Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS State College, PA

January 8, 1998Somerset County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jan 8, 1998, 2:42 AM EST for Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 6 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 8, 1998, 2:42 AM EST (07:42 UTC)
Expired
Jan 8, 1998, 8:40 AM EST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

County Somerset County, PA

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 103 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 00:00Z on 1998-01-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 13 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 1998-01-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 293 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
13 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
549 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
293 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
306 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.

000 
TTAA00 KCTP 080743
FFWCTP
PAC111-081340-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
242 AM EST THU JAN 8 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR
  SOMERSET COUNTY

* UNTIL 840 AM EST

* FLOODING EXPECTED AROUND-
  BENS CREEK... STONYCREEK AND OTHER SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS IN
  THE COUNTY.

* HEAVY RAIN WAS MOVING NORTHEAST INTO SOMERSET COUNTY. THE RAIN
  WILL CONTINUE FOR THE BALANCE OF THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AROUND 1
  TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN AND AREA STREAMS WERE
  RUNNING HIGH. THIS ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING.

IF YOU ARE IN THESE AREAS... MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. DO NOT DRIVE
THROUGH WATER COVERING THE ROAD.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED
QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

NICOSIA/ONDREJIK

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at Jan 8, 2:28 AM EST, 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 8, 2:28 AM EST, 14 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
228 AM EST THU JAN 8 1998

...ZONE SUGGESTIONS...
...PIT EXTEND FLOOD WATCH TO COVER EASTERN COUNTIES INCLUDING
BEDFORD, FULTON, FRANKLIN, HUNTINGDON, MIFFLIN AND JUNIATA.

...PHL CONSIDER EXTENDING FLOOD WATCH FOR HAR AREA AND SOUTH.

...DISCUSSION...
LARGE AREA OF RAIN OVER NORTHERN PA MOVING STEADILY NORTH.  AREAS
IN SW PA ALREADY OUT OF PRECIP AREA.  CENT/SOUTH-CENT PA COULD BE
TROUBLE SPOT AS LARGE AREA OF PRECIP EXTENDS FROM MD PANHANDLE
SOUTH ALONG APP MTS THRU WESTERN NC TO FL PANHANDLE.  AREA MOVING
NORTH WITH SLIGHT EAST MOVEMENT. NEW PRELIM 94Q OUT AND HPC SHOWING
A 2 SWATH FROM LAUREL HIGHLANDS TO CENTRAL PA.

RADAR DOING POOR JOB OF ESTIMATING PRECIP MAY HAVE TO DO WITH
TROPICAL ORIGIN OF MOISTURE SUPPLY. WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE
WHAT TROPICAL Z/R WOULD HAVE PRODUCED FOR PRECIP TOTALS.  HAVE
REPORTS OF OVER AN INCH TOTAL IN IPT AREA SINCE BEGINNING OF RAIN.
IFLOWS RPTS HAVE AREAS IN CLEARFIELD, CENTRE, CAMBRIA, AND MCKEAN
OVER 1.5 TOTAL.  THESE AREAS ARE APPROACHING FFG FOR 6 AND 12 HR.
ENHANCED PRECIP NORTH OF PIT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN TIER OF PA
WHERE ALREADY HAD SOME REPORTS OF MINOR FLOODING (WARREN CO HAD 1
ROAD CLOSED).

CONTINUED FLOW FROM SOUTH WITH DWPTS IN MID 50S WEST PA AND LOW 60S
IN SOUTH-CENT PA AND MD...AMAZING.  NGM SHOWS 50-60KT 850 JET INTO
SOUTHERN PA BY 12Z TO KEEP PRECIP GOING.  NICE UPPER JET LIFTING
NORTH OF GREAT LAKES AND COUPLED WITH WEAKER JET ALIGNED ALONG
SPINE OF APP. MTNS. MODELS AGAIN DIFFER ON TRACK OF LOW WITH MOST
LIKELY SCENARIO BEING THE AVN/NGM.

AFTER DAYBREAK, JET STRUCTURE BEGINS TO MOVE EASTWARD, AND
HOPEFULLY WILL MOVE HEAVIEST RAINFALL EAST PRODUCING A MORE SHOWERY
TYPE OF PRECIP OVER CENT PA.

ONDREJIK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 7, 10:36 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPWarren7 hr
Jan 8, 5:55 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPWarren3 hr
Jan 8, 7:39 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPAdams, York66 min
Jan 8, 8:09 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Lebanon, Schuylkill4 hr
Jan 8, 8:09 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPAdams, York4 hr
Jan 8, 8:09 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPLancaster4 hr
Jan 8, 8:50 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPWarren5 hr
Jan 8, 9:20 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPMcKean5 hr
Jan 8, 10:35 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCumberland, Franklin, Perry4 hr
Jan 8, 11:42 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPAdams, York4 hr
Jan 8, 11:42 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Schuylkill4 hr
Jan 8, 12:04 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPPotter4 hr
Jan 8, 12:26 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPJuniata, Northumberland, Snyder4 hr
Jan 8, 12:26 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPColumbia, Montour4 hr
Jan 8, 12:26 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPUnion4 hr
Jan 8, 1:28 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPLycoming, Sullivan4 hr
Jan 8, 1:31 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPMcKean, Warren4 hr
Jan 8, 2:02 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPBedford, Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon4 hr
Jan 8, 2:02 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCentre, Clinton4 hr
Jan 8, 2:02 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPMifflin4 hr
Jan 8, 2:42 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCumberland, Franklin, Perry4 hr
Jan 8, 3:36 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Schuylkill6 hr
Jan 8, 3:36 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPAdams, York6 hr
Jan 8, 3:52 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPPotter6 hr
Jan 8, 4:17 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCameron6 hr
Jan 8, 4:27 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York6 hr
Jan 8, 4:27 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPCentre, Clinton, Mifflin, Union6 hr
Jan 8, 4:27 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPColumbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry and 2 more6 hr
Jan 8, 4:27 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPSullivan6 hr
Jan 8, 4:27 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningCTPAdams, Cumberland6 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1998Every flash flood warning in 1998

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.