Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2015

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 104, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

August 4, 2015Berks County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 4, 2015, 1:31 AM EDT for Berks County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 44 min. 2 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 4, 2015, 1:31 AM EDT (05:31 UTC)
Expired: Aug 4, 2015, 2:15 AM EDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Berks County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 161 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:34 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
Aug 4, 1:49 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Tilden Twp, PA	SEVERAL TREES AND WIRES DOWN IN THE TWP
Aug 4, 1:52 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Hamburg, PA	TREES DOWN IN THE TWP. WINDOWS BLOWN OUT IN A RESIDENTIAL HOME.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 206 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: 627 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -33 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1863 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 156 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 1.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

343 
WUUS51 KPHI 040531
SVRPHI
PAC011-040615-
/O.NEW.KPHI.SV.W.0104.150804T0531Z-150804T0615Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
131 AM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ  HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL BERKS COUNTY IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 215 AM EDT

* AT 131 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR PINE GROVE...OR 7 MILES
  NORTH OF MYERSTOWN...AND MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  READING...HAMBURG...LAURELDALE...WOMELSDORF...LEESPORT...
  SHOEMAKERSVILLE...BERNVILLE...STRAUSSTOWN...FAIRVIEW HGTS AND
  CENTERPORT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...DEADLY
LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION...MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY
RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER
COVERS THE ROAD.

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE
ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.

&&

LAT...LON 4052 7634 4052 7625 4058 7605 4057 7602
      4063 7600 4066 7594 4067 7591 4036 7586
      4037 7625 4047 7640 4050 7642
TIME...MOT...LOC 0531Z 261DEG 19KT 4048 7632 

$$

HEAVENER

2 follow-up statements

653 
WWUS51 KPHI 040549
SVSPHI

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
149 AM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

PAC011-040615-
/O.CON.KPHI.SV.W.0104.000000T0000Z-150804T0615Z/
BERKS PA-
149 AM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 AM EDT
FOR NORTH CENTRAL BERKS COUNTY...

AT 148 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED OVER STRAUSSTOWN...OR 9 MILES SOUTH OF
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
HAMBURG...SHOEMAKERSVILLE AND CENTERPORT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...
DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY
RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER
COVERS THE ROAD.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.  MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE
ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.

&&

LAT...LON 4054 7618 4058 7605 4057 7602 4063 7600
      4066 7594 4067 7591 4048 7588 4045 7608
TIME...MOT...LOC 0548Z 261DEG 19KT 4050 7619 

$$

HEAVENER

717 
WWUS51 KPHI 040559
SVSPHI

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
159 AM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

PAC011-040615-
/O.CON.KPHI.SV.W.0104.000000T0000Z-150804T0615Z/
BERKS PA-
159 AM EDT TUE AUG 4 2015

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 AM EDT
FOR NORTH CENTRAL BERKS COUNTY...

AT 159 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR STRAUSSTOWN...OR 9 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF SCHUYLKILL HAVEN...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
HAMBURG AND SHOEMAKERSVILLE. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...
DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY
RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER
COVERS THE ROAD.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.  MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE
ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.

&&

LAT...LON 4063 7600 4066 7594 4067 7591 4048 7588
      4047 7595 4058 7602
TIME...MOT...LOC 0559Z 261DEG 19KT 4051 7609 

$$

HEAVENER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 4, 12:06 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Chester	54 min
Aug 4, 12:45 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia	60 min
Aug 4, 1:23 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Berks	37 min
Aug 4, 1:42 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Carbon	48 min
Aug 4, 1:54 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton	50 min
Aug 4, 2:07 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Bucks	53 min
Aug 4, 2:56 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Bucks	64 min
Aug 4, 4:12 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Chester, Delaware	63 min
Aug 4, 4:20 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Chester, Delaware	33 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2015 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2015

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.