Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1999

Flash Flood Warning 57, NWS State College, PA

September 9, 1999Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Sep 9, 1999, 5:54 PM EDT for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued
Sep 9, 1999, 5:54 PM EDT (21:54 UTC)
Expired
Sep 9, 1999, 9:00 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Lancaster County, PA

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 149 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 1999-09-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 60 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 1999-09-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 32 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
60 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-110 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
900 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
70 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KCTP 092202
FFWCTP
PAC071-100100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
554 PM EDT THU SEP 9 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  LANCASTER COUNTY.

* UNTIL 900 PM EDT.

* AT 545 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL 2 MILES NORTH   
  OF COLUMBIA...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.


SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IN THE
WARNED AREA. RUNOFF FROM THIS EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLASH 
FLOODING IN THE MARIETTA...MOUNT JOY...AND COLUMBIA AREAS.

MORE SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE COUNTY THIS 
EVENING WHICH COULD PRODUCE MORE FLOODING IN OTHER SECTIONS OF THE 
COUNTY.  

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED. MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND.

.END/ GRUMM

LAT...LON 4013 7669 4001 7651 3995 7624 4024 7630

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at Sep 9, 2:00 PM EDT, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 9, 2:00 PM EDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
200 PM EDT THU SEP 9 1999

MOST OF THE CWA IS CURRENTLY IN BETWEEN A CDFNT APPROACHING SLOWLY
FROM THE WEST...AND TROPICAL DEW PTS POISED JUST TO THE SOUTHEAST.
MEANWHILE A SERIES OF MID-LVL SHORT WAVES ARE FORECAST TO MOVE
NORTHEAST AROUND A UPPER TROUGH TO THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING IN THE TROPICAL AIR FROM MD AND
DELAWARE SOUTH THROUGH VIRGINIA. CLOUD ELEMENTS ARE MOVING TO THE
NNW IN THIS AREA INDICATING THE POTENTIAL FOR UPSLOPE ENHANCING
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS...AND SAT LOOPS ALSO INDICATE GOOD HEATING GOING
ON WITH CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES ACROSS S CENTRAL AND SE PA.
ETA/RUC/NGM AND AVN ALL INDICATE THAT CONVECTION WILL BE ON THE
INCREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING OVER THE SE HALF
OF THE CWA AS THE STRONGEST MID-LVL SHORT WAVE ROUNDS THE BEND AND
TRACKS NORTHEAST TOWARD THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST. MEANWHILE CONVECTION
ALONG THE CDFNT IN WESTERN PA GRADUALLY DIES OUT AS ALL OF THE
ACTION SHIFTS TO THE EAST UNDER AN AREA OF INCREASING UPPER
DIVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RRQUAD OF AN UPPER WIND MAX.
MEANWHILE THE MM5 SHOWS MUCH LESS PRECIPITATION FOR THE EASTERN HALF
OF PA TONIGHT.

WIND FIELDS OVER SE PA ARE NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE FOR SVR WX WITH 850
WINDS PROGGED AT 15 KTS ACROSS SE PA AND 500 MB WINDS PROGGED AT 30
KTS. HOWEVER WITH FORECAST LIS TO AROUND -8 CANT RULE OUT A FEW
ISOLATED SVR STORMS. STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF OVER 2 INCHES WITH PWATS PROGGED TO AROUND 1.5
INCHES THIS EVENING. 3 HR FFG GUIDANCE IS MOSTLY OVER 3 INCHES...
EXCEPT 2 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS AREAS THAT WERE FLOODED BY DENNIS. HPC
GUIDANCE SHOWS NO FLOODING EXPECTED. FWC POPS ARE VERY LOW WITH JUST
HI CHC POPS IN THE FAR EAST AND LOW CHC POPS FOR THE CENTRAL
COUNTIES. BASED ON ALL OF THIS WILL HOLD OFF ON A FFG WATCH FOR THE
LWR AND MID-SUSQ BUT THAT AREA WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED FOR
TRAINING STORMS TNGT. WILL GO WITH LOW CHC POPS FOR THE NW HALF OF
THE CWA...HI CHC CENTRAL AND LIKELY SE.

DRY AIR MOVES EAST ACROSS THE CWA ON FRIDAY WHILE ALL OF THE MODELS
SHOW A SFC WAVE MOVING FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST NORTH TO NEW
ENGLAND. WILL KEEP THE MENTION OF AN AM SHOWER IN THE EAST ON FRIDAY
OTHERWISE WILL GO WITH PARTLY SUNNY AND LESS HUMID. SATURDAY WILL BE
DRY WITH NEAR SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES.

.CTP...NONE.

