Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 17, NWS State College, PA

May 17, 2011Franklin County, Fulton County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2011, 8:45 PM EDT for Franklin County, Fulton County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 45 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, 8:45 PM EDT (00:45 UTC)
Expired: May 17, 2011, 9:30 PM EDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS State College, PA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Franklin County, PA, Fulton County, PA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:46 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, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 117 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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.

835 
WFUS51 KCTP 180045
TORCTP
PAC055-057-180130-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0017.110518T0045Z-110518T0130Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 930 PM EDT

* AT 843 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS NEAR MERCERSBURG...MOVING   
  NORTHWEST AT 20 MPH. A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND AS THIS 
  STORM WAS IN MARYLAND.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  FORT LOUDON AROUND 900 PM EDT...
  MCCONNELLSBURG AROUND 910 PM EDT...

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.

THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...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 3996 7813 4001 7786 3981 7786 3977 7792
TIME...MOT...LOC 0044Z 144DEG 19KT 3981 7791

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

2 follow-up statements

285 
WWUS51 KCTP 180104
SVSCTP

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

PAC055-180114-
/O.CAN.KCTP.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-110518T0130Z/
FRANKLIN PA-
904 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL FRANKLIN COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE TORNADO WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE
AREA...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 3996 7813 4000 7795 3999 7794 3987 7797
      3984 7799
TIME...MOT...LOC 0104Z 144DEG 19KT 3990 7799

$$

PAC057-180130-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-110518T0130Z/
FULTON PA-
904 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL FULTON COUNTY...

AT 903 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH ROTATION THAT MAY BE PRODUCING A TORNADO. 
THIS STORM THAT MAY BE PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR 
MCCONNELLSBURG...OR 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BREEZEWOOD...MOVING 
NORTHWEST AT 20 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
MCCONNELLSBURG AROUND 910 PM EDT...
HARRISSONVILLE AROUND 920 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3996 7813 4000 7795 3999 7794 3987 7797
      3984 7799
TIME...MOT...LOC 0104Z 144DEG 19KT 3990 7799

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

983 
WWUS51 KCTP 180128
SVSCTP

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

PAC057-180138-
/O.EXP.KCTP.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-110518T0130Z/
FULTON PA-
928 PM EDT TUE MAY 17 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL FULTON COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
930 PM EDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE TORNADO WARNING HAS MOVED TO THE NORTH 
AND WEST OF THE AREA. THE TORNADO WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3996 7813 4000 7795 3999 7794 3987 7797
      3984 7799
TIME...MOT...LOC 0128Z 144DEG 19KT 4000 7809

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 17, 8:17 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CTP	Franklin, Fulton	28 min
May 17, 9:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Bedford	30 min
May 18, 2:25 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Somerset	3 hr
May 18, 5:13 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Bedford, Somerset	3 hr
May 18, 11:51 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Bedford	24 min
May 18, 12:00 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Fulton	30 min
May 18, 12:14 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Somerset	31 min
May 18, 2:51 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	York	54 min
May 18, 3:11 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	York	49 min
May 18, 4:00 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Bedford, Somerset	3 hr
May 18, 4:11 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CTP	Somerset	3 hr
May 18, 4:20 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Cumberland, Dauphin, York	3 hr
May 18, 4:23 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Juniata, Perry	67 min
May 18, 4:31 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CTP	Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Perry, York	4 hr
May 18, 4:47 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Dauphin	43 min
May 18, 5:11 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Franklin	64 min
May 18, 5:20 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Centre, Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder, Union	3 hr
May 18, 5:52 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CTP	Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Juniata, Mifflin, Snyder and 1 more	3 hr
May 18, 6:31 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CTP	Dauphin, Northumberland, Snyder	3 hr
May 18, 6:32 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Dauphin, Snyder, Union	43 min
May 18, 6:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Centre, Clinton, Lycoming, Snyder, Union	38 min
May 18, 7:47 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, McKean, Potter and 1 more	3 hr
May 18, 7:57 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Centre, Clinton, Lycoming, Snyder, Union	3 hr

Nearby

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