Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 104, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 18, 1997, 4:24 PM EDT for Cameron County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 61 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
- Jul 18, 1997, 4:24 PM EDT (20:24 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 18, 1997, 5:25 PM EDT
- In force
- 61 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Cameron County, PA
The radar
The State College radar (KCCX), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 4:45 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Emporium, PA | Trees were blown down. |
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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 1:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 171 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
- 7 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -94 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1353 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -2 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 132 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
637 WUUS01 KCTP 182025 RRA SVRCTP PAC023-182125- BULLETIN- IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 424 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 525 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ...CAMERON COUNTY AT 422 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY STATE COLLEGE DOPPLER RADAR 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF EMPORIUM OR IN THE VICINITY OF ELK RIVER MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE STORM WILL PASS NEAR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... ELK RIVER BY 422 PM EDT TRUMAN BY 425 PM EDT SIZERVILLE BY 435 PM EDT EMPORIUM BY 445 PM EDT DRIFTWOOD BY 505 PM EDT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH... DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY. DONT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. JUNG
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 Jul 18, 12:44 PM EDT, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 12:44 PM EDT, 3 hours 40 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1240 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 1997 ...SUGGESTIONS... .PIT/PHL...CURRENT ZNS LOOK GOOD SO FAR. ...DISCUSSION... NOT MUCH YET...WNW FLOW AND LOW DEWPTS DONT SUPPORT MUCH...BUT STILL SOME FAIRLY HI DEWPTS FEEDING E FROM S. ONT/MI INTO NY. FIRST FRONT IS NEAR LAKE ONT...WAITING FOR VERY STRONG SECONDARY FRONT/STRONG MID LEVEL WIND MAX TO CATCH IT. LOOKS LIKE THERE IS SOME NICE LOOKING T/CI BANDS OVER LAKE ONT. FEW CELLS TRYING TO GET GOING NOW OVER W NY/AND E NY. THINK BEST CHC FOR ANY ACTION WOULD BE NE PA AND PTS N AND E...GIVEN THE ABOVE FACTORS...AND FCST TRACK OF FIRST VORT LOBE. HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SIT. WILL NOT SET OFF SOME REALY UGLY STORMS. WITH ACTION NEAR MAX HEATING...AND LOTS OF DRY AIR AT LOWER LEVELS...IF THERE IS MUCH MID LEVEL MOISTURE...THEN STRONG DAMAGING WINDS LIKELY...GIVEN MID LEVEL WIND MAX. MAIN FRONT AND SHOT OF COLD AIR DOES NOT CLEAR PA TO LATE TONIGHT. MUCH COOLER ON SAT. HEIGHTS ARE NOT REAL LOW ON SAT...THUS MOST OF THE CU/SC SHOULD BE ACROSS NE PA AND PTS N AND E. A COOL NIGHT SAT NIGHT FOR N PA...AS WINDS DIE DOWN. A NICE DAY ON SUN. ENJOY. ^LONG TERM NOT A BIG CHANGE IN THE PATTERN. SMALL CHC THAT REMAINS OF DANNY COULD BRUSH S PA...AS NEXT FRONT HEADS SE BY ABOUT MID WEEK...BUT I WOULD NOT COUNT ON IT. MARTIN
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 11:15 AM EDT, 5 hours 9 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046- 049>053-056>059-063>066-182300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1115 AM EDT FRI JUL 18 1997 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA SAYS THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INTO THIS EVENING. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE MAINLY EAST OF A MANSFIELD...LOCK HAVEN...BEDFORD LINE. SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER. MARTIN
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 11:16 AM EDT, 5 hours 8 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046- 049>053-056>059-063>066-182300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1115 AM EDT FRI JUL 18 1997 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA SAYS THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INTO THIS EVENING. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE MAINLY EAST OF A MANSFIELD...LOCK H2AVEN...BEDFORD LINE. SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER. MARTIN
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 2:03 PM EDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-037-041-042-045-046-190105- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 203 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 1997 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYVLANIA... THE WATCH INCLUDES WARREN...MCKEAN...POTTER...ELK...CAMERON... CLEARFIELD...CLINTON...CENTRE...TIOGA...LYCOMING...AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. PERSONS ACROSS THE REGION SHOULD LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEEK SHELTER IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED...OR SEVERE WEATHER IS NOTED. A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH IS EXPECTED TO TRIGGER SEVERE STORMS. MARTIN
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 2:04 PM EDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-037-041-042-045-046-190105- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 203 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 1997 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYVLANIA... THE WATCH INCLUDES WARREN...MCKEAN...POTTER...ELK...CAMERON... CLEARFIELD...CLINTON...CENTRE...TIOGA...LYCOMING...AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. PERSONS ACROSS THE REGION SHOULD LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEEK SHELTER IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED...OR SEVERE WEATHER IS NOTED. A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH IS EXPECTED TO TRIGGER SEVERE STORMS. MARTIN
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 3:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cameron, McKean, Potter | 58 min |
| Jul 18, 3:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clinton | 65 min |
| Jul 18, 3:56 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Bedford | 79 min |
| Jul 18, 4:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | McKean, Potter | 79 min |
| Jul 18, 4:32 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clinton, Lycoming | 63 min |
| Jul 18, 4:35 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cambria | 65 min |
| Jul 18, 4:44 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CTP | Clinton | 36 min |
| Jul 18, 4:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Columbia, Montour, Northumberland | 62 min |
| Jul 18, 4:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Union | 62 min |
| Jul 18, 5:07 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CTP | Union | 48 min |
| Jul 18, 5:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Schuylkill | 60 min |
| Jul 18, 5:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Centre, Clearfield | 61 min |
| Jul 18, 6:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Mifflin | 46 min |
| Jul 18, 6:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Juniata | 45 min |
| Jul 18, 7:04 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CTP | Perry | 46 min |
| Jul 18, 7:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cambria | 50 min |
| Jul 18, 7:31 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cumberland, Dauphin | 64 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1997Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.