Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

October 19, 2012Berks County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at Oct 19, 2012, 8:59 PM EDT for Berks County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 31 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 19, 2012, 8:59 PM EDT (00:59 UTC)
Expired
Oct 19, 2012, 9:30 PM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Berks County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 127 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:00 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 213 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 2012-10-20Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 2012-10-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 81 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1810 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
167 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.

838 
WFUS51 KPHI 200059
TORPHI
PAC011-200130-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0008.121020T0059Z-121020T0130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
859 PM EDT FRI OCT 19 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN BERKS COUNTY IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF READING...

* UNTIL 930 PM EDT

* AT 857 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR READING...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LAURELDALE BY 905 PM EDT...
  FLEETWOOD BY 915 PM EDT...
  LYONS...6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KUTZTOWN AND 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF
  BALLY BY 920 PM EDT...
  TOPTON BY 925 PM EDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW! 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. 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.

&&

LAT...LON 4057 7573 4044 7553 4018 7588 4027 7604
TIME...MOT...LOC 0059Z 221DEG 39KT 4027 7590

$$

HEAVENER
2 follow-up statements
478 
WWUS51 KPHI 200118
SVSPHI

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
918 PM EDT FRI OCT 19 2012

PAC011-200130-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-121020T0130Z/
BERKS PA-
918 PM EDT FRI OCT 19 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL BERKS COUNTY...

AT 917 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 8 MILES SOUTH OF
LYONS...OR 8 MILES EAST OF READING...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  LYONS BY 930 PM EDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 4050 7574 4043 7561 4033 7574 4039 7587
TIME...MOT...LOC 0118Z 219DEG 19KT 4038 7578

$$

HEAVENER
716 
WWUS51 KPHI 200127
SVSPHI

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
927 PM EDT FRI OCT 19 2012

PAC011-200137-
/O.EXP.KPHI.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-121020T0130Z/
BERKS PA-
927 PM EDT FRI OCT 19 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL BERKS COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
930 PM EDT...

LAT...LON 4050 7574 4043 7561 4033 7574 4039 7587
TIME...MOT...LOC 0127Z 219DEG 19KT 4042 7574

$$

HEAVENER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 19, 8:31 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIBerks44 min
Oct 19, 8:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBerks63 min
Oct 19, 9:24 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIChester, Delaware, Montgomery96 min
Oct 19, 10:00 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIChester, Delaware63 min
Oct 19, 10:15 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIMonroe, Northampton60 min
Oct 19, 10:27 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIBucks, Montgomery63 min

Nearby

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