MSE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 9, 3:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
PAZ028-036-049>053-056>059-063>066-100157-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
355 PM EDT THU SEP 9 1999

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER AND MID-SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY TONIGHT...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF
A COLD FRONT MOVING SLOWLY EAST ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS
TONIGHT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS OR
HAIL. THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD ALSO CONTAIN VERY HEAVY
RAIN. HEAVY DOWNPOURS COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN URBANIZED
AREAS WHERE STORMS PERSIST FOR OVER AN HOUR. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ANY
SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE THIS EVENING...BUT THE CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION...FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS
ON TONIGHTS THUNDERSTORMS.

.END/ MSE

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE STATE COLLEGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB-SITE AT:  HTTP://BOOKEND.MET.PSU.EDU
(ALL LOWER CASE)
Special weather statement, Sep 9, 3:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
PAZ028-036-049>053-056>059-063>066-100157-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
355 PM EDT THU SEP 9 1999

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER AND MID-SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY TONIGHT...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF
A COLD FRONT MOVING SLOWLY EAST ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS
TONIGHT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS OR
HAIL. THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD ALSO CONTAIN VERY HEAVY
RAIN. HEAVY DOWNPOURS COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN URBANIZED
AREAS WHERE STORMS PERSIST FOR OVER AN HOUR. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ANY
SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE THIS EVENING...BUT THE CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION...FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS
ON TONIGHTS THUNDERSTORMS.

.END/ MSE

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE STATE COLLEGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB-SITE AT:  HTTP://BOOKEND.MET.PSU.EDU
(ALL LOWER CASE)
Special weather statement, Sep 9, 3:57 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
PAZ028-036-049>053-056>059-063>066-100158-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
357 PM EDT THU SEP 9 1999

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER AND MID-SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY TONIGHT...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF
A COLD FRONT MOVING SLOWLY EAST ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TONIGHT.
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS OR HAIL. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD ALSO CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN. HEAVY DOWNPOURS
COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN URBANIZED AREAS WHERE STORMS
PERSIST FOR OVER AN HOUR. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ANY SEVERE WEATHER WILL
BE THIS EVENING...BUT THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE NIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION...FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS
ON TONIGHTS THUNDERSTORMS.

.END/ MSE

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE STATE COLLEGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB-SITE AT:  HTTP://BOOKEND.MET.PSU.EDU
(ALL LOWER CASE)
Special weather statement, Sep 9, 3:57 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
PAZ028-036-049>053-056>059-063>066-100158-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
357 PM EDT THU SEP 9 1999

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE LOWER AND MID-SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY TONIGHT...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF
A COLD FRONT MOVING SLOWLY EAST ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TONIGHT.
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS OR HAIL. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD ALSO CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAIN. HEAVY DOWNPOURS
COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN URBANIZED AREAS WHERE STORMS
PERSIST FOR OVER AN HOUR. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ANY SEVERE WEATHER WILL
BE THIS EVENING...BUT THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE NIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION...FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS
ON TONIGHTS THUNDERSTORMS.

.END/ MSE

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE STATE COLLEGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB-SITE AT:  HTTP://BOOKEND.MET.PSU.EDU
(ALL LOWER CASE)
Special weather statement, Sep 9, 4:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010-011-017-100210-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
410 PM EDT THU SEP 9 1999

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVNAIA...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF
A COLD FRONT MOVING SLOWLY EAST ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA THIS EVENING. A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN
STRONG DAMAGING WINDS OR LARGE HAIL. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE EAST
OF THE AREA BY LATE THIS EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION...FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS
ON TONIGHTS THUNDERSTORMS.

.END/ MSE

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE STATE COLLEGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB-SITE AT:  HTTP://BOOKEND.MET.PSU.EDU
(ALL LOWER CASE)
Special weather statement, Sep 9, 4:10 PM EDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010-011-017-100210-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
410 PM EDT THU SEP 9 1999

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVNAIA...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF
A COLD FRONT MOVING SLOWLY EAST ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA THIS EVENING. A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN
STRONG DAMAGING WINDS OR LARGE HAIL. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE EAST
OF THE AREA BY LATE THIS EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SOURCE OF
WEATHER INFORMATION...FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS
ON TONIGHTS THUNDERSTORMS.

.END/ MSE

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE STATE COLLEGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB-SITE AT:  HTTP://BOOKEND.MET.PSU.EDU
(ALL LOWER CASE)

The office that day

Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 9, 5:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPMcKean, Warren67 min
Sep 9, 6:01 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPMcKean29 min
Sep 9, 6:10 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPYork3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1999Every flash flood warning in 1999

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.