Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 43, NWS State College, PA

May 19, 1997Juniata County, Snyder County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 19, 1997, 7:50 PM EDT for Juniata County, Snyder County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 55 min. 2 reports 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, 7:50 PM EDT (23:50 UTC)
Expired
May 19, 1997, 8:45 PM EDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Juniata County, PA, Snyder County, PA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 19, 8:00 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 51Shamokin Dam, PAA roof was blown off a barn.
May 19, 8:40 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 51Mc Alisterville, PATrees 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 19, 5:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD (KAPG), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 163 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 1997-05-19Temperature 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 1997-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 104 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1729 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
104 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
84 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.

596 
WUUS01 KCTP 192351 RRA
SVRCTP
PAC067-109-200045-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
750 PM EDT MON MAY 19 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...S...
 
IN  PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...JUNIATA COUNTY...SNYDER COUNTY
 
AT 745 PM RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM
MILLHEIM TO STATE COLLEGE TO ALTOONA. THE STORMS WILL REACH
HUNTINGDON...LEWISTOWN AND BEAVERTOWN BY 8 PM. THE STORMS WILL HIT
MIFFLINTOWN BY 815 PM.
 
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.
 
 
 
&

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, 7:35 PM EDT, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 19, 7:35 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
735 PM EDT MON MAY 19 1997

IN BRIEF TERMS...LINE OF STORMS MOVING ALONG QUITE GOOD.
SOUTHTERN END MAY SLOW SOME...AS UPPER LEVEL WINDS STILL WSW
...BUT SE PA HAS BEEN DRY LATELY...SO SHOULD BE NOT A PROBLEM.

CLEARING LATE.  A NICE MS TO PS DAY ON TUE.  SC AND COOLER
WX MOVE IN TUE NIGHT AND WED.

MARTIN

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 19, 5:37 PM EDT, 2 hours 13 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, 2 hours 11 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

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 9:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSomerset60 min
May 19, 4:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPWarren69 min
May 19, 5:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPMcKean55 min
May 19, 6:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPClearfield, Elk67 min
May 19, 6:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCameron29 min
May 19, 6:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPClinton56 min
May 19, 6:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCentre65 min
May 19, 6:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCambria58 min
May 19, 7:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLycoming56 min
May 19, 7:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBlair61 min
May 19, 7:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSullivan64 min
May 19, 7:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPMontour, Northumberland, Union64 min
May 19, 7:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPHuntingdon, Mifflin59 min
May 19, 7:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPColumbia64 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.