Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 16, NWS State College, PA

May 17, 2011Franklin County, Fulton County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2011, 8:17 PM EDT for Franklin County, Fulton County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 28 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 2011, 8:17 PM EDT (00:17 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2011, 8:45 PM EDT
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Franklin County, PA, Fulton County, PA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 105 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:18 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

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 110 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 2011-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 503 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 2011-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 127 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
503 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
868 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
127 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
159 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

532 
WFUS51 KCTP 180017
TORCTP
PAC055-057-180045-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0016.110518T0017Z-110518T0045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
817 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
  EAST CENTRAL FULTON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 845 PM EDT

* AT 815 PM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE TORNADO WAS NEAR WARRENTON...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 25
  MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  GREENCASTLE AROUND 825 PM EDT...
  CLAYLICK AROUND 835 PM EDT...
  MERCERSBURG AROUND 840 PM EDT...
  FORT LOUDON AND MCCONNELLSBURG AROUND 845 PM EDT...

THIS WILL IMPACT I-81 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 6.

THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 11...ROUTE
30...ROUTE 522.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER INSIDE NOW. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO. MOVE
TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF A STURDY BUILDING. PUT AS
MANY WALLS BETWEEN YOU AND THE OUTSIDE AS YOU CAN. AVOID WINDOWS.
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3990 7811 4002 7786 3972 7764 3972 7793
TIME...MOT...LOC 0017Z 148DEG 21KT 3972 7778

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO
1 follow-up statement
193 
WWUS51 KCTP 180032
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
832 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2011

PAC055-057-180045-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0016.000000T0000Z-110518T0045Z/
FRANKLIN PA-FULTON PA-
832 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL FULTON AND SOUTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES...

LAW ENFORCEMENT IN NORTHERN MARYLAND REPORTED A TORNADO MOVING INTO 
PENNSYLVANIA AT 817 PM. THE TORNADO WOULD CURRENTLY BE LOCATED NEAR 
CLAYLICK...OR 5 MILES SOUTH OF MERCERSBURG...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 25 
MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
MERCERSBURG AROUND 840 PM EDT...
FORT LOUDON AND MCCONNELLSBURG AROUND 845 PM EDT...

THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 30...ROUTE 522.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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
STURDY 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 3990 7811 4002 7786 3972 7778 3972 7793
TIME...MOT...LOC 0031Z 145DEG 22KT 3979 7786

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 8:45 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPFranklin, Fulton45 min
May 17, 9:30 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPBedford30 min
May 18, 2:25 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPSomerset3 hr
May 18, 5:13 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPBedford, Somerset3 hr
May 18, 11:51 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPBedford24 min
May 18, 12:00 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPFulton30 min
May 18, 12:14 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPSomerset31 min
May 18, 2:51 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPYork54 min
May 18, 3:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPYork49 min
May 18, 4:00 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPBedford, Somerset3 hr
May 18, 4:11 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPSomerset3 hr
May 18, 4:20 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPCumberland, Dauphin, York3 hr
May 18, 4:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPJuniata, Perry67 min
May 18, 4:31 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPAdams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Perry, York4 hr
May 18, 4:47 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPDauphin43 min
May 18, 5:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPFranklin64 min
May 18, 5:20 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPCentre, Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder, Union3 hr
May 18, 5:52 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPCentre, Clearfield, Clinton, Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder and 1 more3 hr
May 18, 6:31 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Northumberland, Snyder3 hr
May 18, 6:32 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPDauphin, Snyder, Union43 min
May 18, 6:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCentre, Clinton, Lycoming, Snyder, Union38 min
May 18, 7:47 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPCameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, McKean, Potter and 1 more3 hr
May 18, 7:57 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPCentre, Clinton, Lycoming, Snyder, Union3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes in 2011

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.