Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 6, 1997, 9:55 AM EDT for Columbia County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 50 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
- May 6, 1997, 9:55 AM EDT (13:55 UTC)
- Expired
- May 6, 1997, 10:45 AM EDT
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Columbia County, PA
The radar
The Binghamton radar (KBGM), 133 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 10:05 AM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Millville, PA | Trees were blown across a road near Millville and marble size hail was reported. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 9:30 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD (KAPG), launched 12:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 177 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
- 1321 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 50 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 111 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 112 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
675 WUUS01 KCTP 061355 RRA SVRCTP PAC037-061445- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 955 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 AM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...... IN PENNSYLVANIA ...COLUMBIA COUNTY AT 950 AM EDT STATE COLLEGE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM JUST EAST OF HUGHESVILLE. THE STORM IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH AND WILL CROSS BLOOMSBURG AREA SHORTLY AFTER 10 AM. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH WERE REPORTED BY A SKYWARN SPOTTER JUST EAST OF HUGHESVILLE WITH THIS STORM AT 948 AM. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS. DONT USE TELEPHONES OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS. DUNHAM
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 6, 2:31 AM EDT, 7 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 6, 2:31 AM EDT, 7 hours 24 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 220 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 1997 PHL...THANX FOR CORD. PIT...PHL NOT ISSUING FROST ADV...DAYSHIFT CAN ISSUE FROST ADV IF NEEDED FOR S-CENTRAL MTNS. SCT SHOWERS MOVING ACROSS CWA ATTM (LAST HR...ACTIVITY APPEARS TO BE ON THE WANE). VAD WINDS SHOW 50 KT JET AT 5 KFT WHICH HAS HELPED FEED THESE MOISTURE STARVED SHOWERS. LOW LEVEL JET PROGGED TO MOVE INTO S NY BY 12Z. RAPIDLY MOVING COLD FRONT OVER NW OH FCST TO SLIDE INTO CENTRAL PA ARND 14Z AND MOVE WELL EAST OF THE STATE BY AFTN. 5H TROF AXIS ACROSS AREA AND TEMPS OF -26C ADVECTING INTO AREA EXPECT INSTABILITY -SHRA TO HANG AROUND AND MAYBE A TSTM EARLY THIS AFTN. HIGH PRESSURE TO WORK INTO FCST/A TONIGHT. SHOULD WINDS BECOME CALM ACROSS W PA TONIGHT...TEMPS WILL FALL BELOW MOS VALUES ALLOWING FOR A HARD FREEZE NW PA AND FROST ACROSS THE SOUTH. HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE AREA WILL KEEP US MO SUNNY ONf WED. FCST... TODAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY/VAR CLDS WITH (50 POPS NORTH/40 POPS SOUTH) SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A TSTM. WINDY ALSO. TONIGHT...BECOMING CLR AND COLD. FROST SW PA/FREEZE NW PA (DAYSHIFT CAN ISSUE ADV). WED...MOSTLY SUNNY. WINTHER
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 6, 9:32 AM EDT, 23 minutes before
PAZ012-025>028-033>036-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059-063>066-06 1800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT CORRECTED FOR DATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 932 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 1997 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... ...SOMERSET...BEDFORD...BLAIR...FRANKLIN...FULTON...HUNTINGDON... JUNIATA...MIFFLIN... LYCOMING...SULLIVAN...COLUMBIA...MONTOUR...NORTHUMBERLAND.... PERRY...SCHUYLKILL...SNYDER...UNION... ADAMS...CUMBERLAND...DAUPHIN...LANCASTER...LEBANON... YORK... 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. DUNHAM
Special weather statement, May 6, 9:32 AM EDT, 23 minutes before
PAZ012-025>028-033>036-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059-063>066-06 1800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT CORRECTED FOR DATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 932 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 1997 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... ...SOMERSET...BEDFORD...BLAIR...FRANKLIN...FULTON...HUNTINGDON... JUNIATA...MIFFLIN... LYCOMING...SULLIVAN...COLUMBIA...MONTOUR...NORTHUMBERLAND.... PERRY...SCHUYLKILL...SNYDER...UNION... ADAMS...CUMBERLAND...DAUPHIN...LANCASTER...LEBANON... YORK... 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. DUNHAM
Special weather statement, May 6, 9:38 AM EDT, 17 minutes before
PAZ012-025>028-033>036-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059-063>066-06 1800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT CORRECTED FOR DATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 932 AM EDT TUE MAY 6 1997 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... ...SOMERSET...BEDFORD...BLAIR...FRANKLIN...FULTON...HUNTINGDON... JUNIATA...MIFFLIN... LYCOMING...SULLIVAN...COLUMBIA...MONTOUR...NORTHUMBERLAND.... PERRY...SCHUYLKILL...SNYDER...UNION... ADAMS...CUMBERLAND...DAUPHIN...LANCASTER...LEBANON... YORK... 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. DUNHAM
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 9:59 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Snyder | 31 min |
| May 6, 10:08 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Montour, Northumberland | 52 min |
| May 6, 10:08 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Sullivan | 52 min |
| May 6, 10:18 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Dauphin, Schuylkill | 57 min |
| May 6, 10:28 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cumberland, Perry | 62 min |
| May 6, 11:23 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lancaster | 67 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.