Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 123, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 8, 1996, 4:40 PM EST for Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 35 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
- Nov 8, 1996, 4:40 PM EST (21:40 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 8, 1996, 5:15 PM EST
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
- Area
- Whole counties
County Lehigh County, PA
The radar
The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:44 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 8, 4:50 PM EST | Thunderstorm Wind | Central Portion, 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, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 241 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
- 563 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 540 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 59 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 252 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 289 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
584 WUUS1 KPHL 082140 RRA SVRPHL PAC077-082225- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING...CORRECTED FOR FIPS CODE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA/MOUNT HOLLY NJ 440 PM EST FRI NOV 8 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PHILADELPHIA/MOUNT HOLLY NJ HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 515 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN PENNSYLVANIA ...LEHIGH COUNTY AT 433 PM EST...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY NWS DOPPLER RADAR AND SPOTTER REPORTS 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FOGELSVILLE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM MAY AFFECT THE FOLLOWING NEARBY AREAS... FOGELSVILLE... TREXLERTOWN... ALBURTIS... PLEASANT CORNERS... NEW TRIPOLI... NEFFS... ALLENTOWN... COPLAY... LEHIGH FURNACE... CATASAUQUA... SLATINGTON AND ALLENTOWN-BETHLEHEM ARPT. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF DOWNED TREES IN BERKS COUNTY WITH THIS STORM WITHIN THE PAST FEW MINUTES. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCED WARNING. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...SEEK SHELTER NOW. AFTER THE STORM HAS PASSED...REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND HAVE THEM RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORT ON TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAIN WINDS GREATER THAN 58 MILES AN HOUR... DIME SIZE HAIL OR LARGER...VERY HEAVY RAINS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...THE VOICE OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...OR TO COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS FOR THE LATEST STORM INFORMATION. AMC &
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.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Nov 8, 1:59 PM EST, 2 hours 41 minutes before
MDZ008-012-015-019-020-DEZ001>003-NJZ001-007-008-009-010-012-015>019- 021-PAZ054-055-060-061-062-090000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA/MT HOLLY NJ 200 PM EST FRI NOV 8 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR MOST OF DELAWARE - NORTHEAST MARYLAND - EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND MOST OF NEW JERSEY EXCEPT THE COASTAL COUNTIES... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE/STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR MOST OF DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND...EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND MOST OF NEW JERSEY EXCEPT FOR THE COAST UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING. THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE IN THE WATCH... IN PENNSYLVANIA...CARBON...MONROE...LEHIGH...NORTHAMPTON...BERKS... CHESTER...MONTGOMERY...BUCKS...DELAWARE AND PHILADELPHIA. IN NEW JERSEY...SUSSEX...WARREN...MORRIS...HUNTERDON...SOMERSET... MIDDLESEX...MERCER...BURLINGTON...CAMDEN...GLOUCESTER...SALEM AND CUMBERLAND. IN DELAWARE...NEW CASTLE...KENT AND INTERIOR SUSSEX. IN MARYLAND...CECIL...KENT...QUEEN ANNE/S...TALBOT AND CAROLINE A STRONG COLD FRONT NOW LOCATED FROM SCRANTON TO LANCASTER TO THE WASHINGTON D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH THIS FRONT HAS HAD A HISTORY OF THUNDERSTORMS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. MOIST UNSTABLE AIR AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL PROVIDE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. VERY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ALOFT MAY BE BROUGHT DOWN TO THE GROUND WITHIN THESE THUNDERSTORMS...AND A FEW STORMS COULD ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS A THREAT DURING ANY THUNDERSTORM. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. A FLOOD WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST MARYLAND...NORTHERN DELAWARE...EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND WESTERN NEW JERSEY. IN ADDITION TO THE WIND...TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS COULD CAUSE CONSIDERABLE URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING AS WELL AS FLOODING OF THE SMALLER STREAMS DURING THE THUNDERSTORMS AND LARGER STREAMS AND RIVERS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. GIGI/MIELCAREK/FRANKLIN/CIMINO/WOODWORTH/COPE/RODIE
Special weather statement, Nov 8, 2:00 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes before
MDZ008-012-015-019-020-DEZ001>003-NJZ001-007-008-009-010-012-015>019- 021-PAZ054-055-060-061-062-090000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PHILADELPHIA/MT HOLLY NJ 200 PM EST FRI NOV 8 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR MOST OF DELAWARE - NORTHEAST MARYLAND - EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND MOST OF NEW JERSEY EXCEPT THE COASTAL COUNTIES... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE/STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR MOST OF DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND...EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND MOST OF NEW JERSEY EXCEPT FOR THE COAST UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING. THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE IN THE WATCH... IN PENNSYLVANIA...CARBON...MONROE...LEHIGH...NORTHAMPTON...BERKS... CHESTER...MONTGOMERY...BUCKS...DELAWARE AND PHILADELPHIA. IN NEW JERSEY...SUSSEX...WARREN...MORRIS...HUNTERDON...SOMERSET... MIDDLESEX...MERCER...BURLINGTON...CAMDEN...GLOUCESTER...SALEM AND CUMBERLAND. IN DELAWARE...NEW CASTLE...KENT AND INTERIOR SUSSEX. IN MARYLAND...CECIL...KENT...QUEEN ANNE/S...TALBOT AND CAROLINE A STRONG COLD FRONT NOW LOCATED FROM SCRANTON TO LANCASTER TO THE WASHINGTON D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH THIS FRONT HAS HAD A HISTORY OF THUNDERSTORMS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. MOIST UNSTABLE AIR AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL PROVIDE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. VERY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ALOFT MAY BE BROUGHT DOWN TO THE GROUND WITHIN THESE THUNDERSTORMS...AND A FEW STORMS COULD ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS A THREAT DURING ANY THUNDERSTORM. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. A FLOOD WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST MARYLAND...NORTHERN DELAWARE...EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND WESTERN NEW JERSEY. IN ADDITION TO THE WIND...TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS COULD CAUSE CONSIDERABLE URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING AS WELL AS FLOODING OF THE SMALLER STREAMS DURING THE THUNDERSTORMS AND LARGER STREAMS AND RIVERS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. GIGI/MIELCAREK/FRANKLIN/CIMINO/WOODWORTH/COPE/RODIE
The office that day
Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 8, 3:03 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Berks | 62 min |
| Nov 8, 3:24 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Lehigh | 36 min |
| Nov 8, 3:49 PM EST | Tornado Warning | PHI | Monroe | 46 min |
| Nov 8, 4:01 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Berks, Chester | 64 min |
| Nov 8, 4:37 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Lehigh, Montgomery | 38 min |
| Nov 8, 4:47 PM EST | Flash Flood Warning | PHI | Carbon | 4 hr |
| Nov 8, 5:10 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | Northampton | 50 min |
| Nov 8, 6:10 PM EST | Flash Flood Warning | PHI | Monroe | 5 hr |
| Nov 8, 6:10 PM EST | Flash Flood Warning | PHI | Berks | 5 hr |
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.