Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997
Flash Flood Warning 12, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 18, 1997, 8:38 PM EDT for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 3 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
- Jun 18, 1997, 8:38 PM EDT (00:38 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 18, 1997, 11:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Lancaster County, PA
The radar
The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 152 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:38 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
Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 246 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
- 1609 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -79 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1132 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 56 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 75 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KCTP 190038 FFWCTP PAC071-190345- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 838 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...... IN PENNSYLVANIA ...LANCASTER COUNTY AT 830 PM STATE COLLEGE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY...NORTH OF RTE 30. RADAR ESTIMATES BETWEEN 1 AND 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE 730 PM OVER NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY. RAIN GAGE REPORTS FROM ELM ALSO SHOWED MORE THAN 1 INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN. THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE OVER NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY THROUGH AROUND 9 PM. EXPECT FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS INCLUDING AREAS IN THE VICINITY OF MANHEIM... EPHRATA AND MY JOY. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZ&E THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY. MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING. LA CORTE/NICOSIA &
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 Jun 18, 1:28 PM EDT, 7 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 18, 1:28 PM EDT, 7 hours 10 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 120 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997 ...DISCUSSION... WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME HERE AS DEVELOPING CONVECTION NEEDS MOST ATTENTION THIS AFTERNOON. CLOUD COVER BREAKING UP RAPIDLY IN WARM SECTOR WITH MESO ANALYSIS AND DIAGNOSTICS SHOWING RAPIDLY DESTABILIZING AIRMASS. MESO DATA FROM PSU SHOWS STRONG MOISTURE CONVERGENCE OVER LAUREL HIGHLANDS WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE CLIMBING QUICKLY. DEWPOINTS IN MID TO UPPER 60S SHOULD PROVIDE PLENTY OF FUEL AS INCREASING DYNAMICS SWING ACROSS REGION LATER TODAY AND THIS EVENING. BOUNDARY EXTENDS ACROSS CTRL PA ASSOC WITH WEAK BACK-DOOR COOL FRONT WHICH SETTLED SOUTH ACROSS REGION LAST 24HRS. LOW LEVEL HELICITY VALUES ABOUT THIS FEATURE ARE APPROACHING THE MILDLY IMPRESSIVE RANGE WITH BRN'S OFF THE MASSAGED 12Z SOUNDING SUPPORTIVE OF SUPERCEL DEVELOPMENT. LOW LEVEL JET IN THE RANGE OF 30KTS OR SO IS ALREADY EVIDENT ON PIT/CTP VWP'S. UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK PROGGED TO APPROACH REGION DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOWER BRANCH OF AGEOSTROPHIC TRANSVERSE CIRCULATION IN THE JET EXIT WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SLY COMPONENT TO LOW LEVEL FLOW WHICH WILL ONLY HELP SUPPORT THIS FEATURE. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IT LOOKS LIKE A BUSY DAY SETTING UP FOR REGIONAL OFFICES. AGREE IN WINDING DOWN ACTIVITY OVERNIGHT WITH FOG LIKELY IN SOME LOCATIONS. AM STILL LEERY ABOUT THU. DEWPOINTS DON'T DROP ALL THAT MUCH DURING THE DAY AND MODELS SHOW WEAK SECONDARY UPPER SHORTWAVE SLIDING ACROSS DURG THE AFTERNOON. WE ARE APPROACHING THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE THUNDER POTENTIAL NEEDS TO BE ASSESSED ALMOST DAILY. NEW ETA TAKES AREA OF 30+ K INDICES JUST SOUTH OF THE BORDER DURG MAX HEATING. LA CORTE
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 3:07 PM EDT, 5 hours 31 minutes before
PAZ034-025-024-011-018-019-017-012-045-010-035-026-028-041-046- 005-027-006-033-037-004-190030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 233 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE WATCH IS VALID UNTIL 8PM THIS EVENING AND INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: WARREN... MCKEAN... ELK... CAMERON.. POTTER... TIOGA... CLINTON... CLEARFIELD... CENTRE... LYCOMING... CAMBRIA... BLAIR... SOMERSET ... HUNTINGDON... FULTON... JUNIATA... MIFFLIN AND BEDFORD. A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. WARM HUMID AIR IN PLACE OVER THE REGION WILL CREATE CONDITIONS RIPE FOR LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL CONTAIN LARGE HAIL ANDL STRONG DAMAGING WINDS. ...CORRECTED TO ADD CENTRE COUNTY TO WATCH... LA CORTE
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 5:20 PM EDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-190300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 520 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA VALID UNTIL 11 PM. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: TIOGA... LYCOMING... SULLIVAN... UNION... SNYDER... NORTHUMBERLAND... MONTOUR... COLUMBIA... CENTRE... HUNTINGDON... BEDFORD... FULTON... FRANKLIN... MIFFLIN... JUNIATA... SCHUYLKILL... PERRY... DAUPHIN... LEBANON... CUMBERLAND... ADAMS... YORK AND LANCASTER. A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS EVENING. WARM HUMID AIR IN PLACE OVER THE REGION WILL SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WHICH WILL CAUSE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG DAMAGING WINDS. THE COLD FRONT WILL SETTLE SOUTH OF THE AREA LATER TONIGHT BRINGING AN END TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS. IN ADDITION...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR MUCH OF THE REST OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: WARREN... MCKEAN... ELK... CAMERON.. POTTER... CLEARFIELD... CAMBRIA... BLAIR... SOMERSET... LA CORTE
