Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 1997, 6:22 PM EDT for York County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 68 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
- May 3, 1997, 6:22 PM EDT (22:22 UTC)
- Expired
- May 3, 1997, 7:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 68 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 22:23 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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 4:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 122 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 517 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 263 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 343 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KCTP 032221 RRA SVRCTP PAC133-032330- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 622 PM EDT SAT MAY 3 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...... IN PENNSYLVANIA ...SOUTHERN YORK COUNTY AT 615 PM...DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR IN STATE COLLEGE SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR HANOVER. THE STORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AND BE NEAR RED LION BY 635 PM. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS. DON'T USE TELEPHONES OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS. 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 May 3, 2:50 PM EDT, 3 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 3, 2:50 PM EDT, 3 hours 32 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 250 PM EDT SAT MAY 3 1997 ...EQUIPMENT... KCCX WSR-88D STILL DOWN. ET/S CHECKING THINGS OUT AT RDA. ...ZONE INPUT TO PIT... PHL... MO CLR TONIGHT... ALREADY DISCUSSED FRST PROBLEM. MON... INCR CLDS. MON NGT.. CAT POPS SHRA. TUE... LIKELY POPS SHRA (TSRA?). ...DISCUSSION... SIGNIFICANT CU FIELD POPPING UP ACRS PORTIONS OF PA WITH STABILIZATION EFFECT DOWNSTREAM FROM LAKE ERIE AND ONT (FOR NY STATE) PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE IN DISTRIBUTION OF CLD CVR (SEE ALBAFDBGM). CLR POCKET OVER NW CWA WAS FROM FLO OFF ERIE. KPBZ WSR-88D SHOWG TYPICAL POPCORN SHRA STILL OVR FAR SRN COUNTIES. WV IMAGERY SHOWS SMALL SCALE WAVE PASSING BY THE TO S AND E. THIS SHUD ALLOW FOR SOME DRIER DWPTS TO WORK INTO SWRN PA AS THE LOW- LVL FLO VEERS MORE NW WITH PASSAGE OF WAVE. IT WILL TAKE A FEW HOURS FOR DRIER AIR TO GET THERE THOUGH. AT CTP CLDS HV FLATTENED OUT DRAMATICALLY LAST HOUR OR SO INDICATIVE OF DRIER AIR BEING SUCKED INTO THE THERMALS AND ALSO DEPLETION OF B.L MOISTURE THRU DRY ENTRAINMENT OF AIR FROM ABV CU LAYER. ALL CLDS SHUD GO AFTER SUNSET AS WE LOSE THE DIURNAL HEATING IN ADDTN TO THE PASSAGE OF UPR LVL TROF TO E OF PA WHICH LEADS TO SUBSDC AT MIDDLE LEVELS. THUS... WENT MO CLR OR BECOMG MO CLR IN WRN CTP ZONES. ERN AREAS WUD ALSO DO THE SAME. LOW-LVL RDG AXIS WORKS INTO PA OVRNGT. WINDS SHUD DIE DOWN... BUT THIS LIKELY WILL OCCUR LATER AT NIGHT GIVEN DECENT GRAD THRU EVE HOURS. THINK SOME FRST MAINLY NRN PTNS OF CWA WHERE GROWING SEASON HAS NOT BEGUN. SRN AREAS LOOK OK EXCEPT FOR A PATCHY AREAS. SPS TO BE ISSUED TO COVER SITUATION AS PER COORD WITH PHL. NEXT SYS PUSHES OUT OF THE NRN ROCKIES AND THE PLAINS TONIGHT AND INTO THE GREAT LAKES. THIS NEXT WAVE HAS A SIGNIFICANT SFC LO WHICH TRACKES WELL N OF PA ACRS SRN CANADA. THE UPR LVL PV AXIS WITH THIS SYS REACHES LWR MI BY 06/0000 UTC(F36). THIS FEATURE SUPPORTS A STRG LOW-LVL JET STREAM WHICH TAKES ON A CONVEYOR-BELT LIKE APPEARANCE STRETCHING FROM ERN TX NE TO SRN ONT AT F36. THIS LLJ RIDES UP THE LOW-LVL BAROCLINIC ZONE IN THE OH VLLY SUPPORTG SATURATION AND CLDS. SINCE THE AMS IS DRY TO START WITH ACRS OH VLLY... THE WAA FROM THIS LLJ DOESN/T SUPPORT ANY WARMING (EULERIAN-FRAME) SINCE SIGNIFICANT EVAP COOLING IS IMPLIED AND THE ISOTHERMS ACTUALLY COLLAPSE SOUTHWARD. THIS LLJ WORKS ACRS PA MON NGT WITH SIGNIFICANT MOIST ADVECTION/ASCENT IN ST. IN ADDTN... STRG DVRG ALOFT IS IMPLIED WITH THE UPR LVL PV MAX APPROACHING PA. THIS ALL SUPPORTS CAT POPS SHRA TONIGHT. CONCUR WITH PHL FCSTR NGM IS WAY TOO UNSTABL AND THUS POPS ARE 100 ALL LOCATIONS IN MY CWA MON NGT FEEL OVERDONE. OPTED TO KEEP TSRA OUT OF MOST ZONES FOR NOW GIVEN TIME OF NIGHT AND SIGNIFICANT LOW-LVL MOISTURE/CLDS. AS PER PIT REQUEST... MENTIONED TSRA IN LAURELS. THE UPR LVL PV MAX BEGINS TO CATCH UP TO THE SFC FRNT WHICH LIES LIES ACRS CNTRL PA TUE MORN... 50S DWPTS ARE AHEAD OF FRNT. W/ SIGNIFICANT COOLING ALOFT DRIVING INTO PA IN ASSCTN WITH THE UPR LVL TROUGH AXIS... SIGNFT DESTABILIZATION OCCURS FROM SFC HEATING. MTNS OF NRN/WRN PA LIKELY WILL SEE MORE ACVTY GIVEN UPSLOPE FLO ETC. THUS OPT FOR SOME MENTION OF PRECIP TUE... SCTRD TO LIKELY POPS. MAYBE SOME THUNDER ERN ZONES WHERE LOW-LVL MOISTURE WILL BE MORE PLENTIFUL IN AM (DWPTS ABV 50F AT 1000 MB). NICOSIA
