Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

June 8, 2008Venango County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this tornado warning at Jun 8, 2008, 9:02 PM EDT for Venango County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 28 min. 1 report 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
Jun 8, 2008, 9:02 PM EDT (01:02 UTC)
Expired
Jun 8, 2008, 9:30 PM EDT
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Venango County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:02 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
Jun 8, 9:06 PM EDTTORNADOSugarcreek, PAA WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD APPROACHING THE GROUND.

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 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 112 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 00:00Z on 2008-06-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1205 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 2008-06-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 123 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
1205 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1587 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
194 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 
WFUS51 KPBZ 090102
TORPBZ
PAC121-090130-
/O.NEW.KPBZ.TO.W.0002.080609T0102Z-080609T0130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
902 PM EDT SUN JUN 8 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  VENANGO COUNTY IN NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 930 PM EDT

* AT 858 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD  NEAR SUGARCREEK...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
35 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  KENNERDELL...OIL CITY...SENECA AND VAN

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 SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE. 1-877-633-6772. WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 4156 7973 4153 7957 4138 7953 4132 7964
      4121 7969 4119 7973 4122 7991 4132 7999
      4148 7988
TIME...MOT...LOC 0102Z 297DEG 30KT 4135 7980

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS51 KPBZ 090133
SVSPBZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
933 PM EDT SUN JUN 8 2008

PAC121-090143-
/O.EXP.KPBZ.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080609T0130Z/
VENANGO PA-
933 PM EDT SUN JUN 8 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR VENANGO COUNTY EXPIRES AT 930 PM EDT...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCED STRONG WINDS AND FUNNEL
CLOUDS HAVE EXITED THE AREA...THUS THE TORNADO WARNING EXPIRED
AT 930 PM.

LAT...LON 4156 7973 4153 7957 4138 7953 4132 7964
      4121 7969 4119 7973 4122 7991 4132 7999
      4148 7988
TIME...MOT...LOC 0102Z 297DEG 30KT 4135 7980

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 8, 8:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZMercer43 min
Jun 8, 8:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZVenango48 min
Jun 8, 9:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZClarion, Forest40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes in 2008

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.