Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2010

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

May 31, 2010Mercer County, Venango County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 2010, 2:16 PM EDT for Mercer County, Venango County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 44 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 31, 2010, 2:16 PM EDT (18:16 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 2010, 3:00 PM EDT
In force
44 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Mercer County, PA, Venango County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:16 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

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 105 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 2010-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 240 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 2010-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 37 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
240 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-62 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1389 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
56 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 31, 10:36 AM EDT, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 10:36 AM EDT, 3 hours 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1036 AM EDT MON MAY 31 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL RETURN TO THE AREA TODAY AND CONTINUE
THROUGH TUESDAY. CONDITIONS SHOULD BRIEFLY DRY OUT ON WEDNESDAY
BEFORE ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ARRIVES LATE WEDNESDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING/...
RUC 500MB ANALYSIS INDICATES A WEAK RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE
DELMARVA PENINSULA NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. A
WEAK MID-LEVEL LOW IS LOCATED ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY ALONG
WITH A SHORT WAVE ADVECTING NORTHWARD ACROSS CENTRAL OHIO. WITH
THE LOW ADVECTING INTO THE AREA...THE MID-LEVEL FLOW HAS BECOME
MORE SOUTHERLY WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE ADVECTING INTO THE AREA. AT
THE SURFACE...A 1006 MB LOW IS ACROSS THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES
WITH A COLD FRONT EXTENDING SOUTHWEST FROM THE FEATURE ACROSS THE
MISSOURI VALLEY AND INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. A WARM FRONT EXTENDS
SOUTHEAST FROM THE LOW...WITH A FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING ACROSS
NEW ENGLAND. LOCALLY...SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY...A WARM AND MOIST
SOUTHERLY FLOW ACROSS THE AREA HAS ALLOWED FOR TDS IN THE MID 60S
TO ADVECT NORTHWARD INTO THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. SCATTERED
CONVECTION IS MOVING NORTHWARD ACROSS CENTRAL OHIO AHEAD OF THE
SHORT WAVE WITH MORE ISOLATED DEVELOPMENT IN EASTERN OHIO THUS
FAR.

THROUGH THIS EVENING...THE MID-LEVEL LOW WILL ADVECT EASTWARD ACROSS
TENNESSEE AND CONTINUE TO AID IN THE ADVECTION OF WARM AND MOIST AIR
IN THE 1000-500MB LAYER INTO THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. WITH MODERATE
ELEVATED INSTABILITY BY THE LATE AFTERNOON THIS WILL ALLOW FOR
ISOLATED CONVECTION TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE...BECOMING MORE
SCATTERED BY THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME
STRONG WITH SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS NOT OF THE QUESTION...WEAK WIND
SHEAR AND THE LACK OF A STRONG FORCING MECHANISM SHOULD MOSTLY
LIMIT THE SEVERE THREAT. WITH FCST PWAT VALUES NEAR 1.50 INCHES
AND SLIGHTLY HIGHER ACROSS EASTERN OHIO...LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL
IS POSSIBLE. HAVE GONE WITH LIKELY POPS THIS AFTERNOON WITH MOST
LOCATIONS SEEING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LITTLE CHANGE IN TEMP
FORECAST TODAY...AS BREAKS IN CLOUD COVERAGE SHOULD ALLOW HIGHS IN
THE LOWER TO MID 80S ACROSS THE AREA.

&&

.SHORT TERM /10 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
COLD FRONT WILL TRACK ACROSS OHIO INTO PENNSYLVANIA LATE TONIGHT.
INSTABILITY VALUES WILL REMAIN HIGH ENOUGH OVERNIGHT TO KEEP A
CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT
THAT ATMOSPHERE WILL STABILIZE DURING THE NIGHT. IN ADDITION, MAIN
UL WAVE IN THE TROUGH AXIS WILL ROTATE NORTHWARD OVER THE GREAT
LAKES. IN THE FORECAST DURING THAT TIME PERIOD. PRECIPITABLE
WATER VALUES REMAIN HIGH, BUT NOT SURE HOW MUCH CONVECTION WILL BE
SUSTAINABLE OVERNIGHT.

BY MID-MORNING ON TUESDAY...THE 1000-500MB LAYER WILL BECOME NEARLY
SATURATED AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...MAKING WARM-RAIN PROCESSES
MORE LIKELY AND INCREASING THE RISK FOR HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE
AREA. THE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA TUESDAY...WITH SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS DIMINISHING IN ITS WAKE. DRIER AIR WILL THEN
MOVE IN FOR TUESDAY NIGHT...ALTHOUGH CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE
INCREASE WEDNESDAY IN ADVANCE OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT TRACKING
ACROSS THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. HIGHS WILL DECREASE A FEW DEGREES
WITH TUESDAYS COLD FRONT...BUT REBOUND BACK INTO THE 80S ON
WEDNESDAY WITH PARTLY SUNNY SKIES.

&&

.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
MOST ENSEMBLE MODEL OUTPUT SHOWS DEVELOPMENT OF EASTERN CONUS TROUGH
BY NEXT WEEKEND.  HENCE FORECAST WILL PERSIST WITH PRECIP CHANCES
DEPENDENT ON LOW-CONFIDENCE TIMING OF TROUGH/FRONT PASSAGE AND
EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES CROSSING THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.  INITIALLY WARM
TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE TO NEAR, OR JUST UNDER SEASONAL AVERAGES
AS THE TROUGH DEVELOPS.

