Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2013

Tornado Warning 6, NWS State College, PA

August 7, 20134 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Aug 7, 2013, 6:27 PM EDT for 4 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 48 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
Aug 7, 2013, 6:27 PM EDT (22:27 UTC)
Expired
Aug 7, 2013, 7:15 PM EDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Bedford County, PA, Blair County, PA, Cambria County, PA, Somerset County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:28 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 7, 6:30 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Se Chickaree, PATREES AND WIRES DOWN IN JACKSON TWP
Aug 7, 6:30 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 89Vinco, PA89 MPH WIND GUST IN VINCO
Aug 7, 6:40 PM EDTFUNNEL CLOUD6 Nne Johnstown, PAFUNNEL CLOUD OBSERVED LOOKING SOUTH FROM MILE HILL ROAD

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 7, 3:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KAGC), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 121 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 2013-08-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 22 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2013-08-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 61 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
22 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-139 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1075 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
61 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
159 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

410 
WFUS51 KCTP 072227
TORCTP
PAC009-013-021-111-072315-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0006.130807T2227Z-130807T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
627 PM EDT WED AUG 7 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL BEDFORD COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA...
  SOUTHWESTERN BLAIR COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA...
  SOUTHERN CAMBRIA COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA...
  NORTHEASTERN SOMERSET COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 715 PM EDT

* AT 624 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE STORM
  CONTAINING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS NEAR EAST CONEMAUGH...MOVING
  SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDED IN THE WARNING...
  BELMONT...ELIM...JOHNSTOWN...PORTAGE...WESTMONT...WINDBER...
  BEAVERDALE...BLUE KNOB STATE PARK...CLAYSBURG...DALE...DUNLO...EAST
  CONEMAUGH...FERNDALE...GEISTOWN...OGLETOWN...OSTERBURG...QUEEN...
  SCALP LEVEL...SIDMAN AND SKI GAP.

OTHER NOTABLE LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING... JOHNSTOWN FLOOD NATIONAL
MEMORIAL HISTORIC SITE...BLUE KNOB SKI RESORT AND UNIVERSITY OF
PITTSBURGH AT JOHNSTOWN.

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-99 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 14 AND 23.

THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...THE JOHNSTOWN
EXPRESSWAY...ROUTE 22...ROUTE 219...ROUTE 220...STATE ROAD 56.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 4011 7855 4032 7903 4048 7893 4037 7838
TIME...MOT...LOC 2227Z 295DEG 18KT 4037 7889

$$

FORECASTER: JUNG
1 follow-up statement
650 
WWUS51 KCTP 072258
SVSCTP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
658 PM EDT WED AUG 7 2013

PAC009-013-021-111-072315-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-130807T2315Z/
BEDFORD PA-BLAIR PA-CAMBRIA PA-SOMERSET PA-
658 PM EDT WED AUG 7 2013

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM EDT FOR
SOMERSET...CAMBRIA...BLAIR AND BEDFORD COUNTIES...

AT 652 PM EDT...TRAINED SKYWARN WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL 
CLOUD LOOKING SOUTH ON ROUTE 22. THIS STORM MAY ALSO PRODUCE LARGE 
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SOUTH FORK...OR 
NEAR JOHNSTOWN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS INCLUDED IN THE WARNING...
WESTMONT...PORTAGE...ELIM...BELMONT...SIDMAN...SCALP LEVEL...
GEISTOWN...EAST CONEMAUGH...DUNLO...DALE...BEAVERDALE...FERNDALE...
SKI GAP...CLAYSBURG...QUEEN...OSTERBURG...BLUE KNOB STATE PARK...
OGLETOWN...WILMORE AND SUMMERHILL.

OTHER NOTABLE LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING... JOHNSTOWN FLOOD NATIONAL
MEMORIAL HISTORIC SITE...BLUE KNOB SKI RESORT AND UNIVERSITY OF
PITTSBURGH AT JOHNSTOWN.

THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 219...ROUTE 220.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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

&&

LAT...LON 4032 7899 4043 7874 4037 7838 4011 7855
TIME...MOT...LOC 2256Z 301DEG 15KT 4033 7880

$$

FORECASTER: JUNG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 7, 4:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPClearfield, Elk65 min
Aug 7, 5:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCentre, Clearfield, Clinton54 min
Aug 7, 5:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCambria, Somerset63 min
Aug 7, 6:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPFranklin, Fulton, Huntingdon67 min
Aug 7, 6:38 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPBlair, Centre37 min
Aug 7, 7:00 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPSomerset45 min
Aug 7, 7:13 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPBedford, Cambria, Somerset47 min
Aug 7, 7:27 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPBedford, Blair, Cambria, Somerset3 hr
Aug 7, 7:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBedford, Blair, Cambria, Somerset62 min

Nearby

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