Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 160, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 15, 2020, 3:46 PM EST for Cambria County, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 48 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Nov 15, 2020, 3:46 PM EST (20:46 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 15, 2020, 4:34 PM EST
- In force
- 48 min
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 0.75 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Cambria County, PA, Somerset County, PA
The radar
The State College radar (KCCX), 106 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:48 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 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 106 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2536 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 73 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 552 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 541 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Nov 15, 2:50 PM EST, 56 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 15, 2:50 PM EST, 56 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 250 PM EST Sun Nov 15 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Windswept rain showers will continue today with an increasing potential for strong to locally damaging winds associated with a sharp cold frontal passage. A stretch of gusty winds will continue through early week with temperatures trending below average. Lake effect snow accumulation remains probable in the northwest PA snowbelts and parts of the western Alleghenies Monday night through Tuesday. The early to midweek cool down will be short-lived as temperatures rebound quickly and trend warmer to above average by the end of next week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Risk happens slowly, then all at once. Low-topped squall line heading for NW PA has produced numerous measured severe wind gusts of 60-75+ mph across northern/central OH over the past couple of hours. Current expectations are for this line to continue moving rapidly east-northeastward across northeastern OH into northwestern PA through the rest of the afternoon. Severe Thunderstorm Watch #510 has been issued for the NW Alleghenies through 600 PM EST. We are monitoring the potential for another low-topped SQ line capable of producing strong to locally damaging winds this evening across the eastern 1/2 of the CWA. There may be a bit more instability available into southeast PA, but the best kinematic forcing is over NW PA. Forecast soundings and upstream obs suggest advisory level gusts are likely to occur on a larger scale behind sharp cold frontal passage, owing to steep lapse rates and strong post- frontal pressure rises. We expanded the wind advisory east of the Alleghenies and pushed out the endtime to 03 UTC Mon. Key takeaway: windswept rain through this evening with max gusts up to 50 mph (locally higher within low-topped squall line). Temperatures will head lower tonight but gusty winds should keep minT above guidance. Rain/snow showers are possible across the far NW snowbelt late tonight into early Monday. Unfavorable /SWLY/ low level trajectories and marginal sfc temps should limit snow accumulation. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY/... Brisk and colder on Monday with gusty west winds 30+mph. Max temps (mid 30s to around 50F) will be near to several degrees below average with the largest departures from normal across the NW Alleghenies. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... An upper-level trough with a few embedded short-waves will swing through the northeast CONUS. A northwest flow of seasonably chilly air should support a period of lake effect snow showers across the northwest mountains/Laurel Highlands Tuesday into Tuesday night. A deep well-mixed layer and cloud temps in the -12 to -18C range through a several kft depth of the upper cloud layer will support good dendritic growth and decent snowfall rates of 1/2 to 1 inch per hour in the expected multiple snowbands. NBM guidance seemed too low with lake effect potential Tuesday and Tuesday night so leaned more toward the superblend with the Sunday morning update. A few inches of accumulation are possible over the northwest zones with 1 to 2 inches over the Laurels. A coating to an inch will be possible elsewhere over the Allegheny Plateau. Areas farther south and east may see flurries, but no accumulation is expected due to ground temperatures just above freezing. A few flurries may linger over the northwest Wednesday, otherwise looking at a dry and chilly day. Latest ECENS and GEFS support fair and progressively milder weather the second half of the week, as upper trough lifts out and ridging builds over the eastern CONUS. Ensemble plumes indicate well above normal temperatures are likely by late in the week, as surface high slips off the Mid Atlantic coast and southwesterly return flow develops. && .AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Windswept rain showers will move quickly across the airspace this afternoon and evening, and may be accompanied by locally strong sfc wind gusts 40+kt. Flight cats will be variable with brief vis restrictions in heavier downpours and fluctuations in cigs from VFR to IFR. A sharp cold front will sweep through the airspace with winds shifting to 240-270 degrees and post- frontal gusts of 40+kt still possible through the evening. A gusty westerly flow will maintain low cigs across the wrn 1/3 of the airspace into Monday. Conditions will trend VFR to the east of the Alleghenies. Outlook... Mon...MVFR cigs wrn 1/3. Gusty winds 25-30kt from 270 degrees subsiding late. Tue...MVFR cigs and IFR vis psbl over the wrn highlands in scattered snow showers. Gusty winds 25-30kts from 280-310 degrees. Wed...Low cigs psbl early wrn 1/3. Bcmg VFR with winds subsiding. Thu...VFR/no sig wx. Gusty winds psbl from 240 degrees. Fri...VFR/no sig wx. