Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2018

Tornado Warning 11, NWS State College, PA

August 21, 2018Bedford County, Somerset County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Aug 21, 2018, 2:55 PM EDT for Bedford County, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 50 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
Aug 21, 2018, 2:55 PM EDT (18:55 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 2018, 3:45 PM EDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Bedford County, PA, Somerset County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 131 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:55 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 21, 2:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KAGC), launched 12:00Z, 6.9 hours before the alert went out and 134 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 2018-08-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 340 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 2018-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 211 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
340 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-43 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
811 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
211 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
223 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

988 
WFUS51 KCTP 211855
TORCTP
PAC009-111-211945-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0011.180821T1855Z-180821T1945Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service State College PA
255 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2018

The National Weather Service in State College PA has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Western Bedford County in south central Pennsylvania...
  Southeastern Somerset County in south central Pennsylvania...

* Until 345 PM EDT.
    
* At 255 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Berlin, 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 dangerous storm will be near...
  Buffalo Mills around 320 PM EDT.
  Bedford, Cessna, St. Clairsville and Osterburg around 340 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Callimont, Schellsburg, New Baltimore, Rainsburg, Hyndman, New Paris,
Manns Choice, Garrett and Indian Lake.

This includes the following Interstates...
 The Pennsylvania Turnpike from mile markers 118 to 152.
 Interstate 99 from mile markers 0 to 9.

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 3975 7897 3990 7909 4023 7851 3980 7832
      3978 7833
TIME...MOT...LOC 1855Z 238DEG 30KT 3987 7894 

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

$$

Tyburski
1 follow-up statement
338 
WWUS51 KCTP 211927
SVSCTP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
327 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2018

PAC111-211936-
/O.CAN.KCTP.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-180821T1945Z/
Somerset PA-
327 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2018

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN SOMERSET COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
    
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out 
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM EDT for
south central Pennsylvania.

LAT...LON 3983 7875 4006 7876 4011 7872 4023 7851
      3980 7832 3978 7833 3976 7879
TIME...MOT...LOC 1926Z 238DEG 30KT 3999 7869 

$$

PAC009-211945-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-180821T1945Z/
Bedford PA-
327 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 2018

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM EDT FOR WESTERN
BEDFORD COUNTY...
    
At 326 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Buffalo Mills, 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 dangerous storm will be near...
  Bedford, Cessna and St. Clairsville around 340 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Schellsburg, Hyndman, Rainsburg, New Paris and Manns Choice.

This includes the following Interstates...
 The Pennsylvania Turnpike from mile markers 131 to 152.
 Interstate 99 from mile markers 0 to 9.

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 3983 7875 4006 7876 4011 7872 4023 7851
      3980 7832 3978 7833 3976 7879
TIME...MOT...LOC 1926Z 238DEG 30KT 3999 7869 

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

$$

RXR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 21, 2:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSomerset56 min
Aug 21, 2:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSomerset59 min
Aug 21, 2:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCambria, Somerset53 min
Aug 21, 3:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBedford, Fulton, Somerset63 min
Aug 21, 3:37 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPElk23 min
Aug 21, 3:47 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPBedford28 min
Aug 21, 4:04 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPCameron, Elk41 min
Aug 21, 4:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBedford, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon45 min
Aug 21, 4:48 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPElk27 min
Aug 21, 5:01 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPFranklin44 min
Aug 21, 5:14 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPWarren46 min
Aug 21, 5:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPWarren54 min
Aug 21, 6:38 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPWarren37 min
Aug 21, 6:40 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPPotter35 min
Aug 21, 6:41 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPAdams34 min
Aug 21, 7:24 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPAdams36 min
Aug 21, 7:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPMcKean, Warren66 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2018Every tornado warning in 2018Tornadoes in 2018

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.