Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 13, 2017Berks County, Chester County, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at Jul 13, 2017, 5:26 PM EDT for Berks County, Chester County, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 28 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: Jul 13, 2017, 5:26 PM EDT (21:26 UTC)
Expired: Jul 13, 2017, 5:54 PM EDT
In force: 28 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Berks County, PA, Chester County, PA, Montgomery County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 120 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:30 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
Jul 13, 5:42 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 N Amity Gardens, PA	TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jul 13, 2:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 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: 135 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -77 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1715 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 49 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

597 
WFUS51 KPHI 132126
TORPHI
PAC011-029-091-132215-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0005.170713T2126Z-170713T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
526 PM EDT THU JUL 13 2017

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania...
  West central Montgomery County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
  Northeastern Chester County in southeastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 615 PM EDT
    
* At 526 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Reading, moving southeast 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...
  Birdsboro around 540 PM EDT. 
  Pottstown, Cedarville and Gilbertsville around 550 PM EDT. 
  Royersford around 605 PM EDT. 
  Phoenixville and Spring Mount around 610 PM EDT. 

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Boyertown, Pottsgrove, Lorane, Mount Penn, South Pottstown, Reiffton,
Amity Gardens, Spring City, Stowe and Sanatoga.

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 4033 7593 4040 7590 4031 7546 4011 7553
TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 293DEG 26KT 4034 7587 

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

$$

Robertson

2 follow-up statements

892 
WWUS51 KPHI 132144
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
544 PM EDT THU JUL 13 2017

PAC011-029-091-132215-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-170713T2215Z/
Berks PA-Montgomery PA-Chester PA-
544 PM EDT THU JUL 13 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN BERKS...WEST CENTRAL MONTGOMERY AND NORTHEASTERN CHESTER
COUNTIES...
    
At 544 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Pottstown, or 11 miles east of Reading, moving
southeast 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...
  Pottstown, Cedarville and Gilbertsville around 550 PM EDT. 
  Royersford around 605 PM EDT. 
  Phoenixville and Spring Mount around 610 PM EDT. 

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Amity
Gardens, Spring City, Stowe, Boyertown, Sanatoga, Pottsgrove,
Kenilworth, South Pottstown, Halfway House and Lorane.

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 4028 7584 4038 7579 4031 7546 4011 7553
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 293DEG 26KT 4029 7571 

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

$$

SFJ

423 
WWUS51 KPHI 132154
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
554 PM EDT THU JUL 13 2017

PAC011-029-091-132204-
/O.CAN.KPHI.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-170713T2215Z/
Berks PA-Montgomery PA-Chester PA-
554 PM EDT THU JUL 13 2017

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN BERKS...WEST CENTRAL
MONTGOMERY AND NORTHEASTERN CHESTER COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore the warning has been cancelled.  However gusty winds and
heavy rain are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for
eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania.

LAT...LON 4028 7584 4038 7579 4031 7546 4011 7553
TIME...MOT...LOC 2152Z 293DEG 26KT 4026 7562 

$$

Robertson

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 13, 3:25 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton	4 hr
Jul 13, 3:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Lehigh, Northampton	45 min
Jul 13, 4:06 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Bucks, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton	114 min
Jul 13, 4:06 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Northampton	39 min
Jul 13, 4:08 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Schuylkill	37 min
Jul 13, 4:09 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Montgomery	36 min
Jul 13, 4:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks	60 min
Jul 13, 4:34 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Chester	41 min
Jul 13, 4:36 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Lehigh	24 min
Jul 13, 4:42 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Montgomery, Philadelphia	48 min
Jul 13, 4:50 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Berks, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery	115 min
Jul 13, 4:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia	40 min
Jul 13, 5:07 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia	7 hr
Jul 13, 5:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Chester, Delaware, Montgomery	35 min
Jul 13, 5:08 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Berks	22 min
Jul 13, 5:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Philadelphia	54 min
Jul 13, 5:25 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Berks, Lehigh	3 hr
Jul 13, 5:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Delaware, Philadelphia	45 min
Jul 13, 5:31 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Bucks	3 hr
Jul 13, 5:36 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Montgomery	39 min
Jul 13, 5:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Montgomery	46 min
Jul 13, 5:56 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Berks	34 min
Jul 13, 6:28 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Bucks	47 min
Jul 13, 6:34 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia	41 min
Jul 13, 7:03 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Chester, Montgomery	117 min
Jul 13, 7:12 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Philadelphia	48 min
Jul 13, 7:26 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Berks, Montgomery	64 min

Nearby

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