Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 201, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 7, 1998, 8:50 AM EDT for Elk County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 55 min. 1 report 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
- Sep 7, 1998, 8:50 AM EDT (12:50 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 7, 1998, 9:45 AM EDT
- In force
- 55 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Elk County, PA
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 9:25 AM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Ridgway, PA | Numerous trees blown down from Ridgway to St. Marys. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 8:15 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 166 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
- 1483 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -94 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 932 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 16 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 29 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
955 WUUS01 KCTP 071251 RRA SVRCTP PAC047-071345- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 850 AM EDT MON SEP 7 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... ELK COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA * UNTIL 945 AM EDT * AT 850 AM EDT... DOPPLER RADAR AND SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH DAMAGING WINDS 23 MILES WEST OF RIDGWAY OR 8 MILES WEST OF BELLTOWN MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. * THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... BELLTOWN AT 855 AM EDT OWLS NEST AT 910 AM EDT RIDGEWAY AT 920 AM EDT ST MARYS AT 930 AM EDT THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF DAMAGING WIND. GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS HEAD/EVANS
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 Sep 6, 9:00 PM EDT, 11 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 6, 9:00 PM EDT, 11 hours 50 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 900 PM EDT SUN SEP 6 1998 ...WORK ZONES TO BE SENT TO PHL/PIT AT 930 PM... ...DISCUSSION... SATL IMAGERY REVEALS A WELL DEFINED SHRT WAVE RIPPLING ACRS THE ERN LAKES AND SRN CANADA. THIS WAVE WAS ENHANCING THE LL WRLY FLO AHEAD OF A SFC FRNTL BNDRY THAT WAS DRAPED ACRS SRN ONT AND LWR MI. THERE WAS A WELL-DEFINED POOLING OF LOW-LVL MOISTURE AHEAD OF THIS BNDRY WITH A RIBBON OF 70 TO 75+ DWPTS STREAMING INTO THE ERN LAKES AND UPR OH VLLY. AS THIS WAVE PUSHES E... IT WAS TRIGGERING A FEW STRG(SVR?)TSRA OVR THE ERN LAKES. KCLE 88D SHOWG A NASTY CELL OVR SRN ONT WITH A VIL OF 74 KG/M2 SATL INDICATES THAT THIS PRE-FRONTAL ZONE OF HIGH LL DWPTS WAS A HOTBED OF ACVTY THIS EVENING WHICH WILL SLOWLY SETTLED S. THIS INITIAL WAVE WILL SHARPEN UP AN UPR LVL JET STREAK OVR SERN CANADA OVERNGT. THIS WILL INCREASE A THERMALLY DIRECT CIRC AND SUPPORT NRLY LL AGEO FLO WHICH WILL PRESS THE SFC BNDRY SOUTHWARD. SIGNFNCT FGEN FRCG IN A REGION OF UNSTBL AIR WILL ALLOW ACVTY OVR THE LWR LAKES TO WORK S INTO WRN/NRN PA B4 12Z. W/ WRLY LL FLO PREVALENT FEEL SOME ACVTY MAY MAKE IT S OF I-80 IN WRN PA B4 DAWN AND WILL KEEP SOME LO CHC POPS IN OVRNGT FOR SW ZONES. WITH UPR LVL JET STREAK MAINTAINED TO THE NE OF PA THRU MON AM... THIS FRNT WILL BEHAVE MORE LIKE AN ANAFRNT INITIALLY SO I EXPECT A MASS OF PRECIP NR AND ESP BEHIND THE FRNT. SOME TSRA WILL BE FOUND NR THE SFC FRNT WITH MORE STRATIFORMISH RAINS BEHIND IT. W/ A WRLY FLO REGIME MONDAY AM... EXPECT ACVTY TO TAKE LONGER TO REACH SUS VLLY OF ERN PA. THINK THERE WILL BE A PERIOD OF SS AND DESTABILIZATION FOR THE SUS VLLY AS A RESULT. MORE IMPORTANTLY... AFTER THE INITIAL WAVE RIDES OFF TO THE NE TONIGHT A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT WAVE WILL LITERALLY DROP S OUT OF CANADA AND AMPLIFY SIGNIFICANTLY... AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF CARVING OUT AN UNSEASONABLY COLD TROF IN THE ERN U.S. WITH A SHARPENING UPR LVL TROF AXIS JUST TO OUR W MONDAY... INTENSE UPR LVL DVRG WILL FOCUS STRGR ASCENT CLSE TO AND BEHIND FRNT... CHARGING UP THE UVV/S. THUS... PRECIP MASS OVR ERN LAKES SHUD GROW UPON REACHG NRN/WRN PA MON AM. BY THE TIME IT REACHES THE SUS VLLY MONDAY AFTRN... IT SHUD BE FAIRLY EXTENSIVE. SINCE I EXPECT SOME SS IN THE LWR/MID SUS VLLY FOR A PERIOD ON MONDAY... THINK SOME SIGNFT TSRA ACVTY WILL FIRE UP DURG AFTRN AS THE WHOLE MASS OF PRECIP DVLPS INTO THIS AREA...MAKING IT OVR THE TYPICAL OROGRAPHIC BARRIER OF THE MTNS OF WRN PA. WINDS WILL BE ROARING MONDAY AFTRN (50-60 