Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 1, NWS State College, PA

February 25, 2017Lancaster County, York County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Feb 25, 2017, 2:20 PM EST for Lancaster County, York County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 25 min. 9 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
Feb 25, 2017, 2:20 PM EST (19:20 UTC)
Expired
Feb 25, 2017, 2:45 PM EST
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Lancaster County, PA, York County, PA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 142 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:20 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
Feb 25, 2:22 PM ESTHAIL 11 Ne East York, PAQUARTER-SIZED HAIL IN SPRINGETTSBURY TWP.
Feb 25, 2:27 PM ESTTSTM WND DMG2 E Hallam, PABARN ROOF BLOWN OFF
Feb 25, 2:33 PM ESTFUNNEL CLOUD2 N Columbia, PAFUNNEL CLOUDS SPOTTED NORTH OF COLUMBIA.
Feb 25, 2:33 PM ESTHAIL 0.752 N Columbia, PAPENNY-SIZED HAIL NEAR COLUMBIA.
Feb 25, 2:36 PM ESTHAIL 11 Ne East York, PAQUARTER-SIZED HAIL IN SPRINGETTSBURY TWP.
Feb 25, 2:38 PM ESTHAIL 0.75Donegal Springs, PAPENNY-SIZED HAIL NEAR DONGEAL SPRINGS.
Feb 25, 2:38 PM ESTHAIL 1Maytown, PAQUARTER-SIZED HAIL NEAR MAYTOWN.
Feb 25, 2:42 PM ESTHAIL 1Mount Joy, PAQUARTER-SIZED HAIL NEAR MOUNT JOY.
Feb 25, 2:44 PM ESTHAIL 1Mastersonville, PAQUARTER-SIZED HAIL IN MASTERSONVILLE.

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
Feb 25, 1:30 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 141 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 12:00Z on 2017-02-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 235 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2017-02-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 164 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
235 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-194 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
676 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
164 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
143 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

339 
WFUS51 KCTP 251920
TORCTP
PAC071-133-251945-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0001.170225T1920Z-170225T1945Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service State College PA
220 PM EST SAT FEB 25 2017

The National Weather Service in State College PA has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Lancaster County in south central Pennsylvania...
  Central York County in south central Pennsylvania...

* Until 245 PM EST
    
* At 220 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over East York, 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...
  Valley View around 230 PM EST. 
  Columbia, Mount Joy, Maytown, Wrightsville, Marietta, Rheems, 
  Salunga-Landisville and Mountville around 240 PM EST. 

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Washington Boro, East Prospect, Franklin And Marshall College,
Elizabethtown College, York College Of Pennsylvania, Penn State York
and Lancaster Airport.

This includes the following Interstates...
 The Pennsylvania Turnpike from mile markers 265 to 268.
 Interstate 83 from mile markers 12 to 24.

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 3997 7682 4020 7655 4024 7642 4007 7625
      3988 7670
TIME...MOT...LOC 1920Z 228DEG 28KT 3996 7667 

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

$$

KF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 25, 8:43 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPClearfield47 min
Feb 25, 9:26 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPPotter34 min
Feb 25, 10:48 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPFranklin27 min
Feb 25, 12:00 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPNorthumberland15 min
Feb 25, 12:16 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPColumbia29 min
Feb 25, 1:02 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPSchuylkill28 min
Feb 25, 1:29 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPColumbia31 min
Feb 25, 1:31 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPFranklin14 min
Feb 25, 1:49 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPLebanon26 min
Feb 25, 1:55 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPCumberland20 min
Feb 25, 1:57 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPYork33 min
Feb 25, 2:05 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLancaster, York40 min
Feb 25, 2:13 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPAdams, Cumberland, Perry32 min
Feb 25, 2:23 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPLebanon22 min
Feb 25, 2:32 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLebanon, Schuylkill88 min
Feb 25, 2:37 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPAdams, York68 min
Feb 25, 2:43 PM ESTTornado WarningCTPLancaster, Lebanon47 min
Feb 25, 3:04 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPDauphin26 min
Feb 25, 3:08 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLancaster67 min
Feb 25, 3:15 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPSchuylkill15 min
Feb 25, 4:00 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCTPCarbon15 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2017Every tornado warning in 2017Tornadoes in 2017

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.