Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 57, NWS State College, PA

May 18, 2000McKean County, Potter County, Warren County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 2000, 2:42 PM EDT for McKean County, Potter County, Warren County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 63 min. 3 reports came from 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, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 2000, 2:42 PM EDT (18:42 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2000, 3:45 PM EDT
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties McKean County, PA, Potter County, PA, Warren County, PA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 18, 3:20 PM EDTThunderstorm WindLewis Run, PATrees down.
May 18, 3:30 PM EDTThunderstorm WindRoulette, PATrees down in Roulette and Austin.
May 18, 3:51 PM EDTThunderstorm WindRoulette, PATrees 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 nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 127 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2000-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 239 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2000-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 273 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
239 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-78 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1133 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
273 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
349 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS51 KCTP 181844
SVRCTP
PAC083-105-123-181945-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
242 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2000

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  MCKEAN COUNTY.
  POTTER COUNTY.
  EASTERN WARREN COUNTY.

* UNTIL 345 PM EDT.

* AT 232 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER WARREN...OR ABOUT 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF
  CLARENDON...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  LEWIS RUN AT 300 PM EDT.
  MOUNT JEWETT AT 305 PM EDT.
  SMETHPORT AT 315 PM EDT.
  PORT ALLEGANY AT 325 PM ED.T.
  AUSTIN AT 340 PM EDT.

WIND DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE CITY OF WARREN WITH THIS STORM.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. STAY INDOORS AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

.END/RXR

LAT...LON 4190 7909 4173 7912 4157 7788 4184 7784

&

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 18, 10:00 AM EDT, 4 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 18, 10:00 AM EDT, 4 hours 42 minutes before
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1000 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2000

LINE OF TSRA DEVELOPED OVR SUSQ VAL OUT OF LINE OF ACCAS THAT MOVED
ACRS AOO TO UNV EARLIER THIS AM. KCCX IS SPITTING OUT SOME HAIL
ALERTS BUT WITH VILS AROUND 20. SO WE ARE NOT TOO CONCERNED ATTM AND
TSRA WILL BE OUT OF OUR CWA WITHIN THE HOUR.

VISIBLE SAT LOOP THIS AM SHOWS MTN WAVE CLDS WITH STRONG LO LVL
WINDS COMING OVR THE MTNS TOPS. DESPITE STRONG WINDS THIS AM...ETA
AND NGM ALL SHOW 85H WINDS DIMINISHING TO 30 TO 35KTS THIS AFTN AND
EVE. 50H WIND TOPPING 50KTS THIS AFTN AND WITH DEWPTS IN THE 60S I
AGREE WITH SPC EXPANDING THE SVR WX OUTLOOK INTO OUR W COUNTIES.
THERE IS LIKELY TO BE A GREAT DEAL OF SHEAR VORT ACROSS PA BY 06Z
FRI...WITH 35KT WINDS AT 85H ALG OUR S BORDER AND LESS THAN 10KTS
ACROSS THE N. THE SFC FRONT WILL BE SETTLING INTO THE AREA BETWEEN
THE TPK AND I-80 DURG THAT TIME AS WELL...SO A FOCUSING MECHANISM
WILL BE AVAILABLE.

MODELS STILL DIVERGENT ON FRI AND SAT BUT LATEST AVN NOW SHOWING
ANOTHER ROUND OF JUICE HEADED THIS WAY FOR SAT NITE.

.CTP...NONE.

HEAD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 18, 11:00 AM EDT, 3 hours 42 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-180100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1100 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2000

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN PARTS OF CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN AN UNSTABLE AIR MASS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE
EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS. MORE ORGANIZED STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA THIS
EVENING...THEN TRACK SOUTHEAST TO THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER VALLEY
BY LATE TONIGHT. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH
LOCALIZED WIND GUSTS PAST 50 MPH OR LARGE HAIL.

OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA ON FRIDAY...HOWEVER THE RISK OF STRONG WINDS OR HAIL
WILL DECREASE BY FRIDAY MORNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS COULD DEVELOP LATE
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE.

SKYWARN SPOTTER NETWORKS MAY NEED TO BE ACTIVATED LATE THIS EVENING.

.END/DEVOIR/HEAD
Special weather statement, May 18, 11:00 AM EDT, 3 hours 42 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-182100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED EXPIRATION TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1100 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2000

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN PARTS OF CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN AN UNSTABLE AIR MASS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE
EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD
OF A COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...THEN TRACK SOUTHEAST TO THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER
VALLEY BY LATE TONIGHT. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME
SEVERE...WITH LOCALIZED WIND GUSTS GREATER THAN 50 MPH AND LARGE
HAIL.

OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA ON FRIDAY...HOWEVER THE RISK OF STRONG WINDS OR HAIL
WILL DECREASE BY FRIDAY MORNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS COULD DEVELOP LATE
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE.

SKYWARN SPOTTER NETWORKS MAY NEED TO BE ACTIVATED LATE THIS EVENING.

.END/ HEAD
Special weather statement, May 18, 1:31 PM EDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-182100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED EXPIRATION TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1100 AM EDT THU MAY 18 2000

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN PARTS OF CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN AN UNSTABLE AIR MASS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE
EXPECTED FROM THESE STORMS. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD
OF A COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...THEN TRACK SOUTHEAST TO THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER
VALLEY BY LATE TONIGHT. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME
SEVERE...WITH LOCALIZED WIND GUSTS GREATER THAN 50 MPH AND LARGE
HAIL.

OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA ON FRIDAY...HOWEVER THE RISK OF STRONG WINDS OR HAIL
WILL DECREASE BY FRIDAY MORNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS COULD DEVELOP LATE
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE.

SKYWARN SPOTTER NETWORKS MAY NEED TO BE ACTIVATED LATE THIS EVENING.

.END/ HEAD

e

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 3:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCameron, Elk44 min
May 18, 3:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPTioga41 min
May 18, 3:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPClinton, Lycoming71 min
May 18, 3:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCameron, Elk50 min
May 18, 3:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPPotter, Tioga47 min
May 18, 3:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSullivan69 min
May 18, 4:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPClinton, Lycoming45 min
May 18, 4:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPColumbia, Montour, Northumberland60 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2000Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2000

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.