Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 2, NWS State College, PA

March 29, 2009Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Mar 29, 2009, 4:21 PM EDT for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 39 min. 9 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
Mar 29, 2009, 4:21 PM EDT (20:21 UTC)
Expired
Mar 29, 2009, 5:00 PM EDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Lancaster County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 164 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:23 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
Mar 29, 4:30 PM EDTHAIL 0.883 W Manheim, PANICKEL SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND.
Mar 29, 4:35 PM EDTHAIL 0.754 N Manheim, PAPENNY SIZE HAIL
Mar 29, 4:35 PM EDTHAIL 13 W Manheim, PAONE INCH HAIL.
Mar 29, 4:40 PM EDTHAIL 1Lititz, PAQUARTER SIZE HAIL.
Mar 29, 4:40 PM EDTTORNADOLititz, PA*** 3 INJ *** AN EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT 440 PM NEAR LITITZ...AND LIFTED BETWEEN LITITZ AND EPHRATA AT 445 PM. WHILE THE TORNADO PATH LENGTH WAS 1.25 MILES...WIDESPREAD DOWNBURST WIND DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM CONTINUED WELL BEYOND THE
Mar 29, 4:45 PM EDTHAIL 0.882 Ne Akron, PANICKEL SIZE HAIL.
Mar 29, 4:50 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 N Ephrata, PAFIVE MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED ON MIDDLE CREEK ROAD. INJURIES REPORTED.
Mar 29, 4:51 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGDenver, PANUMEROUS ROOFS BLOWN OFF HOUSES IN DENVER.
Mar 29, 5:00 PM EDTHAIL 0.885 Nnw East Petersburg, PANICKEL SIZE HAIL WITH POWER OUTAGES.

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 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 165 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 12:00Z on 2009-03-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2009-03-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 246 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
491 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
79 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
246 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
225 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 KCTP 292021
TORCTP
PAC071-292100-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0002.090329T2021Z-090329T2100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
421 PM EDT SUN MAR 29 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 500 PM EDT

* AT 421 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR MOUNT
  JOY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  LANDISVILLE AROUND 430 PM EDT...
  MANHEIM AND EAST PETERSBURG AROUND 435 PM EDT...
  LITITZ AROUND 440 PM EDT...
  BRICKERVILLE AND ROTHSVILLE AROUND 445 PM EDT...
  EPHRATA AND AKRON AROUND 450 PM EDT...
  DENVER AND REAMSTOWN AROUND 455 PM EDT...

THIS WILL IMPACT THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 269
AND 290.

THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...STATE HIGHWAY
283...ROUTE 30...ROUTE 222...ROUTE 322...STATE ROAD 501.

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.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4002 7650 4012 7660 4025 7635 4025 7632
      4031 7617 4031 7615 4020 7600
TIME...MOT...LOC 2021Z 238DEG 32KT 4008 7651

$$

FORECASTER: LAMBERT/GARTNER
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS51 KCTP 292052
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
452 PM EDT SUN MAR 29 2009

PAC071-292100-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090329T2100Z/
LANCASTER PA-
452 PM EDT SUN MAR 29 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN
LANCASTER COUNTY...

AT 449 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED ABOUT 3 MILES TO THE 
NORTHWEST OF EPHRATA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THIS TORNADO WILL PASS NEAR OR JUST A FEW MILES NORTH OF DENVER 
BETWEEN 455 PM AND 5 PM. 

THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...STATE HIGHWAY 283...
ROUTE 30...ROUTE 222...ROUTE 322...STATE ROAD 501.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4002 7650 4012 7660 4025 7635 4025 7632
      4031 7617 4031 7615 4020 7600
TIME...MOT...LOC 2051Z 238DEG 32KT 4022 7620

$$

FORECASTER: LAMBERT/GARTNER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 29, 2:15 PM EDTWind AdvisoryCTPCambria, Somerset20 hr
Mar 29, 3:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPAdams, Lancaster, York42 min
Mar 29, 3:54 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPYork36 min
Mar 29, 4:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLancaster, Lebanon62 min
Mar 29, 4:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLancaster, York71 min
Mar 29, 4:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSchuylkill61 min
Mar 29, 5:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSchuylkill16 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes in 2009

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.