Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 124, NWS State College, PA

July 28, 1997York County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 28, 1997, 5:06 PM EDT for York County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 64 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 28, 1997, 5:06 PM EDT (21:06 UTC)
Expired
Jul 28, 1997, 6:10 PM EDT
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

County York County, PA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 124 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:06 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

Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD (KAPG), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 73 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, Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD at 12:00Z on 1997-07-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD at 12:00Z on 1997-07-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1478 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCTP 282105 RRA
SVRCTP
PAC133-282210-

BULLETIN- IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
506 PM EDT MON JUL 28 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 610 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

   ...YORK COUNTY
 
AT 503 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY STATE
COLLEGE DOPPLER RADAR 16 MILES WEST OF YORK OR IN THE VICINITY OF
KRALLTOWN MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

THE STORM WILL PASS NEAR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

KRALLTOWN                        BY 503 PM EDT
HANOVER                          BY 515 PM EDT
DOVER                            BY 520 PM EDT
CODORUS STATE PARK               BY 520 PM EDT
YORK                             BY 525 PM EDT
 
TREES WERE REPORTED DOWN IN FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP AT 5 PM.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING.  DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  STAY
INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

&

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 28, 1:20 PM EDT, 3 hours 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 28, 1:20 PM EDT, 3 hours 46 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
120 PM EDT MON JUL 28 1997

...SUGGESTIONS...
TONIGHT...CHC OF AN EVENING TSTM S 1/4 OF PA OTHERWISE PTLY
CLOUDY AND COOLER.
TUESDAY...EARLY MORNING CLOUDS WILL GIVE WAY TO LOWER HUMIDITY
AND MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES (PREFER THE SLIGHTLY COOLER FAN GUID).
TUESDAY NIGHT...CLEAR AND QUITE COOL WITH LOWS IN THE 40S N TO
50S S.
WEDNESDAY...SUNNY AND PLEASANT.

...DISCUSSION...
PREFRONTAL TROF MOVED THRU THE N TIER COUNTIES THIS MORNING. THIS
ACTIVITY WAS ENHANCED BY DEPARTING RR QUAD OF 2H JET.

ACTUAL COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NW PA ATTM WITH CELLS FIRING ACROSS
S OH AND FAR W PA. THIS ACTIVITY WILL CLIP OUR S CWA LATER THIS
AFTN.  TONIGHT...5H VORT AXIS SLIDES S THU FCST/A AND THIS WILL
KEEP SCT-BKN MID HI CLDS ACROSS AREA. X-SECTS FCST DRY AIR AT
ALL LEVELS TO SLIDE INTO CWA BY TUE AFTN. HENCE...CLDS WILL
QUICKLY GIVE WAY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES TUE MORNING.

LARGE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TAKE HOLD ACROSS THE
AREA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FCST PERIOD.

SVR TSTM WATCH FOR SW PA GOT TO RUN......

WINTHER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 28, 11:09 AM EDT, 5 hours 57 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-
049>053-056>059-063>066-282200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1110 AM EDT MON JUL 28 1997

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS UPDATED THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RISK TO INCLUDE JUST THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF
PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON IN
ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST.  MUCH OF
SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA COULD SEE THUNDERSTORMS BUT...ONLY
SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA WHICH INCLUDES THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS AND
PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS COULD REACH SEVERE
L>IMITS.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL END FROM NORTH TO SOUTH LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING AS THE FRONT PUSHES SOUTH OF THE REGION.

SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY.

WINTHER
Special weather statement, Jul 28, 11:10 AM EDT, 5 hours 56 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-
049>053-056>059-063>066-282200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1110 AM EDT MON JUL 28 1997

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS UPDATED THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RISK TO INCLUDE JUST THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF
PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON IN
ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST.  MUCH OF
SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA COULD SEE THUNDERSTORMS BUT...ONLY
SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA WHICH INCLUDES THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS AND
PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS COULD REACH SEVERE
LIMITS.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL END FROM NORTH TO SOUTH LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING AS THE FRONT PUSHES SOUTH OF THE REGION.

SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY.

WINTHER
Special weather statement, Jul 28, 1:42 PM EDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
PAZ024>026-033>036-282300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
130 PM EDT MON JULY 28 1997

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 7 PM...

THE COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE:

FOR THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...

SOMERSET... BEDFORD... FULTON.

A COLD FRONT WILL SLIDE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME THAT MAY BE SEVERE...
WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. AS A RESULT...A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 700 PM FOR THE LAUREL
HIGHLANDS AND PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN AND CLOSE TO
THE WATCH AREA.

HAVE A SAFE SHELTER NEARBY.  LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE
READY TO MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

STAY UPDATED WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS FROM NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR
YOUR FAVORITE RADIO...TV OR CABLE TV STATION.

WINTHER
Local storm report, Jul 28, 4:40 PM EDT, 26 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
441 PM EDT MON JUL 28 1997

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

0429 PM    QUINCY                    PA   .5 INCH HAIL
07/28/97   FRANKLIN                       HEAVY RAIN HAIL ON RTE 997

0430 PM    WAYNESBORO                PA   WIND DAMAGE
07/28/97   FRANKLIN                       WIRES DOWN.

0431 PM    WAYNbESBORO                PA   .5 INCH HAIL
07/28/97   FRANKLIN                       HEAVY RAIN HIGH WIND SMALL
                                          HAIL RTE 316
Local storm report, Jul 28, 4:41 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
441 PM EDT MON JUL 28 1997

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

0429 PM    QUINCY                    PA   .5 INCH HAIL
07/28/97   FRANKLIN                       HEAVY RAIN HAIL ON RTE 997

0430 PM    WAYNESBORO                PA   WIND DAMAGE
07/28/97   FRANKLIN                       WIRES DOWN.

0431 PM    WAYNESBORO                PA   .5 INCH HAIL
07/28/97   FRANKLIN                       HEAVY RAIN HIGH WIND SMALL
                                          HAIL RTE 316

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 28, 2:19 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSomerset61 min
Jul 28, 3:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBedford62 min
Jul 28, 4:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPFranklin65 min
Jul 28, 4:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPAdams61 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.