK SAFETY IN STRONG BUILDINGS AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF CAUGHT
OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN AND COVER YOUR HEAD. ABANDON VEHICLES. NEVER
TRY TO OUTRUN TORNADOES. NEVER CROSS FLOODING TO GO TO HIGH GROUND.

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.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 19, 6:11 AM EDT, 5 hours 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
615 AM EDT FRI JUL 19 1996

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1145 PM    RYERSON STATION           PA   FLOODING
07/18/96   GREENE                         SOUTH FORK OF THE WHEELING
                                          CREEK FLOODED AND DELPHENE
                                          ROAD FLOODED.

1230 AM    BLACKSVILLE               WV   FLOODING.
07/19/96   MONONGALIA                     SCOTT RUN FLOODED.
                                          SR 7W FLOODED.
                                          HOMES EVACUATED.

1230 AM    WADESTOWN                 WV   FLOODING.
07/19/96   MONONGALIA                     WADE RUN AND SR 7 FLOOED.

0100 AM    OAK FOREST                PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   GREENE                         PURSLEY CREEK FLOODING.

1215 AM    MCMECHAN                  WV   FLOODING
07/19/96   MARSHALL                       HOMES FLOODED. MUDSLIDES.

1215 AM    ADALINE                   WV   FLOODING.
07/19/96   MARSHALL                       FISH CREEK FLOODING.
                                          BRIDGE WASHED OUT.

0500 AM    OIL CITY                  PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   VENANGO                        SR 8 322 AND 428 FLOODED.

0515 AM    CLARION                   PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   CLARION                        NUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED.

0530 AM    PUNXATAWNEY               PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   JEFFERSON                      SR 36 FLOODED.

0600 AM    REYNOLDSVILLE             PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   JEFFERSON                      POST OFFICE FLOODED.

GIORDANO/REDMOND/PARRISH
Local storm report, Jul 19, 9:14 AM EDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
915 AM EDT FRI JUL 19 1996

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1145 PM    RYERSON STATION           PA   FLOODING
07/18/96   GREENE                         SOUTH FORK OF THE WHEELING
                                          CREEK FLOODED AND DELPHENE
                                          ROAD FLOODED.

1230 AM    BLACKSVILLE               WV   FLOODING.
07/19/96   MONONGALIA                     SCOTT RUN FLOODED.
                                          SR 7W FLOODED.
                                          HOMES EVACUATED.

1230 AM    WADESTOWN                 WV   FLOODING.
07/19/96   MONONGALIA                     WADE RUN AND SR 7 FLOOED.

0100 AM    OAK FOREST                PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   GREENE                         PURSLEY CREEK FLOODING.

1215 AM    MCMECHAN                  WV   FLOODING
07/19/96   MARSHALL                       HOMES FLOODED. MUDSLIDES.

1215 AM    ADALINE                   WV   FLOODING.
07/19/96   MARSHALL                       FISH CREEK FLOODING.
                                          BRIDGE WASHED OUT.

0330 AM    JOLLYTOWN                 PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   GREENE                         DUNKARDS CREEK FLOODED.

0400 AM    BLACKSVILLE               WV   FLOODING.
07/19/96   MONONGALIA                     DUNKARDS CREEK FLOODED.

0500 AM    OIL CITY                  PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   VENANGO                        SR 8 322 AND 428 FLOODED.

0515 AM    CLARION                   PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   CLARION                        NUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED.

0530 AM    PUNXATAWNEY               PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   JEFFERSON                      SR 36 FLOODED.

0815 AM    MORGANTOWN                WV   FLOODING.
07/19/96   MONONGALIA                     RADIO STATION FLOODED.

0600 AM    REYNOLDSVILLE             PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   JEFFERSON                      POST OFFICE FLOODED.

0815 AM    DUNBAR                    PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   FAYETTE                        ROADS FLOODED.
                                          SMALL STREAMS FLOODED.

0830 AM    JOLLYTOWN                 PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   GREENE                         DUNKARDS CREEK FLOODING
                                          AGAIN.

0830 AM    BLACKSVILLE               WV   FLOODING.
07/19/96   MONONGALIA                     DUNKARDS CREEK FLOODING
                                          AGAIN.

0830 AM    UNIONTOWN                 PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   FAYETTE                        STREETS FLOODED.

0830 AM   ^ CONNELLSVILLE             PA   FLOODING.
07/19/96   FAYETTE                        STREETS FLOODED.

GIORDANO/PALKO/REED

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 10:44 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZGreene3 hr
Jul 18, 11:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZGreene52 min
Jul 18, 11:37 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZAllegheny, Westmoreland3 hr
Jul 19, 1:28 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZGreene3 hr
Jul 19, 1:34 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZClarion, Mercer, Venango3 hr
Jul 19, 3:22 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZJefferson3 hr
Jul 19, 4:25 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZClarion, Mercer, Venango2 hr
Jul 19, 5:08 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZClarion, Jefferson, Venango82 min
Jul 19, 5:08 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZClarion, Jefferson, Venango82 min
Jul 19, 6:04 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZClarion, Indiana, Jefferson4 hr
Jul 19, 6:04 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZMercer, Venango4 hr
Jul 19, 7:55 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZFayette, Greene3 hr
Jul 19, 9:59 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZIndiana, Jefferson6 hr
Jul 19, 9:59 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZClarion, Venango6 hr
Jul 19, 9:59 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZMercer6 hr
Jul 19, 1:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZFayette, Greene51 min
Jul 19, 2:14 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZFayette3 hr
Jul 19, 2:49 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZGreene3 hr
Jul 19, 3:53 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZClarion, Venango6 hr
Jul 19, 3:53 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZIndiana, Jefferson6 hr
Jul 19, 4:57 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZFayette6 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.