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 3, 2:20 PM EDT, 4 hours 2 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
220 PM EDT SAT MAY 3 1997
TIME(EDT) ...CITY LOCATION..........ST ...EVENT/REMARKS
...COUNTY LOCATION........
155 PM STATE COLLEGE PA TSTM WINDS
05/03/97 CENTRE WIND GUST 69 MPH
PSU-WALKER BUILDING
OBSERVATORY
NICOSIALocal storm report, May 3, 2:21 PM EDT, 4 hours 1 minute before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
220 PM EDT SAT MAY 3 1997
TIME(EDT) ...CITY LOCATION..........ST ...EVENT/REMARKS
...COUNTY LOCATION........
155 PM STATE COLLEGE PA TSTM WINDS
05/03/97 CENTRE WIND GUST 69 MPH
PSU-WALKER BUILDING
OBSERVATORY
t
NICOSIASpecial weather statement, May 3, 5:25 PM EDT, 57 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-040000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 525 PM EDT SAT MAY 3 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED FOR EASTERN SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY UNTIL 10 PM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR REMAINDER OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 800 PM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY: SCHUYLKILL...LEBANON AND LANCASTER. THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA REMAINS UNDER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM...WHICH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: WARREN... MCKEAN... POTTER... ELK... CAMERON... CLINTON... CLEARFIELD... CENTRE... CAMBRIA... BLAIR... HUNTINGDON... MIFFLIN... JUNIATA... SOMERSET... BEDFORD... FULTON... FRANKLIN... TIOGA... LYCOMING... SULLIVAN... UNION... SNYDER... NORTHUMBERLAND... MONTOUR... COLUMBIA... PERRY... CUMBERLAND... DAUPHIN... ADAMS AND YORK. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS EVENING. THE FRONT WILL TRIGGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE...PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OVER 58 MPH AND LARGE HAIL. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ON THE OTHER HAND MEANS SEVERE WEATHER IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. FITZGERALD
Special weather statement, May 3, 5:26 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-040000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 525 PM EDT SAT MAY 3 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED FOR EASTERN SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY UNTIL 10 PM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR REMAINDER OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 800 PM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY: SCHUYLKILL...LEBANON AND LANCASTER. THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA REMAINS UNDER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM...WHICH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: WARREN... MCKEAN... POTTER... ELK... CAMERON... CLINTON... CLEARFIELD... CENTRE... CAMBRIA... BLAIR... HUNTINGDON... MIFFLIN... JUNIATA... SOMERSET... BEDFORD... FULTON... FRANKLIN... TIOGA... LYCOMING... SULLIVAN... UNION... SNYDER... NORTHUMBERLAND... MONTOUR... COLUMBIA... PERRY... CUMBERLAND... DAUPHIN... ADAMS AND YORK. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS EVENING. THE FRONT WILL TRIGGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE...PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OVER 58 MPH AND LARGE HAIL. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ON THE OTHER HAND MEANS SEVERE WEATHER IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. FITZGERALD
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 1:26 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Centre, Clinton | 64 min |
| May 3, 1:57 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lycoming | 63 min |
| May 3, 3:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Adams, Cumberland, York | 59 min |
| May 3, 3:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clearfield | 55 min |
| May 3, 3:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Bedford, Blair, Cambria | 62 min |
| May 3, 4:00 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Juniata, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder | 60 min |
| May 3, 4:00 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Dauphin | 60 min |
| May 3, 4:19 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Columbia | 56 min |
| May 3, 4:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon | 66 min |
| May 3, 4:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Potter, Tioga | 56 min |
| May 3, 4:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lycoming | 64 min |
| May 3, 4:54 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Schuylkill | 66 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.