Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 39, NWS State College, PA

September 1, 2011Cameron County, Clinton County, Potter County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Sep 1, 2011, 8:29 PM EDT for Cameron County, Clinton County, Potter County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 46 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
Sep 1, 2011, 8:29 PM EDT (00:29 UTC)
Expired
Sep 1, 2011, 9:15 PM EDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Cameron County, PA, Clinton County, PA, Potter County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 70 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:32 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

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 162 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 00:00Z on 2011-09-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 249 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 00:00Z on 2011-09-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -17 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
249 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-41 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1069 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
128 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

688 
WFUS51 KCTP 020029
TORCTP
PAC023-035-105-020115-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0039.110902T0029Z-110902T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
829 PM EDT THU SEP 1 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN CAMERON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
  SOUTHWESTERN POTTER COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
  NORTHWESTERN CLINTON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 915 PM EDT

* AT 827 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS NEAR SIZERVILLE...MOVING
  SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  AUSTIN...
  EMPORIUM...
  WHARTON...
  CAMERON...
  STEVENSON DAM AND HICKS RUN...

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 STATE ROAD 120.

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.

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 4148 7787 4138 7799 4135 7825 4162 7826
      4162 7821 4170 7821 4174 7811
TIME...MOT...LOC 0030Z 334DEG 17KT 4160 7815

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO
2 follow-up statements
950 
WWUS51 KCTP 020053
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
853 PM EDT THU SEP 1 2011

PAC023-035-105-020115-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-110902T0115Z/
CAMERON PA-POTTER PA-CLINTON PA-
853 PM EDT THU SEP 1 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN CLINTON...SOUTHWESTERN POTTER AND NORTHEASTERN CAMERON
COUNTIES...

AT 851 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 
ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF EMPORIUM...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  CAMERON...
  STEVENSON DAM...
  HICKS RUN...

THIS WILL IMPACT STATE ROAD 120.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

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 4148 7787 4138 7799 4135 7825 4162 7826
      4162 7821
TIME...MOT...LOC 0053Z 349DEG 16KT 4150 7816

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO
080 
WWUS51 KCTP 020108
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
908 PM EDT THU SEP 1 2011

PAC105-020117-
/O.CAN.KCTP.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-110902T0115Z/
POTTER PA-
908 PM EDT THU SEP 1 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN POTTER 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 4149 7807 4148 7805 4148 7799 4146 7799
      4138 7799 4135 7825 4152 7820
TIME...MOT...LOC 0107Z 349DEG 16KT 4144 7814

$$

PAC023-020115-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-110902T0115Z/
CAMERON PA-
908 PM EDT THU SEP 1 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
CAMERON COUNTY...

AT 905 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 
THE TOWN OF CAMERON...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  STERLING RUN AND HICKS RUN...

THIS WILL IMPACT STATE ROAD 120.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

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 4149 7807 4148 7805 4148 7799 4146 7799
      4138 7799 4135 7825 4152 7820
TIME...MOT...LOC 0107Z 349DEG 16KT 4144 7814

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 1, 8:06 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPPotter54 min
Sep 1, 9:13 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPCameron62 min
Sep 1, 10:10 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPCentre50 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.