Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2019

Tornado Warning 9, NWS State College, PA

May 23, 2019Cambria County, Somerset County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at May 23, 2019, 9:09 PM EDT for Cambria County, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 34 min. 4 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: May 23, 2019, 9:09 PM EDT (01:09 UTC)
Expired: May 23, 2019, 9:43 PM EDT
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS State College, PA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.0 in

Counties Cambria County, PA, Somerset County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:14 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
May 23, 9:10 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Johnstown, PA	MULTIPLE TREES DOWN IN AND AROUND JOHNSTOWN
May 23, 9:12 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Daisytown, PA	STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS STRIPPED THE METAL ROOFING OFF OF A CHURCH BUILDING.
May 23, 9:14 PM EDT	TORNADO	Westmont, PA	AN EF0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN WESTMONT, PRODUCING MAXIMUM WINDS OF 85 MPH ALONG PATH THAT WAS JUST OVER 1.5 MILES IN LENGTH AND HAD A MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH OF APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS.
May 23, 9:17 PM EDT	HAIL 1	Johnstown, PA

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

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KAGC), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 108 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: 485 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1287 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 206 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 276 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.6
Supercell composite: 10.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

180 
WFUS51 KCTP 240109
TORCTP
PAC021-111-240200-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0009.190524T0109Z-190524T0200Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service State College PA
909 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019

The National Weather Service in State College PA has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Somerset County in south central Pennsylvania...
  Southwestern Cambria County in central Pennsylvania...

* Until 1000 PM EDT.
    
* At 909 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Westmont, moving southeast at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Tree damage will occur. Damage to roofs, windows, and 
           vehicles is likely. Flying debris will be dangerous to 
           those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be 
           damaged or destroyed.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Johnstown, Westmont, Southmont, Tire Hill, Dale, Daisytown, Jerome 
  and East Conemaugh around 910 PM EDT.
  Windber, Belmont, Scalp Level, Paint, Geistown, Davidsville and 
  Salix-Beauty Line Park around 920 PM EDT.
  Ogletown, Central City and Dunlo around 930 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Benson, Lorain, Elim, Brownstown, Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Historic Site, John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport,
University Of Pittsburgh - Johnstown and Hooversville.

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 4024 7909 4040 7897 4026 7864 4021 7868
      4007 7874 4007 7876
TIME...MOT...LOC 0109Z 301DEG 38KT 4030 7898 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

KF

1 follow-up statement

455 
WWUS51 KCTP 240143
SVSCTP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
943 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019

PAC021-111-240152-
/O.CAN.KCTP.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-190524T0200Z/
Somerset PA-Cambria PA-
943 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN SOMERSET AND SOUTHWESTERN
CAMBRIA COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
        
The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until midnight EDT for
south central and central Pennsylvania.

LAT...LON 4024 7909 4040 7897 4026 7864 4021 7868
      4007 7874 4007 7876
TIME...MOT...LOC 0142Z 301DEG 38KT 4012 7858 

$$

KF

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 23, 8:16 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Centre	59 min
May 23, 8:42 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Cambria	18 min
May 23, 8:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Centre, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Snyder	53 min
May 23, 8:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Cambria, Somerset	32 min
May 23, 9:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Columbia	30 min
May 23, 9:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Juniata, Perry	34 min
May 23, 9:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Bedford, Cambria, Somerset	45 min
May 23, 9:42 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Mifflin	18 min
May 23, 10:00 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Lebanon	45 min
May 23, 10:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry	55 min
May 23, 10:12 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Lebanon	35 min
May 23, 10:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Bedford, Fulton	30 min
May 23, 10:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Lancaster, York	55 min
May 23, 10:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Franklin	22 min
May 23, 10:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Lancaster	35 min
May 23, 10:59 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Blair, Huntingdon	31 min
May 23, 11:02 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CTP	Lancaster	13 min
May 23, 11:14 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Cumberland	61 min
May 23, 11:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Somerset	33 min
May 23, 11:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Adams, Cumberland, York	61 min
May 24, 12:18 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Bedford, Somerset	42 min
May 24, 12:35 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	York	40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2019 Every tornado warning in 2019 Tornadoes in 2019

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.