Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Watches in 2020

Flash Flood Watch 1, NWS State College, PA

March 28, 20205 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood watch at Mar 28, 2020, 10:00 PM EDT for 5 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Mar 28, 2020, 10:00 PM EDT (02:00 UTC)
Expired: Mar 29, 2020, 4:26 AM EDT
In force: 6 hr
Issued by: NWS State College, PA
Flood severity: None

Counties Blair County, PA, Cambria County, PA, Centre County, PA, Clearfield County, PA, Huntingdon County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:01 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 (KPIT), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 157 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: 8 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -245 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1217 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 107 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 172 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood watch went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood watch went out at Mar 28, 7:35 PM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 28, 7:35 PM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 28, 5:27 AM EDT, 16 hours 33 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service State College PA
527 AM EDT Sat Mar 28 2020

PAZ004-005-010-011-017-024-033-290930-
Warren-McKean-Elk-Cameron-Clearfield-Cambria-Somerset-
527 AM EDT Sat Mar 28 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Periods of heavier rain are possible today into tonight, with a
widespread 1 to 1.5 inches bringing rises to streams and rivers. In
addition, a few strong thunderstorms with gusty winds are possible
this afternoon and tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Scattered strong thunderstorms with gusty winds are possible during
the late morning and early afternoon hours Sunday. The main threat
for strong storms will be along and to the west of Route 219 as a
cold front pushes east into the region.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter are encouraged to relay severe weather reports to the
National Weather Service.

PAZ006-012-018-019-025>028-034>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059-
063>066-290930-
Potter-Northern Clinton-Northern Centre-Southern Centre-Blair-
Huntingdon-Mifflin-Juniata-Bedford-Fulton-Franklin-Tioga-
Northern Lycoming-Sullivan-Southern Clinton-Southern Lycoming-Union-
Snyder-Montour-Northumberland-Columbia-Perry-Dauphin-Schuylkill-
Lebanon-Cumberland-Adams-York-Lancaster-
527 AM EDT Sat Mar 28 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Periods of heavier rain are possible today into tonight, with a
widespread 1 to 1.5 inches bringing rises to streams and rivers.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Scattered strong thunderstorms with gusty winds are possible during
the afternoon hours Sunday. The main threat for strong storms will
likely be near and to the south of the Interstate 81 corridor.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter are encouraged to relay severe weather reports to the
National Weather Service.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 28, 4:10 PM EDT, 5 hours 50 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
410 PM EDT Sat Mar 28 2020

PAZ017-024-282045-
Clearfield PA-Cambria PA-
410 PM EDT Sat Mar 28 2020

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...

At 409 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated strong thunderstorms 11 miles
north of Hastings, moving east at 50 mph.

Pea size hail is possible with these storms.

Locations impacted include...
Hastings, Osceola Mills, Houtzdale, Blandburg, Prince Gallitzin State
Park, Irvona, Coalport, Ramey, Brisbin, Westover, Mahaffey, Burnside,
Glen Hope and New Washington.

LAT...LON 4072 7880 4089 7880 4085 7827 4084 7829
      4082 7830 4080 7834 4076 7837 4072 7835
      4065 7840 4064 7844 4060 7845 4069 7882
TIME...MOT...LOC 2009Z 278DEG 42KT 4083 7872

Evanego

Special weather statement, Mar 28, 5:12 PM EDT, 4 hours 48 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
512 PM EDT Sat Mar 28 2020

PAZ017-282145-
Clearfield PA-
512 PM EDT Sat Mar 28 2020

...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...

At 512 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated strong thunderstorms near
Rockton, moving east at 50 mph.

Pea size hail is possible with these storms.

Locations impacted include...
DuBois, Clearfield, Sandy, Woodland, Curwensville, Hyde,
Plymptonville, Rockton, Lecontes Mills, S.B. Elliot State Park,
Morrisdale, West Decatur, Grampian, Kylertown, Wallaceton,
Troutville, Lumber City and Clearfield-Lawrence Airport.

LAT...LON 4111 7880 4120 7819 4093 7817 4092 7818
      4094 7880
TIME...MOT...LOC 2112Z 262DEG 69KT 4101 7873

Evanego

Special weather statement, Mar 28, 5:20 PM EDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
520 PM EDT Sat Mar 28 2020

PAZ024-033-282145-
Somerset PA-Cambria PA-
520 PM EDT Sat Mar 28 2020

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT PARTS OF SOMERSET AND CAMBRIA
COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM EDT...

At 520 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated strong thunderstorms along a
line extending from near Black Lick to 8 miles west of Westmont to 8
miles south of Lawson Heights. Movement was east at 45 mph.

Wind gusts of 40 mph and pea size hail are possible.

Locations impacted include...
Johnstown, Somerset, Westmont, Windber, Belmont, Portage, Geistown,
Southmont, Friedens, Vinco, Boswell, Dale, East Conemaugh,
Salix-Beauty Line Park, Davidsville, Central City,
Beaverdale-Lloydell, Paint, Jerome and Lilly.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 4012 7921 4011 7919 4012 7917 4016 7916
      4018 7913 4020 7913 4036 7900 4047 7893
      4043 7855 4037 7856 4035 7861 4008 7873
      4006 7876 3999 7877 4007 7927
TIME...MOT...LOC 2120Z 276DEG 38KT 4045 7912 4033 7912 4017 7937

Evanego

Special weather statement, Mar 28, 6:00 PM EDT, 4 hours before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 28, 10:33 PM EDT	River Flood Warning	CTP	Blair, Huntingdon	6 hr
Mar 28, 10:43 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Cambria, Somerset	2 hr
Mar 29, 1:58 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	McKean	47 min
Mar 29, 2:32 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Elk	28 min
Mar 29, 2:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CTP	Cameron, Elk, McKean, Potter	49 min
Mar 29, 3:35 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	McKean	40 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Watches in Pennsylvania, 2020 Every flash flood watch in 2020

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.