Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 101, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

August 16, 1997Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 16, 1997, 12:46 PM EDT for Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 29 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
Aug 16, 1997, 12:46 PM EDT (16:46 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 1997, 1:15 PM EDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Armstrong County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:46 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

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 4.8 hours before the alert went out and 70 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 1997-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2423 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 1997-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 111 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
2423 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
591 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
99 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KPIT 161646 RRA
SVRPIT
PAC005-161715-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1246 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  115 PM EDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...ARMSTRONG COUNTY
 
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING INTO NORTHERN ARMSTRONG COUNTY
NEAR THE CITY OF PARKER. THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.
 
 
IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER 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 lSTORM 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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 16, 11:03 AM EDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
PAZ004>019-162100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1103 AM EDT SAT AUG 16 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TIL 5 PM FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 5 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...
WARREN    VENANGO   CLINTON   JEFFERSON
MCKEAN    FOREST    LAWRENCE  CLEARFIELD
POTTER    ELK       BUTLER    CENTRE
MERCER    CAMERON   CLARION

IN THE WATCH AREA THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WIND...LARGE
HAIL...LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES
ARE POSSIBLE.

SKYWARN/HAM RADIO ACTIVATION IS LIKELY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER MEDIA SOURCES FOR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 11:04 AM EDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
PAZ004>019-162100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1103 AM EDT SAT AUG 16 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TIL 5 PM FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 5 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...
WARREN    VENANGO   CLINTON   JEFFERSON
MCKEAN    FOREST    LAWRENCE  CLEARFIELD
POTTER    ELK       BUTLER    CENTRE
MERCER    CAMERON   CLARION

IN THE WATCH AREA THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WIND...LARGE
HAIL...LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES
ARE POSSIBLE.

SKYWARN/HAM RADIO ACTIVATION IS LIKELY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER MEDIA SOURCES FOR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Aug 16, 12:23 PM EDT, 23 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
1223 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 1997

TIME(EST)  ....CITY LOCATION....     STATE...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ...COUNTY LOCATION...
1215 PM     GREENVILLE               PA    WIND DAMAGE
08/16/97    MERCER                         TREES DOWN.
Local storm report, Aug 16, 12:25 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
1223 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 1997

TIME(EST)  ....CITY LOCATION....     STATE...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ...COUNTY LOCATION...
1215 PM     GREENVILLE               PA    WIND DAMAGE
08/16/97    MERCER                         TREES DOWN.
Local storm report, Aug 16, 12:36 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
1236 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 1997

TIME(EST)  ....CITY LOCATION....     STATE...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ...COUNTY LOCATION...
1215 PM     GREENVILLE               PA    WIND DAMAGE
08/16/97    MERCER                         TREES DOWN.

1230 PM     COUNTY WIDE              PA    WIND DAMAGE
08/16/97    VENANGO                        TREES DOWN.
Local storm report, Aug 16, 12:37 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
1236 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 1997

TIME(EST)  ....CITY LOCATION....     STATE...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ...COUNTY LOCATION...
1215 PM     GREENVILLE    L           PA    WIND DAMAGE
08/16/97    MERCER                         TREES DOWN.

1230 PM     COUNTY WIDE              PA    WIND DAMAGE
08/16/97    VENANGO                        TREES DOWN.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 3:23 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBeaver, Lawrence52 min
Aug 16, 3:41 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZButler49 min
Aug 16, 11:39 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZMercer66 min
Aug 16, 12:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZVenango67 min
Aug 16, 12:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZLawrence65 min
Aug 16, 12:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZClarion55 min
Aug 16, 12:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZForest68 min
Aug 16, 12:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZButler65 min
Aug 16, 12:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZJefferson57 min
Aug 16, 1:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZJefferson52 min
Aug 16, 5:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZMercer57 min
Aug 16, 5:18 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZMercer57 min
Aug 16, 5:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZVenango59 min
Aug 16, 6:00 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZMercer60 min
Aug 16, 6:13 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZMercer4 hr
Aug 16, 6:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZButler, Venango58 min
Aug 16, 6:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZLawrence65 min
Aug 16, 7:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZMercer57 min
Aug 16, 7:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZArmstrong57 min
Aug 16, 7:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZClarion, Jefferson67 min
Aug 16, 7:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZButler, Lawrence55 min
Aug 16, 7:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBeaver63 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.