Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 137, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 30, 1998, 2:23 PM EDT for Cameron County, Elk County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 62 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
- Jun 30, 1998, 2:23 PM EDT (18:23 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 30, 1998, 3:25 PM EDT
- In force
- 62 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Cameron County, PA, Elk County, PA
The radar
The State College radar (KCCX), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:25 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 3:05 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Emporium, PA | Trees down. |
| Jun 30, 3:30 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Sinnamahoning, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 1:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 168 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
- 3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -106 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 865 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 86 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 122 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.3
The text
The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.
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 Jun 30, 12:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 12:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1255 PM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998 ...ZONE SUGGESTIONS... WILL ATTEMPT TO GET WRKZONES TO PIT AND PHL BY 130 PM...THEN DEAL WITH POTENTIAL CONVECTION. ...DISCUSSION... CONVECTION MAINTAINING ALONG EAST-WEST LINE OVER UPPR SUSQ VALLEY MAINLY NORTH OF IPT. THIS IS A WELL DEFINED OUTFLOW BOUNDARY LAID DOWN FROM EARLIER CONVECTION WHICH RACED ACROSS AND DROPPED QUICK SHOTS OF HEAVY RAIN. QUESTION FOR THE EVENING IS WHERE WILL MORE SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION...IF ANY...FOCUS WITH APPROACH UNSEASONABLY STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING OUT OF LOWER LAKES. REFRESHINGLY DRY AIR ON TAP TO LAST INTO THE END OF THE WEEK ONCE ALL IS SAID AND DONE. MESO ANAL SHOWS POTENTIAL OUTFLOW MERGER FOR NRN TIER COUNTIES EAST OF BFD. PROBLEM IS THAT THE INSTABILITY CONTINUES TO BE LACKING AS AIRMASS HAS YET TO START TO RECOVER FROM MORNING HEAVY CLOUDCOVER. WESTERLY FLOW IS LIMITING LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IN THE WARM SECTOR AS WELL...WITH LEE SIDE TROF STARTING TO SHOW SIGNS OF FORMING OVER LOWER SUSQ. AS UPPER JET STREAK APPROACHES...THERE SHUD BE SOME TENDENCY FOR LOW LEVEL FLOW TO RESPOND MORE TO THE SOUTHWEST... BUT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW MUCH THIS CAN OVERCOME LEE SIDE TROF EFFECTS. STILL LOOKS LIKE LOWER SUSQ MAY BE UNDER THE GUN...BUT CONVECTION FIRING OVER OHIO LOOKS LIKE A PROBLEM FOR WRN SECTIONS AS WELL. CONCENTRATING ON THE MED TERM...FRONT WILL BRING MORE SLEEPER -FRIENDLY WEATHER INTO THE REGION STARTING LATER TONIGHT...AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. QUESTION FOR WED IS IF STRAY RW/TRW WILL ACCOMPANY SECONDARY SURGE OF COOL AIR. LAPSE RATES ARE MADE TO SHOOT UP WITH LIS IN IN THE AREA OF ZERO AS SFC BOUNDARY AND UPPER SHORTWAVE SLIDE SOUTHEAST. QPF IS KEPT SPARSE BUT HIGH SUN SHUD HELP INSTABILITY. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS SHOW POTENTIAL FOR LOW LEVEL SC DECK...BUT WITH SOME INSTABILITY ABOVE ASSOC WITH COOLING UPPER LEVELS. MAY END UP TWEAKING SOME NRN ZONES TO MENTION SMALL RISK OF RW/TRW. MRF HAS POTENT LOOKING COLD FRONT ENTERING REGION FOR WEEKEND. OUTLOOK FOR 4TH LOOKS REASONABLE. LATER OUTLOOKS WILL PAINT PLEASANT DRY END TO HOLIDAY IF TRENDS HOLD. LA CORTE
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 30, 11:30 AM EDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-302100- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1130 AM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998 ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TODAY... ...FORECAST DETAILS... A COLD FRONT...OVER THE GREAT LAKES THIS MORNING...WILL PASS THROUGH PENNSYLVANIA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A WARM AND HUMID AIR MASS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL PRODUCE CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR SEVERE WEATHER. ANY STORMS THAT FORM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER APPEARS TO BE OVER THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. IN ADDITION... SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD CAUSE RAIN HEAVY ENOUGH TO PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING. SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. LA CORTE
Special weather statement, Jun 30, 1:45 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024-025-033-034-045-010135- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 145 PM EDT TUE JUN 30 1998 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR NORTHWEST AND MUCH OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE PERIOD UNTIL 8 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... WARREN... MCKEAN...POTTER... ELK... CAMERON... CLINTON... CLEARFIELD... CENTRE... CAMBRIA... BLAIR... SOMERSET...AND CAMBRIA. SOME COMMUNITIES IN THE WATCH AREA INCLUDE BRADFORD... DUBOIS... COUDERSPORT... STATE COLLEGE... ALTOONA... JOHNSTOWN... AND SOMERSET. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. A FEW OF THE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE BY MID-AFTERNOON... WITH STRONG DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL OR EVEN AN ISOLATED TORNADO. THE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST OF THE WATCH AREA BY 8 PM. THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING AHEAD OF COLD FRONT TRACKING EAST FROM OHIO TOWARD WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL MOVE EAST OF PENNSYLVANIA LATER THIS EVENING. ANYONE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD STAY ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS. IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED OR BECOMES IMMINENT... WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED. STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. MSE
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 5:47 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Potter | 63 min |
| Jun 30, 1:53 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | McKean, Warren | 47 min |
| Jun 30, 2:52 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | McKean, Potter | 33 min |
| Jun 30, 3:14 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clearfield | 61 min |
| Jun 30, 3:20 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clinton | 60 min |
| Jun 30, 3:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cameron, Elk | 31 min |
| Jun 30, 3:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cambria, Somerset | 87 min |
| Jun 30, 3:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Tioga | 61 min |
| Jun 30, 3:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lycoming | 60 min |
| Jun 30, 3:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Centre | 95 min |
| Jun 30, 4:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Bedford, Blair | 62 min |
| Jun 30, 4:16 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clinton | 34 min |
| Jun 30, 4:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder | 61 min |
| Jun 30, 4:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Union | 61 min |
| Jun 30, 4:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Sullivan | 51 min |
| Jun 30, 4:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Fulton | 33 min |
| Jun 30, 4:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Columbia, Montour, Northumberland | 64 min |
| Jun 30, 5:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cumberland, Franklin, Perry | 59 min |
| Jun 30, 5:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Dauphin | 65 min |
| Jun 30, 5:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Schuylkill | 61 min |
| Jun 30, 5:32 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Adams, York | 78 min |
| Jun 30, 5:37 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lebanon | 48 min |
| Jun 30, 5:55 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lancaster | 60 min |
| Jun 30, 6:00 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cumberland | 20 min |
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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.