Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 211, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 7, 1998, 11:47 AM EDT for Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 63 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, 11:47 AM EDT (15:47 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 7, 1998, 12:50 PM EDT
- In force
- 63 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Schuylkill County, PA
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7, 12:24 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Tamaqua, PA | Windows were blown out of a house. A store wall collapsed onto 3 cars. Numerous trees and wires were down. Parts of roofs taken off 2 homes. |
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, 10:45 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 220 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
- 114 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -252 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2079 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 90 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 96 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
918 WUUS01 KCTP 071548 RRA SVRCTP PAC043-107-133-071650- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1147 AM EDT MON SEP 7 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... SCHUYLKILL COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA DAUPHIN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA NORTHERN YORK COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA * UNTIL 1250 PM EDT * AT 1145 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM BLOOMSBURG TO CARLISLE... MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. * THE LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... HARRISBURG AT 1155 AM EDT DILLSBURG AT 1155 AM EDT VALLEY VIEW AT 1200 PM EDT DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY. GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS NICOSIA/LA CORTE
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, 14 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 6, 9:00 PM EDT, 14 hours 47 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
Local storm report, Sep 7, 10:52 AM EDT, 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
1052 AM EDT MON SEP 07 1998
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1000 AM BOSWELL PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 SOMERSET TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN
1000 AM WINDBER PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 SOMERSET TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN
1000 AM JENNERSTOWN PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 SOMERSET TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN
1025 AM SB ELLIOT SP PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 CLEARFIELD TREES DOWN
1025 AMr GRAMPIAN PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 CLEARFIELD TREES DOWN
MSELocal storm report, Sep 7, 11:18 AM EDT, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
1118 AM EDT MON SEP 07 1998
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1000 AM EBENSBURG PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 CAMBRIA TREES DOWN FROM EBENSBURG
TO JOHNSTOWN
1000 AM JOHNSTOWN PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 CAMBRIA TREES DOWN FROM EBENSBURG
TO JOHNSTOWN
1055 AM EMPORIUM PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 CAMERON TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES
1107 AM WILLIAMSPORT PA .75 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 LYCOMING DIME-SIZED HAIL REPORTED
1109 AM MILROY PA .75 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 MIFFLIN DIME-SIZED HAIL REPORTED
NEAR MILROY ON ROUTE 322
RXRLocal storm report, Sep 7, 11:18 AM EDT, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
1118 AM EDT MON SEP 07 1998
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1000 AM EBENSBURG PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 CAMBRIA TREES DOWN FROM EBENSBURG
TO JOHNSTOWN
1000 AM JOHNSTOWN PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 CAMBRIA TREES DOWN FROM EBENSBURG
TO JOHNSTOWN
1055 AM EMPORIUM PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 CAMERON TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES
1107 AM WILLIAMSPORT PA .75 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 LYCOMING DIME-SIZED HAIL REPORTED
1109 AM MILROY PA .75 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 MIFFLIN DIME-SIZED HAIL REPORTED
NEAR MILROY ON ROUTE 322
RXRLocal storm report, Sep 7, 11:31 AM EDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
1131 AM EDT MON SEP 07 1998
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1115 AM 10 SW LEWISTOWN PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 MIFFLIN TREE DOWN ON FERGESON
VALLEY ROAD BETWEEN
LEWISOTWN AND MT UNION
1116 AM MIFFLINBURG PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 UNION WIND GUST KNOCKED OUT
POWER IN SOME LOCATIONS
1120 AM 4 N LEWISBURG PA .75 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 UNION DIME-SIZED HAIL REPORTED
1120 AM 4 N LEWISBURG PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 UNION WIND GUST ESTIMATED AT
50-60 MPH.
1122 AM MUNCY PA 1 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 LYCOMING QUARTER-SIZED HAIL
REPORTEDLocal storm report, Sep 7, 11:33 AM EDT, 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
1133 AM EDT MON SEP 07 1998
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1130 AM LEWISBURG PA .88 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 UNION NICKEL-SIZED HAIL REPORTEDLocal storm report, Sep 7, 11:47 AM EDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
1147 AM EDT MON SEP 07 1998
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1122 AM MUNCY PA .75 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 LYCOMING DIME-SIZED HAIL REPORTED
1130 AM 2 S MUNCY PA 2.25 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 LYCOMING
1132 AM 6 S MUNCY PA 1.75 INCH HAIL
09/07/98 NORTHUMBERLAND GOLFBALL-SIZED HAIL
REPORTED
1135 AM BLAIN PA WIND DAMAGE
09/07/98 PERRY POWER LINES DOWNThe 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, 8:50 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Elk | 55 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, 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.