Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 47, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 29, 1998, 4:03 PM EDT for Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 97 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
- May 29, 1998, 4:03 PM EDT (20:03 UTC)
- Expired
- May 29, 1998, 5:40 PM EDT
- In force
- 97 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Lycoming County, PA
The radar
The State College radar (KCCX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:04 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 5:00 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Williamsport, PA | Trees and power lines were blown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2:00 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD (KAPG), launched 12:00Z, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 224 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
- 24 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -75 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 704 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 21 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 72 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 103 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
748 WUUS01 KCTP 292002 RRA SVRCTP PAC027-035-081-292135- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 403 PM EDT FRI MAY 29 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... CLINTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA CENTRE COUNTY IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA LYCOMING COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA * UNTIL 540 PM EDT * AT 400 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM KETTLE CREEK RESERVIOR SOUTHWEST TO CLEARFIELD...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THE LINE WILL EXTEND FROM NEAR SLATE RUN TO RENOVO TO PHILIPSBURG BETWEEN 410 AND 420 PM. THIS LINE OF STORMS IS DANGEROUS. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER... PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. DANGELO
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 May 29, 1:50 PM EDT, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 29, 1:50 PM EDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 150 PM EDT FRI MAY 29 1998 ...WRKZONES SENT TO PIT/PHL VIA PHLADMCTP... PIT ZNS AVBL PHL TO FOLLOW SHORTLY ...DISCUSSION... VIS SAT PICS INDICATING RAPID TSTM DVLPMT ACROSS WRN NY AND CENT LE IN ASSOC WITH 5H S/W. SIGNS OF A LINE OF MDT CU/TCU DVLPMENT EXTND DOWN INTO CENTRAL OH...WHICH SHLD BEGIN TO FIRE AS THEY APPRCH REAL MUGGY AIR ACROSS E OH AND W PA. NW FLOW ALFT WL BRING THESE INTO FA AS PROGGED. AS PER SPC...MAIN SVR THREAT WL BE ACROSS WRN AND NRN PA WITH DAMAGING WNDS AND HAIL WITH STRONG LL FLOW AND MID LVL COOLING. ACTIVITY WILL END THIS EVENING AS DRYING TAKES PLACE FROM THE NW WITH FROPA. CLDS SHLD CLR OUT OF ALL CWA BUT LOWER SUSQ BY 12Z. TMPS IN NRN AREAS CLD DROP INTO UPPER 40S LOCALLY W/ DIMINISHING N WINDS AND SFC DRYING...BUT WL REMAIN MUGGY AND WARM ACROSS THE SE. SAT SHAPING UP TO BE A GREAT DAY. PLENTY O SUNSHINE AND MORE SEASONABLE TEMPS WILL RETURN...AS SOME WEAK CAA TAKES OVR W/ 8H TMPS FALLING SOME 2-3C FROM TODAY. ONLY CONCERN WL BE SOME CI BLOWOFF FROM ANY MCC DVLPMT OVER WRN LAKES/MIDWEST. HIGH MOVES E AND STRONG SW FLOW TAKES OVER SAT NIGHT AS SFC LOW BOMBS TO ARND 989MB (WOW) OVER MIDWEST BY 12Z SUN PER NGM...BUT ETA SOLN (994MB) PREFERRED DUE TO RARITY OF SUCH A SYSTEM IN LATE MAY/EARLY JUNE AND HANDLE ON MOISTURE PARAMETERS. WARM FRONT PASSES THRU SAT NIGHT ADVECTING IN REALLY WARM AND HUMID AIR. 8H TEMPS SOAR INTO THE UPPER TEENS AND NOSE OF THETA-E RIDGE PUSHES ACROSS ACROSS OH VALLEY INTO SW PA. FEEL THIS WL BE NEXT THREAT FOR SVR WX AS LIS ONCE AGAIN APPRCH -6...CAPES BETWEEN 500-1000...STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIV. MCC DVLPMT A POSSIBILITY...ESP INTO NRN CWA INTO NY WHERE DYNAMICS ARE GREATEST. SFC WINDS W/ STRNG PRES GRDNT WILL LIKELY EXCEED 20 MPH...SO WILL LIKELY MENTION WINDS IN NEXT FULL PKG FOR SUN. DESPITE POTENTIAL FOR TEMPS WELL INTO THE 90S...FEEL MID BKN/OVC LAYER DUE TO WAA WILL LIKELY HOLD MAX TMPS ON SUN IN THE 80S. FEEL FWC GUIDANCE LOOKS OK WITH MINOR TWEAKING HERE OR THERE. BOOKBINDER/DANGELO
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 29, 10:50 AM EDT, 5 hours 13 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-300300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT- THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1050 AM EDT FRI MAY 29 1998 ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NORTH AND WEST OF THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY THROUGH MID-AFTERNOON. LATER ON... THE THREAT AREA FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXPAND SOUTHEAST TO INCLUDE THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. AN UNSEASONABLY WARM AIRMASS WILL COVER CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TODAY. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON... TRIGGERING THE STORMS. STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER UPDATES CONCERNING THE POTENTIALLY SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON. SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. MARTIN
Special weather statement, May 29, 1:55 PM EDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 300050- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 155 PM EDT FRI MAY 29 1998 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 8 PM... THE WATCH INCLUDES WARREN...MCKEAN...POTTER...ELK... CAMERON...CLINTON...CLEARFIELD...CENTRE...CAMBRIA... BLAIR...HUNTINGDON...MIFFLIN...JUNIATA...SOMERSET... BEDFORD...FULTON...AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES. THE WATCH ALSO INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY... TIOGA...LYCOMING...SULLIVAN...UNION...SYNDER...MONTOUR... NORTHUMBERLAND...AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STORMS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERE. STORMS MAY CONTAIN LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER OCCURS OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. MARTIN
Special weather statement, May 29, 1:55 PM EDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 300050- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 155 PM EDT FRI MAY 29 1998 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 8 PM... THE WATCH INCLUDES WARREN...MCKEAN...POTTER...ELK... CAMERON...CLINTON...CLEARFIELD...CENTRE...CAMBRIA... BLAIR...HUNTINGDON...MIFFLIN...JUNIATA...SOMERSET... BEDFORD...FULTON...AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES. THE WATCH ALSO INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY... TIOGA...LYCOMING...SULLIVAN...UNION...SYNDER...MONTOUR... NORTHUMBERLAND...AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STORMS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERE. STORMS MAY CONTAIN LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER OCCURS OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. MARTIN
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2:17 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | McKean | 63 min |
| May 29, 2:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Potter | 62 min |
| May 29, 3:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Elk | 61 min |
| May 29, 3:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cameron, Clearfield | 60 min |
| May 29, 3:51 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Tioga | 64 min |
| May 29, 4:03 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Centre, Clinton | 97 min |
| May 29, 4:07 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Sullivan | 63 min |
| May 29, 5:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Columbia, Montour, Northumberland | 64 min |
| May 29, 5:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Union | 64 min |
| May 29, 5:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Blair, Cambria, Clearfield | 60 min |
| May 29, 5:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Huntingdon | 65 min |
| May 29, 6:07 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Somerset | 63 min |
| May 29, 6:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Dauphin | 49 min |
| May 29, 6:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Schuylkill | 61 min |
| May 29, 6:28 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cumberland, Franklin, Perry | 62 min |
| May 29, 6:42 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lebanon | 63 min |
| May 29, 6:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Dauphin | 31 min |
| May 29, 7:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lancaster, York | 89 min |
| May 29, 7:06 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Adams | 89 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.