Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

October 18, 2012Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this special weather statement at Oct 18, 2012, 5:38 PM EDT for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 52 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
Oct 18, 2012, 5:38 PM EDT (21:38 UTC)
Expired
Oct 18, 2012, 6:30 PM EDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA

County Westmoreland County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:39 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

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 83 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2012-10-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2012-10-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 311 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1848 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
311 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
373 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.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at Oct 18, 3:43 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 18, 3:43 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
343 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST OF THE REGION LATER THIS EVENING
BRINGING COOLER CONDITIONS. IT WILL BE COOLER WITH A CHANCE OF
SHOWERS INTO THE WEEKEND.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/...
FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAS CROSSED KPIT AT 19Z AND IS GRADUALLY WORKING
ACROSS THE REGION. MODEL RUNS ARE DEVELOPING A WAVE ALONG THE FRONT
WITH AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVING NORTHEAST UP THE
APPALACHIANS ON THE FRONT SIDE OF DIGGING CLOSED LOW OVER THE
WESTERN GREAT LAKES.

THIS WILL SLOW THE FRONT THIS EVENING EVENING AS IT APPROACHES
THE RIDGES AND ALLOW FOR A MORE WIDESPREAD AREA OF SHOWERS TO
DEVELOP WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST RIDGES.

WIND GUSTS HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO 35 MPH WITH FROPA AND EXPECT THIS
TO CONTINUE AS SYSTEM PASSES EAST. A FEW HIGHER GUSTS TO POSSIBLE
IN ANY THUNDERSTORM.

FRONT AND SHOWERS WILL MOVE EAST OF THE RIDGES THIS EVENING.
BEHIND THE FRONT...A LARGE DRY SLOT IS FORECASTED TO DEVELOP WHICH
WOULD ALLOW FOR A DECREASE IN CLOUDS ACROSS REGION WITH COOLER
TEMPERATURES FOR TONIGHT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH QUICKLY THIS
EVENING.

ON FRIDAY DRY SLOT WILL BEGIN TO ERODE AS CLOSED LOW APPROACHES
AND SPREADS CLOUDS AND SHOWERS INTO EASTERN OHIO BY MIDDAY AND THE
REST OF THE REGION BY SUNSET. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A BIT COOLER
THAN TODAY BUT NOT FAR FROM NORMAL.

&&

.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
LARGE UPPER LEVEL CLOSED LOW WILL ROLL ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY
THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH COOL TEMPERATURES AND SHOWERS. FRIDAY
NIGHT COLD ADVECTION AND INCREASING MOISTURE WILL ARRIVE FOR THE
ENTIRE CWA AND CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. SATURDAY WILL BE A
RAW DAY AND FORECAST HIGH TEMPS MAY BE HARD TO REACH. BY SUNDAY
UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO ROTATE INTO NEW ENGLAND WITH A
DRY DAY BUT STILL ON THE COOL SIDE.

&&

.LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
THERE IS ECWMF/GFSE AGREEMENT THAT THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY WILL BE IN
A NORTHWESTERLY MID-LEVEL FLOW TO BEGIN THE PERIOD. A MID-LEVEL
RIDGE WILL THEN BUILD INTO THE AREA FOR MONDAY AND KEEP THE AREA
DRY.

UNCERTAINTY ENTERS THE FORECAST ON TUESDAY AS ALTHOUGH BOTH THE
GFS/ECMWF INDICATE A WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE
GREAT LAKES REGION...THEY VARY ON HOW FAR SOUTH A FRONTAL BOUNDARY
AND ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION WILL EXTEND. FORECAST LEANS CLOSEST TO
THE ECMWF...WITH CHANCE POPS NORTH OF THE PITTSBURGH METRO AND SCHC
POPS SOUTHWARD FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. A SCHC OF SHOWERS
CONTINUES ON THURSDAY WITH UNCERTAINTY REMAINING IN A ZONAL FLOW.

IN ANTICIPATION THAT THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE
AREA EARLY THIS WEEK...TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD ARE
FORECAST TO BE AROUND 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
A COLD FRONT IS MOVING INTO WESTERN PA...BRINGING BRIEF HEAVY
SHOWERS WITH MVFR RESTRICTIONS...A WIND SHIFT TO FROM SOUTHERLY TO
SOUTHWESTERLY...AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 35KTS WITH ITS PASSAGE. THE
FRONT WILL REACH KPIT AND NEARBY TERMINALS AROUND 18Z AND PUSH EAST
OF KLBE/KDUJ BY 20Z.

VFR CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TONIGHT INTO EARLY ON FRIDAY AS A DEEP
LAYER OF DRY MOVES ACROSS THE AREA.

.OUTLOOK.../FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
A CLOSED LOW ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES WILL SWING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
POSSIBLE RESTRICTIONS ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY.
CEILING RESTRICTIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT WITH VFR
CONDITIONS PREVAILING SUNDAY INTO MONDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN.
THE NEXT CHANCE OF SHOWERS WILL RETURN ON TUESDAY AS A FRONTAL
SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST.

&&

.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...NONE.
OH...NONE.
PA...NONE.
WV...NONE.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 18, 2:01 PM EDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
201 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-191800-
GARRETT-TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON-
JEFFERSON OH-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-MERCER-VENANGO-
FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY-
ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND-WESTMORELAND RIDGES-
FAYETTE-FAYETTE RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION-
MONONGALIA-PRESTON-TUCKER-
201 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST
CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST
PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 18, 4:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
432 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

PAZ031-073>076-182115-
FAYETTE PA-FAYETTE RIDGES PA-GREENE PA-WESTMORELAND PA-
WESTMORELAND RIDGES PA-
432 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WIND AND HAIL WILL AFFECT
EAST CENTRAL GREENE...FAYETTE AND WESTMORELAND COUNTIES...

