Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2016

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

September 17, 2016Forest County, Venango County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this tornado warning at Sep 17, 2016, 7:40 PM EDT for Forest County, Venango County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 35 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
Sep 17, 2016, 7:40 PM EDT (23:40 UTC)
Expired
Sep 17, 2016, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Forest County, PA, Venango County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 106 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:43 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 (KAGC), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 114 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 2016-09-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 76 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 2016-09-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 61 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
76 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-151 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
974 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
77 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

456 
WFUS51 KPBZ 172340
TORPBZ
PAC053-121-180015-
/O.NEW.KPBZ.TO.W.0010.160917T2340Z-160918T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
740 PM EDT SAT SEP 17 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL VENANGO COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...
  WEST CENTRAL FOREST COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...

* UNTIL 815 PM EDT..

* AT 740 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR FRANKLIN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

  HAZARD...TORNADO. 

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

  IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT
           SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
           DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR. TREE
           DAMAGE IS LIKELY. 

* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  FRANKLIN AROUND 750 PM EDT. 
  OIL CITY AROUND 805 PM EDT. 

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE
WOODLAND HEIGHTS...ROUSEVILLE...POLK...KENNERDELL...SENECA...
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP...HASSON HEIGHTS AND OIL CREEK STATE PARK.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER BY CALLING 4 1 2...2 6 2...1 9 8 8...
POSTING TO THE NWS PITTSBURGH FACEBOOK PAGE...OR USING TWITTER
@NWSPITTSBURGH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN
A MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4155 7960 4139 7946 4138 7948 4134 7948
      4134 7954 4133 7954 4132 7958 4132 7960
      4131 7961 4125 7992 4136 7999
TIME...MOT...LOC 2340Z 241DEG 28KT 4132 7990 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$
3 follow-up statements
037 
WWUS51 KPBZ 172349
SVSPBZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
749 PM EDT SAT SEP 17 2016

PAC053-121-180015-
/O.CON.KPBZ.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-160918T0015Z/
VENANGO PA-FOREST PA-
749 PM EDT SAT SEP 17 2016

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
VENANGO AND WEST CENTRAL FOREST COUNTIES...
    
AT 749 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED NEAR FRANKLIN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO. 

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE
         IS LIKELY. 

THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  OIL CITY AROUND 805 PM EDT. 

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE
WOODLAND HEIGHTS...HASSON HEIGHTS...ROUSEVILLE...SENECA...CRANBERRY
TOWNSHIP AND OIL CREEK STATE PARK.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER BY CALLING 4 1 2...2 6 2...1 9 8 8...
POSTING TO THE NWS PITTSBURGH FACEBOOK PAGE...OR USING TWITTER
@NWSPITTSBURGH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN
A MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4155 7960 4139 7946 4138 7948 4134 7948
      4134 7954 4133 7954 4132 7958 4132 7960
      4131 7961 4131 7983 4139 7991
TIME...MOT...LOC 2349Z 241DEG 28KT 4135 7982 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$
341 
WWUS51 KPBZ 180000
SVSPBZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
800 PM EDT SAT SEP 17 2016

PAC053-121-180015-
/O.CON.KPBZ.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-160918T0015Z/
VENANGO PA-FOREST PA-
800 PM EDT SAT SEP 17 2016

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN VENANGO AND WEST CENTRAL FOREST COUNTIES...
    
AT 800 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED OVER OIL CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO. 

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE
         IS LIKELY. 

THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF
NORTHEASTERN VENANGO AND WEST CENTRAL FOREST COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: WOODLAND HEIGHTS...HASSON HEIGHTS...
ROUSEVILLE...SENECA...CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP AND OIL CREEK STATE PARK.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER BY CALLING 4 1 2...2 6 2...1 9 8 8...
POSTING TO THE NWS PITTSBURGH FACEBOOK PAGE...OR USING TWITTER
@NWSPITTSBURGH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN
A MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4155 7960 4139 7946 4138 7948 4134 7948
      4134 7954 4133 7954 4133 7960 4131 7961
      4134 7971 4143 7979
TIME...MOT...LOC 0000Z 240DEG 29KT 4140 7971 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$
709 
WWUS51 KPBZ 180011
SVSPBZ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
811 PM EDT SAT SEP 17 2016

PAC053-121-180020-
/O.EXP.KPBZ.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-160918T0015Z/
VENANGO PA-FOREST PA-
811 PM EDT SAT SEP 17 2016

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN VENANGO AND WEST CENTRAL
FOREST COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 815 PM EDT...
                
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER APPEARS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.
THEREFORE...THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 4155 7960 4139 7946 4138 7948 4134 7948
      4134 7954 4133 7954 4133 7960 4131 7961
      4134 7971 4143 7979
TIME...MOT...LOC 0010Z 241DEG 28KT 4144 7962 

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 17, 4:08 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZMercer37 min
Sep 17, 5:46 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZMercer29 min
Sep 17, 5:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZButler, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango26 min
Sep 17, 6:01 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZButler, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango29 min
Sep 17, 6:25 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZArmstrong, Butler, Clarion, Venango35 min
Sep 17, 7:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZButler, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango28 min
Sep 17, 7:33 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZVenango27 min
Sep 17, 7:38 PM EDTTornado Warning Tornado observedPBZArmstrong, Butler, Clarion, Venango37 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2016Every tornado warning in 2016Tornadoes in 2016

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.