Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

April 25, 2011Forest County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this tornado warning at Apr 25, 2011, 5:50 PM EDT for Forest County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 25 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: Apr 25, 2011, 5:50 PM EDT (21:50 UTC)
Expired: Apr 25, 2011, 6:15 PM EDT
In force: 25 min
Issued by: NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Forest County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 114 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:53 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 25, 2:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 152 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1037 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 94 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.

072 
WFUS51 KPBZ 252150
TORPBZ
PAC053-252215-
/O.NEW.KPBZ.TO.W.0005.110425T2150Z-110425T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
550 PM EDT MON APR 25 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN FOREST COUNTY IN NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT

* AT 546 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR BLUE JAY...
  MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO  
  BALLTOWN...           LYNCH...

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.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE. 1-877-633-6772. WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

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
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE. 1-877-633-6772. WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
MONDAY EVENING FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND
NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 4162 7895 4154 7895 4154 7896 4151 7917
      4162 7921 4164 7915 4163 7896
TIME...MOT...LOC 2150Z 253DEG 33KT 4158 7910

$$

WOODRUM

2 follow-up statements

505 
WWUS51 KPBZ 252203
SVSPBZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
603 PM EDT MON APR 25 2011

PAC053-252215-
/O.CON.KPBZ.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-110425T2215Z/
FOREST PA-
603 PM EDT MON APR 25 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR FOREST
COUNTY...

AT 600 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.  THIS POTENTIALLY TORNADIC 
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BROOKSTON...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO  
  SHEFFIELD JUNCTION... BROOKSTON...

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
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE. 1-877-633-6772. WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
MONDAY EVENING FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND
NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

LAT...LON 4155 7897 4162 7908 4163 7896 4162 7895
TIME...MOT...LOC 2202Z 253DEG 33KT 4161 7896

$$

WOODRUM

766 
WWUS51 KPBZ 252211
SVSPBZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
611 PM EDT MON APR 25 2011

PAC053-252221-
/O.EXP.KPBZ.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-110425T2215Z/
FOREST PA-
611 PM EDT MON APR 25 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR FOREST COUNTY EXPIRES AT 615 PM EDT...

THE STORM HAS MOVED OUT OF FOREST COUNTY AND THUS WILL BE ALLOWED TO 
EXPIRE. 

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM 
EDT MONDAY EVENING FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA 
AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

LAT...LON 4155 7897 4162 7908 4163 7896 4162 7895
TIME...MOT...LOC 2211Z 253DEG 33KT 4167 7887

$$

WOODRUM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 25, 1:39 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PBZ	Butler	36 min
Apr 25, 1:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Jefferson	46 min
Apr 25, 2:37 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PBZ	Armstrong, Clarion, Jefferson	23 min
Apr 25, 2:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Jefferson	30 min
Apr 25, 4:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Beaver, Lawrence	36 min
Apr 25, 5:03 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PBZ	Forest, Venango	57 min
Apr 25, 5:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PBZ	Forest	37 min
Apr 25, 5:24 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PBZ	Beaver	51 min
Apr 25, 5:59 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PBZ	Allegheny	31 min
Apr 25, 6:25 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PBZ	Armstrong	35 min
Apr 25, 6:36 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PBZ	Allegheny	24 min
Apr 25, 6:58 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PBZ	Jefferson	32 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.