KTS AT 500 MB/30-40 KTS AT 700 MB... WITH DECENT MID-LVL DRYING TO BOOT. THINK A FEW STORMS CUD BECOME SVR AND THINK SLIGHT RISK LOOKS GOOD FOR MUCH OF CNTRL/SRN PA MONDAY. HVY RAIN ALSO CUD BECOME A PROBLEM... ESP IF AVN VERIFIES. UNLIKE THE OTHER MODELS... THE AVN FOCUSES SO MUCH ASCENT OVR ERN PA/NJ THAT IT DVLPS A SFC LO IN THIS AREA WHICH IN EFFECT KEEPS THE PRECIP ON THE COLD SIDE OF THE FRNT LONGER IN ERN/SRN PA. THIS SCENARIO CUD LEAVE TO SIG RAINS ERN/SRN PA. OTHER MODELS DON/T DVLP SFC LO UNTIL IT IS MUCH FARTHER N AND FOR NOW AM LEANING TWD THE OTHERS (ETA/MESO-ETA/NGM) SOLTNS. HYDROLOGICALLY... FLOWS ON AREA STREAMS VERY LOW SO DON/T THINK THERE IS ANY THREAT FOR SMALLER STREAM FLOODING. AFTER THIS INITIAL SHOT OF PRECIP WITH FRNT PASSES BY MON NGT... THERE LIKELY WILL BE ANTHR SHOT OF SHWRS IN ASSCTN WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE MID-LVL COLD FRNT/UPR LVL PV CORE MON EVE. THIS FEATURE WAS REFLECTED WELL BY A SECONDARY SFC FRNT OVR THE UPR LAKES. THE MESO-ETA TAKES THIS FEATURES DOWN INTO NRN PA MONDAY EVE AND THINK PTNL IS THERE FOR ANTHR ROUND OF SHRA AS VERY COLD AIR ALOFT POURS INTO PA. BY TUESDAY... THERE WILL BE NO INVERSION OVR PA WHICH WILL BE ENTRENCHED DEEP IN THIS CHILLY AIR MASS. MODELS PROGGED STRG UNI-DIRECTIONAL NW FLO WITH STRG SPEED SHEAR. 850 MB TEMPS DROP TO +2C TO +5C AND WITH LAKE TEMPS RUNNING ABV 20C... LAKE-EFFECT RAIN SHOWERS PSBL FOR MTNS OF NRN AND WRN PA TUESDAY. THE STRG SPEED SHEAR LIKELY WILL FORCE THE CNVTN INTO ROLL CIRCULATIONS AND MULTIPLE BANDS. THIS TYPICALLY FAVORS SHWRS FAR AWAY FROM THE LAKES AND THINK ACVTY CUD REACH ALL THE WAY INTO THE SUS VLLY. POPS FOR TUESDAY ALL ZONES LOOKS GOOD... WITH HIGHER POPS TO THE NW. .CTP...NONE. NICOSIA
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Sep 7, 5:29 AM EDT, 3 hours 21 minutes before
PAZ037-041-042-046-071025- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 529 AM EDT MON SEP 7 1998 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELLED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR TIOGA... LYCOMING AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES AT 530 AM EDT... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED FROM NEW YORK STATE INTO NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA OVERNIGHT. WHILE MOST OF THE REGION ESCAPED THE NIGHT WITHOUT SEVERE WEATHER...THUNDERSTORMS DID PRODUCE DIME SIZE HAIL IN THE CITY OF WELLSBORO IN TIOGA COUNTY AROUND 420 AM. MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TODAY...AND SOME MAY APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE COMMERDCIAL RADIO... TV OR CABLE TV STATION FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS....WATCHES OR WARNINGS. JUNG
Special weather statement, Sep 7, 5:29 AM EDT, 3 hours 21 minutes before
PAZ037-041-042-046-071025- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 529 AM EDT MON SEP 7 1998 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELLED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR TIOGA... LYCOMING AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES AT 530 AM EDT... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED FROM NEW YORK STATE INTO NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA OVERNIGHT. WHILE MOST OF THE REGION ESCAPED THE NIGHT WITHOUT SEVERE WEATHER...THUNDERSTORMS DID PRODUCE DIME SIZE HAIL IN THE CITY OF WELLSBORO IN TIOGA COUNTY AROUND 420 AM. MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TODAY...AND SOME MAY APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE COMMERDCIAL RADIO... TV OR CABLE TV STATION FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS....WATCHES OR WARNINGS. JUNG
Special weather statement, Sep 7, 5:58 AM EDT, 2 hours 52 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-071550- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 558 AM EDT MON SEP 7 1998 ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA... ...FORECAST DETAILS... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS PENNSYLVANIA TODAY. THE FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE THIS MORNING AND MOVE SOUTH DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT. THIS MEANS THAT ACROSS NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA...THE BEST TIME FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE DURING THE MORNING. ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS...INCLUDING THE MIDDLE AND LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY...THE THREAT WILL BE DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER TODAY WILL BE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. THIS COLD FRONT HAS ALREADY PRODUCED SEVERE WEATHER LAST NIGHT ACROSS NEW YORK STATE...WITH WINDS IN SOME THUNDERSTORMS AROUND 90 MPH. SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE COMMERCIAL RADIO...TV OR CABLE TV STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS...FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES OR WARNINGS. JUNG
