Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2005

Tornado Warning 9, NWS State College, PA

August 31, 2005Adams County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Aug 31, 2005, 12:16 AM EDT for Adams County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 59 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Aug 31, 2005, 12:16 AM EDT (04:16 UTC)
Expired
Aug 31, 2005, 1:15 AM EDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Adams County, PA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:17 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 31, 12:25 AM EDTTSTM WND DMGFairfield, PAHORSE TRAILER OVERTURNED.
Aug 31, 12:56 AM EDTTSTM WND DMG5 Ne Gettysburg, PANUMEROUS TREES DOWN AND SHED DAMAGED AT HUNTERSTOWN.
Aug 31, 12:56 AM EDTTSTM WND DMG5 Ne Gettysburg, PAPSBL TORNADO. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AROUND HUNTERSTOWN. NUMEROUS TREES DOWN. 3 BARNS DESTROYED ON MILLAN ROAD. ANOTHER BARN DESTROYED ON HUNTERSTOWN ROAD. SEVERAL POLES SNAPPED OFF AND TREES TWISTED.
Aug 31, 12:56 AM EDTTSTM WND DMG5 Ne Gettysburg, PANUMEROUS TREES DOWN.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 109 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 00:00Z on 2005-08-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1575 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 2005-08-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 129 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1575 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
666 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
129 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
273 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.5
Supercell composite
12.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS51 KCTP 310416
TORCTP
PAC001-310515-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0009.050831T0416Z-050831T0515Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1216 AM EDT WED AUG 31 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  ADAMS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

* UNTIL 115 AM EDT

* AT 1212 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION NEAR CARROLL VALLEY...OR 9
  MILES SOUTHWEST OF GETTYSBURG...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. WHEN A
  TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS THAT
  STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
  ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  GETTYSBURG AROUND 1225 AM EDT...
  CASHTOWN AND SEVEN STARS AROUND 1230 AM EDT...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

PLEASE REPORT HAIL...STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1 8 7 7 6 3 3 6 7 7 2.

LAT...LON 3988 7743 4000 7740 4003 7719 4007 7714
      4006 7711 4004 7708 3972 7724 3972 7746
      3983 7746

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS51 KCTP 310451
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1249 AM EDT WED AUG 31 2005

PAC001-310515-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-050831T0515Z/
ADAMS-
1249 AM EDT WED AUG 31 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 AM EDT FOR ADAMS
COUNTY...

AT 1248 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR HEIDLERSBURG...OR 9 
MILES NORTHEAST OF GETTYSBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  YORK SPRINGS AROUND 1255 AM EDT...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

PLEASE REPORT HAIL...STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1 8 7 7 6 3 3 6 7 7 2.

LAT...LON 3998 7721 4005 7715 4008 7707 4006 7711
      4007 7699 3987 7707 3990 7729

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 31, 12:11 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPAdams64 min
Aug 31, 1:02 AM EDTTornado WarningCTPYork43 min
Aug 31, 1:13 AM EDTTornado WarningCTPCumberland47 min
Aug 31, 1:52 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPDauphin38 min
Aug 31, 2:24 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPElk51 min
Aug 31, 2:39 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPNorthumberland51 min
Aug 31, 2:58 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPMcKean47 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2005Every tornado warning in 2005Tornadoes in 2005

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.