Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 19, 1997, 7:29 PM EDT for Blair 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
- May 19, 1997, 7:29 PM EDT (23:29 UTC)
- Expired
- May 19, 1997, 8:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 61 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Blair County, PA
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 7:31 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Holidaysburg, PA | Trees 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 5:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 148 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
- 10 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -92 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 626 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 51 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 77 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 140 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
530 WUUS01 KCTP 192330 RRA SVRCTP PAC013-200030- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 729 PM EDT MON MAY 19 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...... IN PENNSYLVANIA ...BLAIR COUNTY AT 725 PM RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN BLAIR COUNTY THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AND WILL BE NEAR ALTOONA...HOLLIDAYSBURG AND ROARING SPRING SHORTLY AFTER 730 PM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. &
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 19, 2:09 PM EDT, 5 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 19, 2:09 PM EDT, 5 hours 20 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 205 PM EDT MON MAY 19 1997 PIT/PHL...TRW (POSSIBLE SVR) FOR THE EVENING HOURS. COLD FRONT APPROACHING NW OH ATTM. DEWPTS AHEAD OF FRONT WELL INTO THE 60S WITH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 70/LOW 80S. LI'S ACROSS OH IN THE RANGE OF -4 TO -6. EXPECT LINE OF TRW TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF FRONT LATER THIS AFTN AS AIRMASS CONTINUES TO DESTABLIZE. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ALREADY DEVELOPING ALONG RIDGES IN E KY/WV. IF ACTIVITY DEVELOPS THIS AFTN IT WILL MOST LIKELY BE ACROSS EXTREME S OR E CWA WHERE BEST HEATING AND TOPOGRAPHY MAY HELP TO POP TSTM'S. PW'S VALUES INDICATE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HVY DOWNPOURS. SHOWERS AND TSTMS ENDING ACROSS W PA BY MIDNIGHT AND ACROSS E PA DURING THE EARLY MORNING HRS. MODELS THEN BRING A SLUG OF DRY AIR INTO FCST/A ON TUES. MAY START OUT WITH SOME AM CLDS AND VALLEY FOG BUT SHOULD BECOME MOSTLY SUNNY BY AFTN. TUESDAY NIGHT...5H TROF DEEPENS OVER AREA. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE (COMBINATION OF NW FLOW FROM ERI AND MOISTURE UNDER SUBSIDENCE INVERSION) SLIDES SOUTH INTO AREA TUE EVE. MAY WANT TO MENTION MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES N PA AND PTLY CLOUDY SOUTH. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE A FEW SHOWERS (30 POPS) OVER N PA LATE TUE NIGHT. WEDNESDAY...UPPER LEVEL COLD LOW JUST N OF FCST/A WILL KEEP MUCH OF N PA IN THE CLOUDY COOL WEATHER. COLD TEMPS ALOFT WILL PRODUCE SOME AFTN INSTABILITY SO A MENTION OF SHOWERS (30 POPS) MAY BE PRUDENT ACROSSA N PA. LOWER SUS SHOULD SEE PTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. ENJOY! WINTHER
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 19, 5:37 PM EDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056-200340- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 537 PM EDT MON MAY 19 1997 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. THE WATCH INCLUDES MUCH OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...EXCEPT THE EXTREME SOUTHERN PART. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKEELY IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. IF THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVECD OR A WARNING IS ISSUED...SEEK SHELTER AT ONCE. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... WARREN...MCKEAN...POTTER...ELK...CLINTON... CAMERON...CLEARFIELD...CENTRE...CAMBRIA...BLAIR... HUNTINGDON...MIFFLIN...JUNIATA...SOMERSET...BEDFORD... FULTON...FRANKLIN...TIOGA...LYCOMING...SULLIVAN... UNION...MONTOUR...COLUMBIA...SNYDER...NORTHUMBERLAND... PERRY...AND CUMBERLAND COUNTY. MARTIN
Special weather statement, May 19, 5:39 PM EDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056-200340- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 537 PM EDT MON MAY 19 1997 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. THE WATCH INCLUDES MUCH OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...EXCEPT THE EXTREME SOUTHERN PART. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKEELY IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. IF THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVECD OR A WARNING IS ISSUED...SEEK SHELTER AT ONCE. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... WARREN...MCKEAN...POTTER...ELK...CLINTON... CAMERON...CLEARFIELD...CENTRE...CAMBRI A...BLAIR... HUNTINGDON...MIFFLIN...JUNIATA...SOMERSET...BEDFORD... FULTON...FRANKLIN...TIOGA...LYCOMING...SULLIVAN... UNION...MONTOUR...COLUMBIA...SNYDER...NORTHUMBERLAND... PERRY...AND CUMBERLAND COUNTY. MARTIN
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 9:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Somerset | 60 min |
| May 19, 4:36 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Warren | 69 min |
| May 19, 5:20 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | McKean | 55 min |
| May 19, 6:23 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clearfield, Elk | 67 min |
| May 19, 6:31 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cameron | 29 min |
| May 19, 6:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clinton | 56 min |
| May 19, 6:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Centre | 65 min |
| May 19, 6:47 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cambria | 58 min |
| May 19, 7:04 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lycoming | 56 min |
| May 19, 7:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Sullivan | 64 min |
| May 19, 7:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Montour, Northumberland, Union | 64 min |
| May 19, 7:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Huntingdon, Mifflin | 59 min |
| May 19, 7:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Juniata, Snyder | 55 min |
| May 19, 7:56 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Columbia | 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.