Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 40, NWS State College, PA

September 1, 2011Cameron County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Sep 1, 2011, 9:13 PM EDT for Cameron County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 62 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, 9:13 PM EDT (01:13 UTC)
Expired: Sep 1, 2011, 10:15 PM EDT
In force: 62 min
Issued by: NWS State College, PA
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Cameron County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:15 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, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 180 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: 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.

004 
WFUS51 KCTP 020113
TORCTP
PAC023-020215-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0040.110902T0113Z-110902T0215Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN CAMERON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 1015 PM EDT

* AT 910 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS NEAR CAMERON...MOVING SOUTH AT
  20 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  DRIFTWOOD...
  SINNEMAHONING...

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.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.

&&

LAT...LON 4145 7805 4137 7799 4122 7809 4123 7824
      4132 7824 4132 7825 4146 7819 4147 7811
TIME...MOT...LOC 0113Z 355DEG 16KT 4142 7814

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

2 follow-up statements

536 
WWUS51 KCTP 020142
SVSCTP

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

PAC023-020215-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-110902T0215Z/
CAMERON PA-
942 PM EDT THU SEP 1 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHERN CAMERON COUNTY...

AT 939 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 OVER 
DRIFTWOOD...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS INCLUDED THE WARNING INCLUDE...

  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN CAMERON COUNTY.

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. 

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 4137 7819 4139 7813 4138 7807 4134 7801
      4122 7809 4123 7824
TIME...MOT...LOC 0141Z 357DEG 15KT 4131 7813

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

086 
WWUS51 KCTP 020159
SVSCTP

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

PAC023-020215-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-110902T0215Z/
CAMERON PA-
959 PM EDT THU SEP 1 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1015 PM EDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL CAMERON COUNTY...

AT 953 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH ROTATION THAT MAY BE PRODUCING A TORNADO. 
THE STORM HAS WEAKENED CONSIDERABLE OVER THE LAST 20 MINUTES...BUT 
REMAINS A THREAT. THE CENTER OF THE STORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES 
SOUTH OF THE TOWN DRIFTWOOD...MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.

LOCATIONS INCLUDED THE WARNING INCLUDE...

  RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN CAMERON COUNTY.

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 4132 7817 4134 7809 4131 7803 4122 7809
      4123 7820
TIME...MOT...LOC 0158Z 351DEG 13KT 4127 7811

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 1, 8:06 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Potter	54 min
Sep 1, 8:29 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CTP	Cameron, Clinton, Potter	46 min
Sep 1, 10:10 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Centre	50 min

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.