Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 36, NWS State College, PA

June 12, 2011Lancaster County, York County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Jun 12, 2011, 3:16 PM EDT for Lancaster County, York County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 44 min. 6 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
Jun 12, 2011, 3:16 PM EDT (19:16 UTC)
Expired
Jun 12, 2011, 4:00 PM EDT
In force
44 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Lancaster County, PA, York County, PA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 139 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:18 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 12, 3:20 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Nnw Red Lion, PATREES DOWN. TREE ON HOUSE IN WINDSOR TOWNSHIP
Jun 12, 3:25 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGRed Lion, PATREES DOWN. METAL SHED BLOWN ONTO ROUTE 79
Jun 12, 3:25 PM EDTTORNADO1 Ne Petersburg, PAEF1 TORNADO.
Jun 12, 3:30 PM EDTTORNADOPetersburg, PAEF0 TORNADO.
Jun 12, 3:50 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGRed Lion, PACONSTRUCTION TRAILER BLOWN ONTO ROADWAY
Jun 12, 3:51 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGRed Lion, PATREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES DOWN

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
Jun 12, 1:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 137 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 2011-06-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 360 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 12:00Z on 2011-06-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -27 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
360 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-50 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
861 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-27 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
2 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.

380 
WFUS51 KCTP 121916
TORCTP
PAC071-133-122000-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0036.110612T1916Z-110612T2000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
316 PM EDT SUN JUN 12 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL LANCASTER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
  EASTERN YORK COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 400 PM EDT

* AT 314 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS NEAR HALLAM...MOVING SOUTHEAST
  AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  COLUMBIA AROUND 325 PM EDT...
  WINDSOR AND RED LION AROUND 330 PM EDT...
  SAFE HARBOR AROUND 345 PM EDT...
  SHENKS FERRY AND BROGUE AROUND 350 PM EDT...
  HOLTWOOD AND SUNNYBURN AROUND 400 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 I-83 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 17 AND 23.

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.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT SUNDAY
EVENING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3991 7623 3974 7642 4000 7676 4014 7660
TIME...MOT...LOC 1916Z 312DEG 20KT 4001 7659

$$

FORECASTER: LA CORTE
1 follow-up statement
212 
WWUS51 KCTP 121941
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
341 PM EDT SUN JUN 12 2011

PAC071-133-122000-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0036.000000T0000Z-110612T2000Z/
LANCASTER PA-YORK PA-
341 PM EDT SUN JUN 12 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM EDT FOR EAST 
CENTRAL YORK AND WESTERN LANCASTER COUNTIES...

AT 338 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION THAT MAY BE PRODUCING A
TORNADO. THIS STORM THAT MAY BE PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR
FELTON...OR NEAR RED LION...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
SAFE HARBOR AROUND 345 PM EDT...
BROGUE AND SHENKS FERRY AROUND 350 PM EDT...
SUNNYBURN AROUND 400 PM EDT...

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.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT SUNDAY
EVENING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3996 7656 3996 7647 3986 7628 3974 7642
      3989 7662
TIME...MOT...LOC 1940Z 321DEG 14KT 3987 7653

$$

FORECASTER: LAMBERT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 11, 8:04 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPYork3 hr
Jun 11, 8:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLancaster, York53 min
Jun 11, 8:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPColumbia, Montour, Sullivan37 min
Jun 11, 8:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLancaster, York79 min
Jun 11, 8:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPColumbia, Montour, Sullivan31 min
Jun 11, 10:01 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPLancaster59 min
Jun 11, 10:31 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Lebanon, Schuylkill6 hr
Jun 12, 12:26 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Lebanon7 hr
Jun 12, 11:49 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPMifflin41 min
Jun 12, 12:28 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPBedford32 min
Jun 12, 1:13 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPJuniata, Perry32 min
Jun 12, 1:22 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPFranklin, Fulton23 min
Jun 12, 1:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPDauphin, Lebanon, Perry60 min
Jun 12, 1:53 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPFranklin37 min
Jun 12, 2:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPFranklin, Fulton58 min
Jun 12, 2:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPAdams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and 1 more54 min
Jun 12, 2:49 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPDauphin, Lancaster, York26 min
Jun 12, 2:50 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPCumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, York3 hr
Jun 12, 2:56 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPAdams, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York79 min
Jun 12, 3:47 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPYork13 min

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.