Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2013

Tornado Warning 2, NWS State College, PA

May 28, 2013McKean County, Warren County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at May 28, 2013, 9:55 PM EDT for McKean County, Warren County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 35 min. 1 report 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: May 28, 2013, 9:55 PM EDT (01:55 UTC)
Expired: May 28, 2013, 10:30 PM EDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS State College, PA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties McKean County, PA, Warren County, PA

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:55 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
May 28, 10:00 PM EDT	TORNADO	2 Wnw Scandia, PA	NWS SURVEY DETERMINED AN EF1 TORNADO OCCURRED IN PINE GROVE AND ELK TOWNSHIPS. THE TORNADO BEGAN WEST OF COLE HILL ROAD ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF RUSSELL AND MOVED EAST NORTHEAST WITH INTERMITTENT TOUCHDOWNS TO NEAR MACKS CORNERS BEFORE LIFTING. TWO HOMES HAD

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 108 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: 147 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -51 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 758 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 220 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 347 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

864 
WFUS51 KCTP 290155
TORCTP
PAC083-123-290230-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0002.130529T0155Z-130529T0230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
955 PM EDT TUE MAY 28 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN MCKEAN COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA...
  NORTHEASTERN WARREN COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 1030 PM EDT

* AT 950 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO  WAS NEAR SCANDIA...MOVING EAST AT
  30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDED IN THE WARNING...
  BRADFORD AND SCANDIA.

OTHER NOTABLE LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING... UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH -
BRADFORD.

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.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AND CONFIRM AT NIGHT. IF YOU WAIT TO
SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

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.

PLEASE REPORT FUNNEL CLOUDS...STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE THROUGH TWITTER OR
FACEBOOK.

&&

LAT...LON 4200 7891 4200 7864 4193 7862 4187 7910
      4197 7913 4201 7894
TIME...MOT...LOC 0155Z 258DEG 24KT 4194 7903

$$

FORECASTER: LA CORTE

1 follow-up statement

026 
WWUS51 KCTP 290208
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1008 PM EDT TUE MAY 28 2013

PAC083-123-290230-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-130529T0230Z/
MCKEAN PA-WARREN PA-
1008 PM EDT TUE MAY 28 2013

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM EDT FOR WARREN
AND MCKEAN COUNTIES...

AT 1004 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION THAT MAY BE PRODUCING A
TORNADO. THIS STORM MAY ALSO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. 
THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 16 MILES WEST OF BRADFORD...OR 12 MILES 
NORTHEAST OF WARREN...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHEASTERN WARREN AND NORTHWESTERN MCKEAN
COUNTIES.

OTHER NOTABLE LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING... UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH -
BRADFORD.

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 HAIL...STRONG WINDS OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE THROUGH TWITTER OR FACEBOOK.

&&

LAT...LON 4200 7891 4200 7865 4194 7862 4193 7862
      4189 7898 4199 7903 4201 7894
TIME...MOT...LOC 0208Z 258DEG 24KT 4196 7892

$$

FORECASTER: LA CORTE/CR

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 28, 8:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Warren	53 min
May 28, 8:19 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CTP	Warren	56 min
May 28, 9:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	McKean, Warren	61 min
May 28, 10:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Elk, McKean, Potter, Warren	75 min
May 28, 10:51 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CTP	McKean, Warren	6 hr
May 29, 12:08 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Cameron, Elk, McKean, Potter	3 hr
May 29, 5:20 AM EDT	Dense Fog Advisory	CTP	Adams, Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster and 8 more	4 hr
May 29, 4:08 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	McKean	67 min
May 29, 5:25 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Potter	35 min
May 29, 5:39 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Warren	36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2013 Every tornado warning in 2013 Tornadoes in 2013

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.