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 10 PM EST this evening for PAZ004>006- 010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066. && SYNOPSIS...Steinbugl NEAR TERM...Steinbugl SHORT TERM...Lambert/Gutierrez LONG TERM...Fitzgerald/Travis AVIATION...Steinbugl
Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 15, 2:08 PM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service State College PA 208 PM EST Sun Nov 15 2020 PAZ012-018-019-025>028-034>036-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059- 063>066-161915- Northern Clinton-Northern Centre-Southern Centre-Blair-Huntingdon- Mifflin-Juniata-Bedford-Fulton-Franklin-Northern Lycoming-Sullivan- Southern Clinton-Southern Lycoming-Union-Snyder-Montour- Northumberland-Columbia-Perry-Dauphin-Schuylkill-Lebanon-Cumberland- Adams-York-Lancaster- 208 PM EST Sun Nov 15 2020 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov/StateCollege on the internet for more information about the following hazards. Wind Advisory. Locally strong to damaging winds are possible within heavy showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and early evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Gusty west to northwest winds of 30 to 40 are possible on Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather. PAZ024-033-037-161915- Cambria-Somerset-Tioga- 208 PM EST Sun Nov 15 2020 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov/StateCollege on the internet for more information about the following hazards. Wind Advisory. Locally strong to damaging winds are possible within heavy showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and early evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Lake effect snow accumulation is probable late Monday night through early Wednesday. The combination of accumulating snow and gusty winds may result in travel disruptions. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather. PAZ004>006-010-011-017-161915- Warren-McKean-Potter-Elk-Cameron-Clearfield- 208 PM EST Sun Nov 15 2020 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 510 IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov/StateCollege on the internet for more information about the following hazards. Wind Advisory. Severe Thunderstorm Watch. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Lake effect snow accumulation is probable late Monday night through early Wednesday. The combination of accumulating snow and gusty winds may result in travel disruptions. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather. MRS
In the hours before
Local storm report, Nov 15, 3:22 PM EST, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
322 PM EST SUN NOV 15 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0317 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 W GARLAND 41.80N 79.46W
11/15/2020 WARREN PA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE DOWN ON ROUTE 27 NEAR SCHELL RD.
&&
JRBLocal storm report, Nov 15, 3:26 PM EST, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
326 PM EST SUN NOV 15 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0325 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 SE LOTTSVILLE 41.91N 79.43W
11/15/2020 WARREN PA 911 CALL CENTER
WIRES DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF BULL
HILL RD AND US-958.
&&
JRBLocal storm report, Nov 15, 3:33 PM EST, 13 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Nov 15, 3:34 PM EST, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
334 PM EST SUN NOV 15 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0333 PM TSTM WND DMG SUGAR GROVE 41.98N 79.34W
11/15/2020 WARREN PA 911 CALL CENTER
MULTIPLE REPORTS OF TREES DOWN IN SUGAR
GROVE.
&&
JRBLocal storm report, Nov 15, 3:40 PM EST, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
340 PM EST SUN NOV 15 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0332 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 WSW YOUNGSVILLE 41.85N 79.33W
11/15/2020 WARREN PA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE ON A CAR IN THE 490 BLOCK OF OLD
PITTSFIELD RD.
&&
JRBThe office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 2:49 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Warren | 59 min |
| Nov 15, 3:30 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Clearfield, Elk, McKean | 63 min |
| Nov 15, 4:23 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Bedford | 34 min |
| Nov 15, 4:55 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, York | 80 min |
| Nov 15, 5:51 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York | 84 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2020Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.