Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 5, NWS State College, PA

April 27, 2011Cameron County, Potter County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Apr 27, 2011, 5:59 PM EDT for Cameron County, Potter County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 31 min. 3 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
Apr 27, 2011, 5:59 PM EDT (21:59 UTC)
Expired
Apr 27, 2011, 6:30 PM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Cameron County, PA, Potter County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:00 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 27, 6:15 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGE Austin, PASEVERAL TREES DOWN AND WATER OVER ROADS.
Apr 27, 6:26 PM EDTTORNADO1 Wsw Ayers Hill, PASTORM SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE NWS STATE COLLEGE AND POTTER COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFIRMS BRIEF EF0 TORNADO NEAR AYERS HILL. MAX WINDS 65 MPH. DAMAGE SPORADIC IN NATURE AND PRIMARILY LIMITED TO TREES ALONG 2 MILE PATH.
Apr 27, 6:29 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGE Austin, PASEVERAL TREES DOWN AND WATER OVER ROADS.

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 27, 3:10 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 151 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 12:00Z on 2011-04-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 27 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 12:00Z on 2011-04-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 118 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
27 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-127 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
987 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
118 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
139 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.

700 
WFUS51 KCTP 272159
TORCTP
PAC023-105-272230-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0005.110427T2159Z-110427T2230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
559 PM EDT WED APR 27 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 630 PM EDT

* AT 555 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS NEAR EMPORIUM...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  WHARTON AROUND 605 PM EDT...
  KEATING SUMMIT AROUND 610 PM EDT...
  COUDERSPORT AND CHERRY SPRINGS STATE PARK AROUND 620 PM EDT...
  DENTON HILL STATE PARK AND LYMAN RUN STATE PARK AROUND 630 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 6...STATE ROAD
120.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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 TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

&&

LAT...LON 4174 7762 4144 7820 4155 7829 4162 7824
      4162 7821 4166 7821 4191 7803
TIME...MOT...LOC 2159Z 222DEG 38KT 4155 7818

$$

FORECASTER: GARTNER/CERU
1 follow-up statement
008 
WWUS51 KCTP 272216
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
616 PM EDT WED APR 27 2011

PAC023-105-272230-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-110427T2230Z/
CAMERON PA-POTTER PA-
616 PM EDT WED APR 27 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM EDT FOR POTTER
AND NORTH CENTRAL CAMERON COUNTIES...

AT 613 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
AUSTIN...OR 31 MILES NORTHEAST OF ST. MARYS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45
MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
CHERRY SPRINGS STATE PARK AROUND 620 PM EDT...
COUDERSPORT AROUND 625 PM EDT...
DENTON HILL STATE PARK AND LYMAN RUN STATE PARK AROUND 630 PM EDT...

THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 6...STATE ROAD
120.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

&&

LAT...LON 4174 7762 4144 7820 4155 7829 4162 7824
      4162 7821 4166 7821 4191 7803
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 222DEG 38KT 4167 7803

$$

FORECASTER: GARTNER/KOZAR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 26, 8:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPColumbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry and 2 more68 min
Apr 26, 8:27 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPBedford, Blair, Cambria, Somerset48 min
Apr 26, 8:40 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPLycoming, Sullivan50 min
Apr 26, 8:58 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPBedford, Fulton, Huntingdon62 min
Apr 26, 9:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPColumbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder and 1 more59 min
Apr 26, 10:12 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPColumbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Montour, Northumberland and 3 more63 min
Apr 26, 10:43 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPSullivan3 hr
Apr 26, 11:11 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPColumbia, Dauphin, Schuylkill34 min
Apr 27, 11:16 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchCTPAdams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre and 26 more23 hr
Apr 27, 11:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPColumbia3 days
Apr 27, 4:42 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPCameron48 min
Apr 27, 4:49 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPElk, McKean, Warren41 min
Apr 27, 4:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCameron, Clearfield, Elk, McKean, Potter50 min
Apr 27, 5:19 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPElk, McKean, Warren26 min
Apr 27, 5:43 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPFulton47 min
Apr 27, 5:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBlair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton and 5 more62 min
Apr 27, 5:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin and 1 more53 min
Apr 27, 5:57 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPFranklin, Fulton, Huntingdon33 min
Apr 27, 6:29 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPCumberland, Franklin, Perry31 min
Apr 27, 6:30 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPPotter, Tioga30 min
Apr 27, 6:40 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPCentre, Clinton, Mifflin, Union35 min
Apr 27, 6:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBlair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton and 6 more60 min
Apr 27, 7:07 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPCameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, McKean and 2 more3 hr
Apr 27, 7:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPDauphin, Juniata, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder63 min
Apr 27, 7:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCentre, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland and 5 more57 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.