Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2005

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 252, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

August 20, 2005Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 20, 2005, 6:31 PM EDT for Westmoreland 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 20, 2005, 6:31 PM EDT (22:31 UTC)
Expired
Aug 20, 2005, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Westmoreland County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:30 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 20, 6:50 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGPenn, PATREES DOWN.
Aug 20, 6:55 PM EDTHAIL 0.75Irwin, PA
Aug 20, 7:00 PM EDTHAIL 0.75Greensburg, PA
Aug 20, 7:02 PM EDTHAIL 1Irwin, PA

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

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 54 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2005-08-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2005-08-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 27 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
922 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
27 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
51 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 
WUUS51 KPBZ 202231
SVRPBZ
PAC129-202330-
/O.NEW.KPBZ.SV.W.0252.050820T2231Z-050820T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
631 PM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WESTMORELAND COUNTY IN PENNSYLVANIA

* UNTIL 730 PM EDT

* AT 626 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 58 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES
  WEST OF MURRYSVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WEST NEWTON...
  IRWIN...
  HARRISON CITY...
  JEANNETTE...
  DELMONT...
  NEW STANTON...
  RUFFS DALE...

<<CALL TO ACTION>>SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 58
MILES AN HOUR AND LARGE HAIL GREATER THAN THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH.

PLEASE REPORT HAIL...STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE. 1-877-633-6772. WHEN YOU CAN DO
SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 4013 7918 4004 7930 4014 7948 4008 7966
      4012 7969 4015 7990 4023 7979 4030 7980
      4046 7970 4053 7970 4055 7977 4059 7977
      4068 7967 4044 7939 4045 7931 4041 7926
      4040 7913 4036 7912 4042 7904 4039 7898

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS51 KPBZ 202300
SVSPBZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
701 PM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005

PAC129-202330-
/O.CON.KPBZ.SV.W.0252.000000T0000Z-050820T2330Z/
WESTMORELAND PA-
701 PM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005


...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT
FOR WESTMORELAND COUNTY...


AT 656 PM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 58 MPH.  THIS STORM
WAS LOCATED NEAR DELMONT...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MANITTO HAVEN...
  LYCIPPUS...
  NEW ALEXANDRIA...
  BEATTY...
  PALMERS...
  WHITNEY...
  LLOYDSVILLE...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.

DANGEROUS AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH
THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM HIGHER LOCATIONS SUCH AS
HILLS. STAY AWAY FROM TREES. MOVE INDOORS OR GET IN A HARD-TOPPED
CAR. IF INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. AVOID USING ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY.

LAT...LON 4024 7926 4021 7935 4019 7948 4018 7961
      4018 7969 4024 7967 4028 7968 4035 7967
      4045 7965 4050 7966 4051 7963 4055 7966
      4060 7960 4044 7939 4045 7931 4041 7926
      4040 7913 4036 7912 4037 7906 4039 7898

$$
000 
WWUS51 KPBZ 202313
SVSPBZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
711 PM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005

PAC129-202330-
/O.CON.KPBZ.SV.W.0252.000000T0000Z-050820T2330Z/
WESTMORELAND PA-
711 PM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005


...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT
FOR WESTMORELAND COUNTY...


AT 706 PM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.  THIS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SWEDE HILL...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CONGRUITY...
  HANNASTOWN...
  MUTUAL...
  GREENSBURG...
  LATROBE...
  DENISON...
  NORVELT...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL AND
DESTRUCTIVE WINDS. IF YOU ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THE STORM...TAKE COVER
IN A STURDY STRUCTURE.

LAT...LON 4026 7929 4023 7937 4023 7948 4024 7956
      4024 7961 4026 7962 4029 7964 4033 7962
      4040 7959 4042 7957 4043 7950 4043 7945
      4042 7941 4041 7937 4041 7931 4041 7927
      4039 7921 4037 7920 4036 7918 4032 7920

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 19, 8:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZClarion20 min
Aug 19, 8:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZJefferson59 min
Aug 20, 2:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZLawrence51 min
Aug 20, 3:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBeaver, Butler67 min
Aug 20, 3:19 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZBeaver, Butler41 min
Aug 20, 3:53 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZAllegheny52 min
Aug 20, 5:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBeaver58 min
Aug 20, 5:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZAllegheny, Butler62 min
Aug 20, 6:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZWashington57 min
Aug 20, 6:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZAllegheny32 min
Aug 20, 7:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZWashington29 min
Aug 20, 7:04 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZAllegheny116 min
Aug 20, 7:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZFayette, Westmoreland66 min
Aug 20, 7:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZWashington18 min
Aug 20, 7:45 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZWestmoreland2 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2005Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.