Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 21, 2003, 5:05 PM EDT for Columbia County, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 70 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 21, 2003, 5:05 PM EDT (21:05 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 21, 2003, 6:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 70 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Columbia County, PA, Sullivan County, PA
The radar
The Binghamton radar (KBGM), 114 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:04 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.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.
Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 1:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD (KAPG), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 202 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
- 1296 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -11 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 611 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 22 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 117 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 162 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WUUS51 KCTP 212105
SVRCTP
PAC037-113-212215-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
505 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
COLUMBIA COUNTY IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
SULLIVAN COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
* UNTIL 615 PM EDT.
* AT 505 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 5 MILES WEST OF SHUNK TO 14 MILES
WEST OF JERSEYTOWN...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
LINCOLN FALLS AND KETTLE CREEK GORGE AROUND 510 PM.
MUNCY VALLEY AND JERSEYTOWN AROUND 520 PM.
CENTRAL AROUND 540 PM.
RICKETTS GLEN STATE PARK AROUND 545 PM.
THE MAIN THREAT FROM THIS STORM IS A DAMAGING WIND GUST. EXPECT GUSTS
TO EXCEED 60 MPH. THESE WINDS CAN EASILY KNOCK DOWN TREES AND POWER
LINES...AND CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE. LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THE
SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER...AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR
NO ADVANCED WARNING.
LAT...LON 4100 7658 4111 7663 4128 7649 4130 7661
4142 7676 4159 7682 4156 7622 4125 7633
4108 7621
$$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 Jul 21, 4:10 PM EDT, 55 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 4:10 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA...CORRECTION 410 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003 WIDESPREAD SEVERE EVENT UNFOLDING...SO WL BE BRIEF. CURRENT POWERFUL MCV ACROSS NW MTNS HEADING ENE...WITH LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ATTACHED TO FEATURE AT SOUTHERN EDGE. STRONG MID LEVEL WINDS MIXING RIGHT DOWN TO SFC IN WAKE OF THIS LINE...AND JUST SW OF MCV CORE. HAD SEVERAL OBS OF 50+ MPH WINDS. THIS FEATURE WL CONTINUE MOVING ENE ACROSS N CENTRAL AREA THROUGH THIS EVE. SUBSIDENCE BEHIND FEATURE WL LIMIT ADDITIONAL CONVECTION EARLY THIS EVE ACROSS NW...BUT ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY SHOULD REFIRE LATER TNT. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY ALSO SHOULD REFIRE LATER TONIGHT ACROSS SW AND CENTRAL ZONES. WL INCLUDE LIKELIES MOST AREAS...EXCEPT CAT CENTRAL. MORE SCATTERED ACTIVITY ACROSS FAR SE. FOR TUE-THU...ASSOCIATED DYNAMICS LIMITED...BUT INSTAB AND LINGERING FRONT SHOULD PROVIDE SCTD ACTIVITY. SFC WAVE DEVELOPS TO OUR SSW TUE NT...SPREADING MORE RAIN ACROSS AREA LATE TUE NT INTO WED. LOOKS COOL AND WET FOR WED...WITH POTENTIAL FOR HVY RAIN IN AT LEAST PORTION OF AREA. SHOWERS SHOULD LINGER WITH DECAYING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THU. THU NT AND BEYOND...WARMER AND DRIER FOR THU-SAT...THEN MORE RW/TRW FOR SUN-MON...ESP ACROSS NORTHWEST AND N-CENTRAL. ALSO...WL KEEP FFA THROUGH EARLY TUE AM IN CASE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY REFIRES...ESP GIVEN TDYS HVY RAINFALL. .CTP... PA...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM EDT ALL COUNTIES EXCEPT ADAMS...LANCASTER...YORK. ...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUES AM FOR NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS. KL
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 21, 4:44 AM EDT, 12 hours 21 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-211045- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 444 AM EDT MON JUL 21 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL SPARK SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME LOCALLY SEVERE. IN ADDITION...FLOODING RAINS MAY OCCUR WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE WATCH AREA MAY NEED TO BE EXPANDED AS THE RAIN DEVELOPS AND MOVES SOUTHEAST INTO THE REGION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO MID WEEK...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF HEAVY FLOODING RAINS OCCURRING IN SOME AREAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 21, 1:45 PM EDT, 3 hours 20 minutes before
