Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 2, NWS State College, PA

April 16, 2011Adams County, York County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Apr 16, 2011, 8:05 PM EDT for Adams County, York County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 25 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
Apr 16, 2011, 8:05 PM EDT (00:05 UTC)
Expired
Apr 16, 2011, 8:30 PM EDT
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Adams County, PA, York County, PA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:06 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
Apr 16, 8:20 PM EDTTORNADO1 Nw Holly Heights, PA*** 2 INJ *** EF0. PATH BEGIN 39.967703 -76.779524...PATH END 39.970876 -76.771306

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 16, 4:41 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 106 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 2011-04-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 132 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 2011-04-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 574 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
132 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
547 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
77 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
574 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
593 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

272 
WFUS51 KCTP 170005
TORCTP
PAC001-133-170030-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0002.110417T0005Z-110417T0030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
805 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN ADAMS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
  WESTERN YORK COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 830 PM EDT

* AT 802 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS NEAR MCSHERRYSTOWN AND HANOVER
  AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SPRING GROVE...
  THOMASVILLE...
  JACOBUS...

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 I-83 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 8.

THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 30...STATE
ROAD 94.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

TORNADOES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AND CONFIRM AT NIGHT. IF YOU WAIT TO
SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

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 3983 7707 4005 7681 3972 7662 3972 7700
TIME...MOT...LOC 0005Z 245DEG 25KT 3981 7698

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO
1 follow-up statement
137 
WWUS51 KCTP 170016
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
816 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

PAC001-170025-
/O.CAN.KCTP.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110417T0030Z/
ADAMS PA-
816 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN ADAMS COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM HAS MOVED TO THE EAST...THEREFORE THE TORNADO 
WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

LAT...LON 3972 7691 3990 7695 4005 7681 3972 7662
TIME...MOT...LOC 0015Z 242DEG 33KT 3986 7683

$$

PAC133-170030-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110417T0030Z/
YORK PA-
816 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM EDT FOR WESTERN
YORK COUNTY...

AT 811 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THE 
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SPRING GROVE...OR 6 MILES EAST OF 
HANOVER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  NEW SALEM...
  JACOBUS...
  GLEN ROCK...

THIS WILL IMPACT ROUTE 30 FROM THOMASVILLE TO JUST WEST OF YORK CITY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3972 7691 3990 7695 4005 7681 3972 7662
TIME...MOT...LOC 0015Z 242DEG 33KT 3986 7683

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 16, 8:02 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPColumbia, Lebanon, Schuylkill58 min
Apr 16, 8:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPDauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York65 min
Apr 16, 8:29 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPLancaster, York31 min
Apr 16, 8:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSchuylkill44 min
Apr 16, 9:40 PM EDTWind AdvisoryCTPAdams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre and 27 more22 hr
Apr 16, 10:02 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPBlair, Huntingdon12 hr
Apr 16, 10:02 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPBlair, Huntingdon3 hr
Apr 16, 10:02 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Lebanon, Schuylkill28 hr
Apr 16, 10:02 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Lebanon33 hr
Apr 16, 10:13 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPAdams2 hr
Apr 17, 12:24 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPDauphin38 hr
Apr 17, 12:28 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPLancaster, York19 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.