&&

.AVIATION /15Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
MID AND UPR LEVEL CLOUDS WILL INCREASE TODAY AS MOISTURE SURGES
NORTHEAST WITH A WARM FRONTAL PUSH OVER THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY.

RESTRICTIONS MAY BE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE INCREASES. RESTRICTIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO
TUESDAY AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION.

HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD RETURN VFR TO AREA AIRPORTS BY WEDNESDAY, BUT
ANOTHER LOW IS FORECAST TO INITIATE RESTRICTIONS IN SHOWERS
POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. HIGH
PRESSURE FRIDAY WILL PROVIDE VFR CONDITIONS.

&&

.EQUIPMENT...
THE WSR 88D AT PITTSBURGH...KPBZ...IS OPERATIONAL BUT IN DEGRADED
MODE DUE TO LOW POWER OUTPUT. ADDITIONAL PARTS ARE ON ORDER AND
MORE MAINTENANCE WILL BE COMPLETED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

ALTERNATE RADARS INCLUDE KRLX...KILN...KC LE...AND KCCX.

&&

.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...NONE.
OH...NONE.
PA...NONE.
WV...NONE.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 7:19 AM EDT, 6 hours 57 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
719 AM EDT MON MAY 31 2010

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-011130-
GARRETT-TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON-
JEFFERSON OH-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-MERCER-VENANGO-
FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY-
ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-WESTMORELAND-GREENE-FAYETTE-HANCOCK-
BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION-MONONGALIA-PRESTON-TUCKER-
719 AM EDT MON MAY 31 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST
CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST
PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 31, 1:29 PM EDT, 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
129 PM EDT MON MAY 31 2010

PAZ007>009-015-311815-
CLARION PA-FOREST PA-MERCER PA-VENANGO PA-
129 PM EDT MON MAY 31 2010

...THUNDERSTORMS...

THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
VENANGO...FOREST...CLARION AND MERCER...

AT 124 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN PITTSBURGH
INDICATED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
10 MILES WEST OF FREDONIA TO 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FRYBURG...OR ALONG
A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES NORTH OF HERMITAGE TO 4 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF FRYBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

STORMS ALONG THIS LINE WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL AT THE RATE OF
ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR...SMALL HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF
DIMES...AND POSSIBLY SOME WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  VAN...                KENNERDELL...         FREDONIA...
  STONEBORO...          FRYBURG...            POLK...
  SENECA...             SUGARCREEK...
  MAURICE K GODDARD STATE PARK...             OIL CITY...
  TIONESTA...           OIL CREEK STATE PARK...

MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH AND BE ALERT FOR
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS.

PLEASE REPORT HAIL...STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772.

LAT...LON 4163 7906 4126 7929 4123 8053 4149 8052
      4148 8014 4149 8013 4149 8001 4159 7990
      4161 7984

15
Special weather statement, May 31, 1:33 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
133 PM EDT MON MAY 31 2010

MDZ001-311830-
GARRETT MD-
133 PM EDT MON MAY 31 2010

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...

THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
GARRETT...

AT 124 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN PITTSBURGH
INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 5 MILES SOUTH OF BIG RUN STATE PARK...
MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  MOUNTAIN LAKE PARK... KITZMILLER...         GORMAN...
  DEEP CREEK LAKE STATE PARK...               MCHENRY...
  BIG RUN STATE PARK... BITTINGER...          ACCIDENT...
  MERRILL...            NEW GERMANY...        GRANTSVILLE...
  PINEY GROVE...

KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF THUNDERSTORMS
APPROACH. STORMS MAY REDEVELOP IN THE SAME LOCATIONS AND LEAD TO
MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.

PLEASE REPORT HAIL...STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS AS THEY
MAY BE WASHED OUT. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS MAY ALSO
RISE...THEREFORE SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.

&&

LAT...LON 3972 7895 3942 7912 3941 7914 3941 7916
      3939 7917 3934 7926 3930 7929 3929 7935
      3925 7939 3923 7944 3971 7932

WOODRUM
Local storm report, May 31, 1:43 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 31, 1:45 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 31, 2:06 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 31, 2:13 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 1:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZBeaver42 min
May 31, 1:29 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZForest, Mercer, Venango46 min
May 31, 1:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZAllegheny, Beaver, Butler27 min
May 31, 2:06 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZMercer54 min
May 31, 2:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZAllegheny52 min
May 31, 2:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZButler, Clarion, Mercer, Venango57 min
May 31, 2:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZForest, Venango53 min
May 31, 3:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WatchPBZAllegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Forest and 4 more12 hr
May 31, 3:21 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZForest54 min
May 31, 3:54 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZIndiana51 min
May 31, 4:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZForest43 min
May 31, 5:00 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZIndiana45 min
May 31, 5:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZIndiana, Jefferson50 min
May 31, 5:15 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZWestmoreland60 min
May 31, 5:21 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZAllegheny54 min
May 31, 6:19 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZBeaver56 min
May 31, 6:30 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZAllegheny60 min
May 31, 6:58 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZButler62 min
May 31, 6:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZButler61 min
May 31, 7:28 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZMercer62 min
May 31, 7:55 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPBZAllegheny3 hr
May 31, 9:22 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZHarrison53 min
May 31, 5:25 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZJefferson65 min
May 31, 5:37 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZBelmont53 min
May 31, 6:29 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZBelmont61 min
May 31, 12:37 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZHancock23 min
May 31, 3:37 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZPreston53 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2010Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2010

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.