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063-220000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 145 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA... BEDFORD...BLAIR...CAMBRIA...CAMERON...CLEARFIELD...COLUMBIA... CUMBERLAND...DAUPHIN...ELK...FRANKLIN...FULTON...HUNTINGDON... JUNIATA...LEBANON...MCKEAN...MIFFLIN...MONTOUR...NORTHERN CENTRE... NORTHERN CLINTON...NORTHERN LYCOMING...NORTHUMBERLAND...PERRY... POTTER...SCHUYLKILL...SNYDER...SOMERSET...SOUTHERN CENTRE...SOUTHERN CLINTON...SOUTHERN LYCOMING...SULLIVAN...TIOGA...UNION AND WARREN. A COLD FRONT...JUST NORTH OF LAKE ERIE...WILL SLOWLY PUSH SOUTHWARD TOWARD PENNSYLVANIA LATE TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN THE WARM AND HUMID AIRMASS AHEAD OF THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STORMS THAT FORM LATER TODAY. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT... WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/ER/CTP
Special weather statement, Jul 21, 3:24 PM EDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
PAZ018-019-024>028-033>036-056-063-212030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 324 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003 ...STRONG WINDS...SOME ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOMERSET...FRANKLIN...CUMBERLAND...BEDFORD...PERRY...JUNIATA... HUNTINGDON...BLAIR...MIFFLIN...FULTON...CAMBRIA AND CENTRE COUNTIES... THIS AFTERNOON STRONG WINDS WERE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA CAUSING SOME TREES TO FALL. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORM. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...BE PREPARED FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WIND SPEEDS. SECURE OUTDOOR ITEMS THAT CAN BE BLOWN AWAY. ONDREJIK
Local storm report, Jul 21, 3:50 PM EDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE, PA
350 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0255 PM TROUTVILLE PA POSSIBLE FUNNEL
07/21/03 CLEARFIELD
0312 PM CURWENSVILLE PA WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03 CLEARFIELD TREES DOWN
0330 PM ST MARYS PA WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03 ELK TREES AND WIRES DOWN
THROUGHOUT THE TOWN
RH/VCLocal storm report, Jul 21, 4:25 PM EDT, 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE, PA
425 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0345 PM KANE PA WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03 MCKEAN STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE
CAUSING SEVERAL TREES,
LIMBS, AND WIRES
DOWN.REPORTED BY SPOTTERS
0345 PM GREENCASTLE PA WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03 FRANKLIN TREES AND WIRES DOWN
0345 PM PETERSBURG PA WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03 NUMEROUS POWER LINES DOWN
RHThe office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Warren | 61 min |
| Jul 21, 2:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Elk, McKean | 79 min |
| Jul 21, 3:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cameron | 65 min |
| Jul 21, 3:18 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clearfield | 57 min |
| Jul 21, 3:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Potter | 81 min |
| Jul 21, 3:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Centre, Huntingdon | 59 min |
| Jul 21, 3:51 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CTP | Potter | 24 min |
| Jul 21, 3:55 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clinton | 65 min |
| Jul 21, 3:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Tioga | 62 min |
| Jul 21, 4:00 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Adams | 45 min |
| Jul 21, 4:04 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Mifflin | 41 min |
| Jul 21, 4:12 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lycoming | 93 min |
| Jul 21, 4:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Juniata, Snyder, Union | 84 min |
| Jul 21, 4:34 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CTP | Clinton, Lycoming | 26 min |
| Jul 21, 4:51 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Centre | 39 min |
| Jul 21, 4:59 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Montour, Northumberland | 61 min |
| Jul 21, 5:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Perry | 49 min |
| Jul 21, 5:17 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CTP | Lycoming | 28 min |
| Jul 21, 5:47 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Dauphin, Schuylkill | 73 min |
| Jul 21, 6:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Adams | 49 min |
| Jul 21, 7:03 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Adams, York | 57 min |
| Jul 21, 7:32 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Schuylkill | 43 min |
| Jul 21, 7:35 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lancaster | 55 min |
| Jul 21, 7:45 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Franklin | 30 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.