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 5:22 PM EDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-190300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 520 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA VALID UNTIL 11 PM. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: TIOGA... LYCOMING... SULLIVAN... UNION... SNYDER... NORTHUMBERLAND... MONTOUR... COLUMBIA... CENTRE... HUNTINGDON... BEDFORD... FULTON... FRANKLIN... MIFFLIN... JUNIATA... SCHUYLKILL... PERRY... DAUPHIN... LEBANON... CUMBERLAND... ADAMS... YORK AND LANCASTER. A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS EVENING. WARM HUMID AIR IN PLACE OVER THE REGION WILL SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WHICH WILL CAUSE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG DAMAGING WINDS. THE COLD FRONT WILL SETTLE SOUTH OF THE AREA LATER TONIGHT BRINGING AN END TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS. IN ADDITION...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR MUCH OF THE REST OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES\: WARREN... MCKEAN... ELK... CAMERON.. POTTER... CLEARFIELD... CAMBRIA... BLAIR... SOMERSET... LA CORTE
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 7:00 PM EDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-190300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 7 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELED FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. THE WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR MCKEAN... POTTER... ELK AND CAMERON COUNTIES. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR NORTHERN CLINTON...BLAIR AND NORTHERN CENTRE COUNTIES. IN ADDITION A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: TIOGA... LYCOMING... SULLIVAN... UNION... SNYDER... NORTHUMBERLAND... MONTOUR... COLUMBIA... SOUTH CENTRE... HUNTINGDON... BEDFORD... FULTON... FRANKLIN... MIFFLIN... JUNIATA... SCHUYLKILL... PERRY... DAUPHIN... LEBANON... CUMBERLAND... ADAMS... YORK AND LANCASTER. IN ADDITION...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR CLEARFIELD... NORTHERN CENTRE... CAMBRIA... SOMERSET... AND BLAIR COUNTIES. A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE REGION HAS TRIGGERED WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF THE AREA ...BEFORE WINDING DOWN LATER THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY STILL BECOME SEVERE...CAUSING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND FLOODING IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREAS. THURSDAY PROMISES TO BE A DRIER AND MUCH MORE SETTLED DAY WITH SUNSHINE AND PLEASANT TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO THE AREA. LA CORTE
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 7:01 PM EDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-190300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 7 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELED FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. THE WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR MCKEAN... POTTER... ELK AND CAMERON COUNTIES. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR NORTHERN CLINTON...BLAIR AND NORTHERN CENTRE COUNTIES. IN ADDITION A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: TIOGA... LYCOMING... SULLIVAN... UNION... SNYDER... NORTHUMBERLAND... MONTOUR... COLUMBIA... SOUTH CENTRE... HUNTINGDON... BEDFORD... FULTON... FRANKLIN... MIFFLIN... JUNIATA... SCHUYLKILL... PERRY... DAUPHIN... LEBANON... CUMBERLAND... ADAMS... YORK AND LANCASTER. IN ADDITION...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR CLEARFIELD... NORTHERN CENTRE... CAMBRIA... SOMERSET... AND BLAIR COUNTIES. A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE REGION HAS TRIGGERED WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF THE AREA ...BEFORE WINDING DOWN LATER THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY STILL BECOME SEVERE...CAUSING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND FLOODING IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREAS. THURSDAY PROMISES TO BE A DRIER AND MUCH MORE SETTLED DAY WITH SUNSHINE AND PLEASANT TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO THE AREA. LA CORTE
Special weather statement, Jun 18, 7:08 PM EDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-190300-CORRECTED FOR COUNTIES SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 7 PM EDT WED JUN 18 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELED FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. THE WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR MCKEAN... POTTER... ELK AND CAMERON COUNTIES. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR NORTHERN CLINTON...BLAIR AND NORTHERN CENTRE COUNTIES. IN ADDITION A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: TIOGA... LYCOMING... SULLIVAN... UNION... SNYDER... NORTHUMBERLAND... MONTOUR... COLUMBIA... SOUTH CENTRE... HUNTINGDON... BEDFORD... FULTON... FRANKLIN... MIFFLIN... JUNIATA... SCHUYLKILL... PERRY... DAUPHIN... LEBANON... CUMBERLAND... ADAMS... YORK AND LANCASTER. IN ADDITION...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR CLEARFIELD... CENTRE... CAMBRIA... SOMERSET... BLAIR... BEDFORD... HUNTINGDON... MIFFLIN... JUNIATA... FULTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES. A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE REGION HAS TRIGGERED WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF THE AREA ...BEFORE WINDING DOWN LATER THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY STILL BECOME SEVERE...CAUSING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND FLOODING IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREAS. THURSDAY PROMISES TO BE A DRIER AND MUCH MORE SETTLED DAY WITH SUNSHINE AND PLEASANT TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO THE AREA. LA CORTE
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 8:47 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lancaster, York | 58 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1997Every flash flood warning in 1997
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.