Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 78, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

July 4, 2003Fayette County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 4, 2003, 7:19 PM EDT for Fayette 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 counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Jul 4, 2003, 7:19 PM EDT (23:19 UTC)
Expired: Jul 4, 2003, 10:15 PM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area: Whole counties

County Fayette County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:20 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 221 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 61 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -142 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1310 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 11 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS51 KPBZ 042321
FFWPBZ
PAC051-050215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
719 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  FAYETTE COUNTY IN PENNSYLVANIA

* UNTIL 1015 PM EDT

* AT 719 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY   
  RAINFALL MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY.  THIS        
  RAINFALL WILL BE HEAVY ENOUGH TO CAUSE STREAMS AND CREEKS TO          
  OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...DUNBAR...EAST UNIONTOWN...
  FAIRCHANCE...HOPWOOD...LEITH-HATFIELD...NEW SALEM-BUFFINGTON...
  PERRYOPOLIS AND SOUTH CONNELLSVILLE...

<<CALL TO ACTION>>THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR 
VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH 
MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN 
RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

PLEASE REPORT HIGH WATER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING
TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772.

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS71 KPBZ 050112
FFSPBZ
PAC051-129-050215-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
910 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003


THE FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS THAT WERE IN EFFECT FOR WESTMORELAND AND 
FAYETTE COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA...HAVE BEEN CANCELED. THE HEAVY 
RAINS HAVE MOVED SOUTHEAST AND DIMINISHED.
$$

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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 4, 5:05 PM EDT, 2 hours 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 5:05 PM EDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
505 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

ZONE FORECAST UPDATED TO EXPAND FLOOD WATCH TO THE MASON-DIXON LINE
IN PENNSYLVANIA AND ALSO ADJOINING OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA COUNTIES
ON THE OHIO RIVER.

EAST-WEST BAND OF STORMS MOVING SOUTH AT 20 KNOTS...WILL MERGE WITH
NORTH-SOUTH BAND OF STORMS MOVING EAST OF 40 KNOTS. THIS MERGER WILL
ENHANCE HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. MERGER OF
THUNDERSTORMS CAN AFFECT THE PITTSBURGH AND WASHINGTON AREAS UNTIL
7-730 PM...AND THE GREENSBURG AND UNIONTOWN AREAS BETWEEN 630-830PM.
...GIORDANO

.PBZ...
MD...NONE.
OH...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM.
     FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM EXTREME EAST.
PA...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM.
     FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM..
WV...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM.
     FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM NORTHERN PANHANDLE.

LAG

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 4, 5:50 AM EDT, 13 hours 29 minutes before

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-031150-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
550 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND
GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT
ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...MAINLY
NORTH OF PITTSBURGH...AND IN NORTHERN PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL
OHIO FROM COSHOCTON TO CARROLLTON TO EAST PALESTINE.
THE GREATEST THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS
AND HEAVY RAIN. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AND SATURDAY
NIGHT...MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...AND FOR
ALL OF EAST CENTRAL OHIO...EXTREME NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT
COUNTY MARYLAND. AGAIN THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG
DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN.

ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE REGION AGAIN
TUESDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY FOR TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 4, 5:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
538 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0500 PM    WALHONDING                OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/03   COSHOCTON                      LARGE TREES DOWNREPORTED
                                          BY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

0519 PM    SALEM                     OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/03   COLUMBIANA                     TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

0515 PM    MALVERN                   OHIO   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/03   CARROLL                        TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Local storm report, Jul 4, 5:46 PM EDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
546 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0537 PM    HANOVERTON                OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/03   COLUMBIANA                     TREES DOWN IN HANOVERTON.
                                          PONDING OF WATER ON
                                          INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 30
                                          AND ROUTE 9. POWERLINES
                                          DOWN 1.5 MILES NORTH OF
                                          HANOVERTON ON ROUTE 9.

0537 PM    HANOVERTON                OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/03   COLUMBIANA                     TREES DOWN IN HANOVERTON.
                                          PONDING OF WATER AT
                                          INTERSECTION OF ROUTES 30
                                          AND 9. POWERLINES DOWN 1.5
                                          MILES NORTH OF HANOVERTON
                                          ON ROUTE 9 REPORTED BY
                                          SKYWARN SPOTTERS.

Local storm report, Jul 4, 6:01 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
601 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0545 PM    2 N CAMBRIDGE             OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/03   GUERNSEY                       LARGE TREE DOWN ON OLD
                                          21REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT

0546 PM    TAPPAN LAKE               OH   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/03   HARRISON                       LARGE TREE DOWN REPORTED
                                          BY LAW ENFORCEMENT

Local storm report, Jul 4, 6:15 PM EDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
615 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0604 PM    HOPEWELL                  PA   58 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/04/03   BEAVER                         SKYWARN SPOTTERS REPORTED
                                          NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS DOWN.

0606 PM    NEW BRIGHTON              PA    MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/04/03   BEAVER                         TREES DOWN ON ELMBROOK
                                          ROAD REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Jul 4, 6:28 PM EDT, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
628 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0622 PM    MORNING SIDE              PA   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/04/03   ALLEGHENY                      REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT

Local storm report, Jul 4, 7:19 PM EDT, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
719 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0700 PM    PITTSBURGH                PA   FLASH FLOODS
07/04/03   ALLEGHENY                      NUMEROUS ROADS UNDERPASSES
                                          AND SMALL STREAMS AND
                                          CREEKS FLOODED REPORTED BY
                                          LAW ENFORCEMENT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 4, 12:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Fayette	58 min
Jul 4, 1:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Greene	62 min
Jul 4, 1:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Mercer	63 min
Jul 4, 2:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Mercer	67 min
Jul 4, 3:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Butler	57 min
Jul 4, 3:33 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PBZ	Mercer	3 hr
Jul 4, 3:34 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Lawrence	56 min
Jul 4, 4:10 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PBZ	Lawrence	3 hr
Jul 4, 4:11 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Butler	64 min
Jul 4, 4:32 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PBZ	Butler	3 hr
Jul 4, 5:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Beaver	54 min
Jul 4, 5:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Allegheny	67 min
Jul 4, 6:07 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PBZ	Allegheny	3 hr
Jul 4, 6:17 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Washington	58 min
Jul 4, 6:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Westmoreland	63 min
Jul 4, 6:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Fayette	56 min
Jul 4, 7:12 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PBZ	Westmoreland	3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2003 Every flash flood 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.