Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 11, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 1, 1998, 7:44 PM EST for Lancaster County, York County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 61 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
- Apr 1, 1998, 7:44 PM EST (00:44 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 1, 1998, 8:45 PM EST
- In force
- 61 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Lancaster County, PA, York County, PA
The radar
The Sterling radar (KLWX), 141 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:44 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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 7:15 PM EST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 139 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
- 1170 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 817 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 80 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 104 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 192 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.6
- Supercell composite
- 3.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
242 WUUS01 KCTP 020046 RRA SVRCTP PAC071-133-020145- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 744 PM EST WED APR 1 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...S... IN PENNSYLVANIA ...LANCASTER COUNTY...EASTERN YORK COUNTY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT 742 PM EST SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EASTERN YORK COUNTY...FROM NEAR WRIGHTSVILLE SOUTH TO RED LION. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. CITIES AND TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM ARE LANCASTER...MILLERSVILLE AND SAFE HARBOR. A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. LAMBERT/JUNG
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 Apr 1, 2:45 PM EST, 4 hours 59 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 1, 2:45 PM EST, 4 hours 59 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 245 PM EST WED APR 1 1998 ...SUGGESTIONS... ...SET OF WRKZONES SENT TO EACH OFFICE... ...DISCUSSION... FRONT MOVING THRU CTRL PA AT MID DAY. CONVECTION FIRED FROM JUST EAST OF CTP DOWN TO MD BORDER. MINI BOW ECHO TYPE RETURNS SHOWED SOME DECENT SHEAR ON DOPPLER DOWN OVER FRANKLIN AND ADAMS COUNTY. LOWER SUSQ STILL RIPE FOR BEST SHOT AT SR WITH FRONT EXPECTED TO SLOW AND BECOME WAVY...ALLOWING DEWPOINTS TO POOL AND CREATE AT LEAST MARGINAL INSTABILITY. WHAT SEEMS CERTAIN IS THE RECENT LATE MARCH RECORD BREAKING WARMTH HAS COME TO A GRINDING HALT COURTESY OF THE PRESENT RESPECTABLE ANAFRONT SLIDING SLOWLY EAST. WHAT FOLLOWS FOR NEXT DAY OR SO IS CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT WITH POTENTIAL FOR COLD ADVECTION STRATO-CU AND SPOTTY PRECIP IN NORMALLY FAVORED UPSLOPE NWRN LOCATIONS. REST OF REGION WILL LIKELY SEE NORMAL TRANSITION FROM M-CLDY NW TO AT LEAST P-SUNNY SE WITH RETURN TO MORE SEASONAL READINGS. FRONT A TAD SLOWER THAN EXPECTED YESTERDAY BUT NOT SIGNIFICANTLY SO. STILL TIMING LAG PLACES XTRM SE PA UNDER THE GUN FOR SEVERE THIS PM AS DEWPOINTS RISE ALLOWING STABILITY TO ERODE. MODELS SUGGEST FRONT SLOWS UNDER INCREASING PARALLEL UPPER FLOW WHICH FURTHER SUGGESTS WAVES MAY DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT AS IT EDGES THRU ERN PA. THIS WUD BE A CONCERN AS ANY MESOSCALE BACKING OF FLOW WUD INCREASE POTENTIAL HELICITY IN LOW LEVELS IN THE VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY OR ANY WAVE THAT MAY FORM. LIMITING FACTOR WUD BE CLOUDCOVER KEEPING LID ON INSTABILITY. VISUALS SHOW PRETTY HEAVY CLOUD SHIELD ALL THE WAY TO CAROLINAS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS MID LEVEL DRYING WHICH WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS IS SURGING INTO WRN PA NOW. WITH THIS SLATED TO OVERRUN MOIST LOW LEVELS LATER TODAY...AND IF BREAKS MANAGE TO FORM IN PREFRONTAL SWLY FLOW...THIS AREA CUD BECOME VERY INTERESTING. FOR REST OF AREA IN THE BIG PICTURE...CLEARING BEHIND FRONTAL SURGE HAS A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS EMBEDDED...BUT THESE TOO SHUD DIE WITH LOSS OF HEATING. THINK BEST CHC OF POPS NEXT DAY OR SO WILL BE OVER AREAS OF NRN MTNS WHERE BEST MOISTURE ASSOC WITH SHEARING UPPER SHORTWAVE GETS CLOSEST. ALSO MAY SEE SHOWERS OVER LAURELS AS WEST FLOW ACTS AS UPSLOPE. AVN TAKES NEXT SYSTEM AND SUGGESTS PRECIP INVADING FROM SOUTHWEST BY LATER FRIDAY. I DISCARDED THIS AS PER NGM/ETA SLOWER SOLUTIONS. STILL...LOOKS POTENTIALLY COLD AND INCLEMENT FOR WEEKEND AS CUT OFF SLIDES OFF TO OUR SOUTH. SNOW MAY YET ENTER THE PICTURE AGAIN BY SAT IF AVN VERIFIES. LA CORTE
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 1, 7:18 PM EST, 26 minutes before
PAZ064>066-020515- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - TORNADO WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 718 PM EST WED APR 1 1998 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT... THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: ADAMS... YORK AND LANCASTER. ...FORECAST DETAILS... A COLD FRONT SWEEPING ACROSS THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY THIS EVENING IS TRIGGERING THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION...MAINLY SOUTH OF THE TURNPIKE. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING MAY BECOME SEVERE...AND COULD SPAWN A TORNADO. REMEMBER... A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS... AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL MAY ALSO OCCUR. BE READY TO SEEK A PLACE OF SAFETY IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA. DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADIC WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO... LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SAFETY IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT. BE MINDFUL OF RISING WATERS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. JUNG
Special weather statement, Apr 1, 7:18 PM EST, 26 minutes before
PAZ064>066-020515- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - TORNADO WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 718 PM EST WED APR 1 1998 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT... THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: ADAMS... YORK AND LANCASTER. ...FORECAST DETAILS... A COLD FRONT SWEEPING ACROSS THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY THIS EVENING IS TRIGGERING THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION...MAINLY SOUTH OF THE TURNPIKE. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING MAY BECOME SEVERE...AND COULD SPAWN A TORNADO. REMEMBER... A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS... AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL MAY ALSO OCCUR. BE READY TO SEEK A PLACE OF SAFETY IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA. DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADIC WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO... LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SAFETY IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT. BE MINDFUL OF RISING WATERS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. JUNG
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1998Every severe thunderstorm 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.