Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 4, NWS State College, PA

July 26, 20124 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Jul 26, 2012, 4:41 PM EDT for 4 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 34 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: Jul 26, 2012, 4:41 PM EDT (20:41 UTC)
Expired: Jul 26, 2012, 5:15 PM EDT
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS State College, PA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Columbia County, PA, Lycoming County, PA, Montour County, PA, Northumberland County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:43 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 26, 4:43 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Williamsport, PA	ROOF BLOWN OFF A BUILDING AT PENN COLLEGE.
Jul 26, 4:45 PM EDT	TSTM WND GST 59	Williamsport Regional, PA	A GUST TO 59 MPH WAS RECORDED AT THE WILLIAMSPORT AIRPORT ASOS.
Jul 26, 4:50 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Muncy, PA	DOOR RIPPED OFF OF HOUSE ON MAIN STREET IN MUNCY.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jul 26, 1:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD (KAPG), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 199 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: 59 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -282 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1017 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 238 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 239 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.

569 
WFUS51 KCTP 262041
TORCTP
PAC037-081-093-097-262115-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0004.120726T2041Z-120726T2115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
441 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN COLUMBIA COUNTY IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
  NORTH CENTRAL MONTOUR COUNTY IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
  NORTHWESTERN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...
  SOUTHEASTERN LYCOMING COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 515 PM EDT

* AT 439 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS NEAR SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT...
  MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  MUNCY AND HUGHESVILLE...
  LAIRDSVILLE AND EXCHANGE...
  BIGGERTOWN...
  CENTRAL...

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-180 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 5 AND 28.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT...EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR
VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA.

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 1000 PM EDT
THURSDAY EVENING FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

&&

LAT...LON 4107 7642 4112 7690 4114 7690 4115 7696
      4112 7697 4113 7703 4122 7704 4131 7701
      4131 7659 4128 7645 4131 7641 4131 7632
TIME...MOT...LOC 2041Z 273DEG 56KT 4121 7692

$$

FORECASTER: LAMBERT/DANGELO

1 follow-up statement

356 
WWUS51 KCTP 262101
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
501 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012

PAC037-081-093-097-262115-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-120726T2115Z/
COLUMBIA PA-MONTOUR PA-NORTHUMBERLAND PA-LYCOMING PA-
501 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN LYCOMING...NORTH CENTRAL NORTHUMBERLAND...NORTH CENTRAL
MONTOUR AND NORTHWESTERN COLUMBIA COUNTIES...

AT 457 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
EXCHANGE...OR 14 MILES NORTH OF DANVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  BENTON AND CENTRAL...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
THURSDAY EVENING FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

&&

LAT...LON 4107 7642 4111 7682 4112 7683 4116 7681
      4123 7675 4131 7667 4131 7659 4128 7645
      4131 7641 4131 7632
TIME...MOT...LOC 2101Z 270DEG 51KT 4116 7656

$$

FORECASTER: LAMBERT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 26, 4:04 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	McKean	26 min
Jul 26, 4:26 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	McKean, Warren	49 min
Jul 26, 5:03 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Somerset	72 min
Jul 26, 5:10 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Clearfield	35 min
Jul 26, 5:14 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	McKean, Potter, Warren	31 min
Jul 26, 5:43 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Centre, Clearfield	32 min
Jul 26, 5:46 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Cameron, Elk, Potter, Tioga	29 min
Jul 26, 6:29 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Clinton, Lycoming, Montour, Union	46 min
Jul 26, 6:33 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Franklin	42 min
Jul 26, 7:29 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Union	61 min
Jul 26, 7:45 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Cumberland, Juniata, Perry	60 min
Jul 26, 8:41 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon	64 min
Jul 26, 1:11 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Warren	64 min
Jul 26, 1:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Warren	55 min
Jul 26, 1:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, McKean, Potter, Warren	72 min
Jul 26, 2:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Warren	35 min
Jul 26, 2:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, McKean and 3 more	69 min
Jul 26, 2:51 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CTP	McKean, Potter	39 min
Jul 26, 3:22 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CTP	Potter, Tioga	53 min
Jul 26, 3:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Clinton, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, Tioga	91 min
Jul 26, 3:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming and 6 more	74 min
Jul 26, 3:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Huntingdon, Mifflin	66 min
Jul 26, 4:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Fulton and 5 more	57 min
Jul 26, 4:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Centre, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Northumberland, Snyder and 1 more	67 min
Jul 26, 4:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Columbia	32 min
Jul 26, 5:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan	84 min
Jul 26, 5:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster and 8 more	81 min
Jul 26, 5:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton and 5 more	60 min
Jul 26, 5:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill	74 min
Jul 26, 6:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, Perry, York	56 min
Jul 26, 6:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton and 5 more	64 min
Jul 26, 6:33 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Schuylkill and 1 more	57 min
Jul 26, 6:42 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Somerset	3 hr
Jul 26, 6:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, York	49 min
Jul 26, 6:57 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and 2 more	3 hr
Jul 26, 7:06 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Clearfield	54 min
Jul 26, 7:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Somerset	70 min
Jul 26, 7:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Adams, Lancaster, York	52 min
Jul 26, 7:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Huntingdon	59 min
Jul 26, 7:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Bedford, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and 3 more	53 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2012 Every tornado warning in 2012 Tornadoes in 2012

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.