AT 425 PM EDT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING
ALONG A LINE FROM 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WEST NEWTON TO BOBTOWN.
THESE CELLS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH AND MAY STRENGTHEN
FURTHER.

WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS.

  LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WEST NEWTON...        NEMACOLIN...          CARMICHAELS...
  BROWNSVILLE...        BOBTOWN...            BELLE VERNON...
  GREENSBORO...         IRWIN...              MASONTOWN...
  FAIRCHANCE...         PERRYOPOLIS...        JEANNETTE...

  HIGHWAYS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ROUTE 43 IN PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 2 AND 7.
  I-70 IN PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 41 AND 57.
  TOLL 66 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 0 AND 13.
  I-79 IN PENNSYLVANIA NEAR MILE MARKER 2.
  I-76 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 60 AND 94.

PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772.

LAT...LON 3972 7960 3974 8009 4000 7994 4003 7988
      4008 7990 4008 7984 4013 7987 4022 7982
      4023 7978 4023 7980 4059 7961 4052 7945
      4049 7946 4045 7939 4048 7937 4045 7936
      4046 7933 4041 7927 4042 7925 4037 7913

15
Special weather statement, Oct 18, 4:43 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
443 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

MDZ001-PAZ076-WVZ022-023-182130-
FAYETTE RIDGES PA-GARRETT MD-MONONGALIA WV-PRESTON WV-
443 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

...A THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN PRESTON...NORTHWESTERN
GARRETT...SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE AND SOUTHEASTERN MONONGALIA
COUNTIES...

AT 438 PM EDT...A THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTH OF
GLADESVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.

  LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GLADESVILLE...        MASONTOWN...          LAUREL RUN...
  VALLEY POINT...       BRUCETON MILLS...     CRANESVILLE...
  CLIFTON MILLS...      HAZELTON...           FRIENDSVILLE...
  MARKLEYSBURG...       ACCIDENT...

  HIGHWAYS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  I-68 IN WEST VIRGINIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 15 AND 32.
  I-68 IN MARYLAND BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 8.

PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772.

LAT...LON 3944 7986 3958 7995 3981 7947 3962 7927
Special weather statement, Oct 18, 5:10 PM EDT, 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
510 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

PAZ074>076-182200-
FAYETTE PA-FAYETTE RIDGES PA-WESTMORELAND RIDGES PA-
510 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

...A THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN FAYETTE AND EXTREME SOUTH
CENTRAL WESTMORELAND COUNTIES...

AT 508 PM EDT...A THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FARMINGTON...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

  LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  FARMINGTON...         ELLIOTTSVILLE...      CHALKHILL...
  OHIOPYLE...           SEVEN SPRINGS...

PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772.

LAT...LON 3993 7937 3986 7941 3982 7936 3979 7936
      3974 7940 3981 7947 3975 7960 3982 7971
      4013 7951 4007 7935 4004 7934 4004 7930
      4003 7930
Special weather statement, Oct 18, 5:22 PM EDT, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
522 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

PAZ073>076-182200-
FAYETTE PA-FAYETTE RIDGES PA-WESTMORELAND PA-WESTMORELAND RIDGES PA-
522 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

...A THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTH CENTRAL FAYETTE AND SOUTHERN
WESTMORELAND COUNTIES...

AT 517 PM EDT...A THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF
CONNELLSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

  LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MOUNT PLEASANT...     NEW STANTON...        GREENSBURG...

  HIGHWAYS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  I-70 IN PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 56 AND 57.
  TOLL 66 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 0 AND 2.
  I-76 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 74 AND 89.

PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772.

LAT...LON 4035 7956 4026 7925 4010 7941 4013 7951
      4003 7957 4008 7970
Special weather statement, Oct 18, 5:24 PM EDT, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
524 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

WVZ023-041-182200-
PRESTON WV-TUCKER WV-
524 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2012

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN TUCKER AND PRESTON
COUNTIES...

AT 521 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES EAST OF
PHILIPPI...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM. FURTHER STRENGTHENING TO SEVERE LEVELS IS POSSIBLE.

  LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SAINT GEORGE...       HANNAHSVILLE...       FELLOWSVILLE...
  NEWBURG...            ROWLESBURG...         TUNNELTON...
  CATHELDRAL STATE PARK...                    KINGWOOD...
  TERRA ALTA...         VALLEY POINT...

PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772.

LAT...LON 3906 7977 3916 7984 3923 7981 3925 7986
      3928 7987 3930 7990 3939 7991 3962 7964
      3950 7951 3926 7950

15
Special weather statement, Oct 18, 5:38 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 18, 2:09 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZLawrence, Mercer51 min
Oct 18, 2:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZVenango46 min
Oct 18, 4:32 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZFayette, Westmoreland43 min
Oct 18, 5:10 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZFayette50 min
Oct 18, 5:22 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZWestmoreland38 min
Oct 18, 3:56 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZMarion, Monongalia49 min
Oct 18, 4:43 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZPreston47 min
Oct 18, 5:24 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZPreston36 min
Oct 18, 5:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZPreston, Tucker27 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Pennsylvania, 2012Every special weather statement 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.