Local storm report, Sep 7, 7:34 AM EDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
734 AM EDT MON SEP 07 1998
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0420 AM WELLSBORO PA .75 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 TIOGASpecial weather statement, Sep 7, 8:25 AM EDT, 25 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-045-046-049-050- 056-063-064-071720- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 825 AM EDT MON SEP 7 1998 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 2 PM... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 2 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... WARREN...MCKEAN...POTTER...TIOGA...ELK...CAMERON...CLINTON... LYCOMING...CLEARFIELD...CENTRE...UNION...CAMBRIA... BLAIR... HUNTINGDON...MIFFLIN...JUNIATA...SNYDER...SOMERSET... BEDFORD... FULTON...FRANKLIN...PERRY...CUMBERLAND...AND ADAMS. AT 825 AM DOPPLER RADAR WAS INDICATING A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN OHIO MOVING INTO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST ABOUT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA LATE THIS MORNING AND EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD BE SEVERE...WITH STRONG DAMAGING WINDS OR LARGE HAIL. THE SHOWERS WILL DECREASE IN COVERAGE BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY TO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE STATE. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. DO NOT USE TELEPHONES OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED<. DO NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS. MSE
Special weather statement, Sep 7, 8:25 AM EDT, 25 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-045-046-049-050- 056-063-064-071720- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 825 AM EDT MON SEP 7 1998 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 2 PM... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 2 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... WARREN...MCKEAN...POTTER...TIOGA...ELK...CAMERON...CLINTON... LYCOMING...CLEARFIELD...CENTRE...UNION...CAMBRIA... BLAIR... HUNTINGDON...MIFFLIN...JUNIATA...SNYDER...SOMERSET... BEDFORD... FULTON...FRANKLIN...PERRY...CUMBERLAND...AND ADAMS. AT 825 AM DOPPLER RADAR WAS INDICATING A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN OHIO MOVING INTO WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST ABOUT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA LATE THIS MORNING AND EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD BE SEVERE...WITH STRONG DAMAGING WINDS OR LARGE HAIL. THE SHOWERS WILL DECREASE IN COVERAGE BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY TO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE STATE. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. DO NOT USE TELEPHONES OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED<. DO NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS. MSE
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 3:56 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Tioga | 34 min |
| Sep 7, 9:20 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clearfield | 55 min |
| Sep 7, 9:34 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cameron | 61 min |
| Sep 7, 9:56 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clinton, Potter | 44 min |
| Sep 7, 10:20 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lycoming, Tioga | 75 min |
| Sep 7, 11:01 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Sullivan | 64 min |
| Sep 7, 11:07 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder, Union | 63 min |
| Sep 7, 11:24 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Columbia, Montour, Northumberland | 61 min |
| Sep 7, 11:31 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cumberland, Perry | 49 min |
| Sep 7, 11:47 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Dauphin, York | 63 min |
| Sep 7, 11:47 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Schuylkill | 63 min |
| Sep 7, 12:07 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lancaster, Lebanon | 63 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.