Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 1, NWS State College, PA

May 4, 2021Elk County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at May 4, 2021, 2:49 PM EDT for Elk County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 26 min. 2 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 4, 2021, 2:49 PM EDT (18:49 UTC)
Expired: May 4, 2021, 3:15 PM EDT
In force: 26 min
Issued by: NWS State College, PA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Elk County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 55 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:51 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 4, 2:51 PM EDT	TORNADO	3 Nnw Force, PA	PHOTOS SHOW SEVERAL TRESS SNAPPED OR UPROOTED ALONG OLD BYRNEDALE RD AND ROUTE 255 FROM A TORNADO THAT BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN WITH WIND EST 90 MPH.
May 4, 2:53 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Nnw Force, PA	TREES ON WIRES. POWER COMPANY REPORTED AN OUTAGE WITH THE CAUSE BEING TREE DAMAGE.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 6.8 hours before the alert went out and 170 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 662 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 157 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 163 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

203 
WFUS51 KCTP 041849
TORCTP
PAC047-041915-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0001.210504T1849Z-210504T1915Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service State College PA
249 PM EDT Tue May 4 2021

The National Weather Service in State College PA has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Elk County in north central Pennsylvania...

* Until 315 PM EDT.
    
* At 249 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Force, moving east at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  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...
  Force around 250 PM EDT.
  Medix Run around 300 PM EDT.
  Benezette around 310 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Weedville.

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 4127 7859 4133 7859 4136 7828 4129 7828
      4124 7834
TIME...MOT...LOC 1849Z 268DEG 25KT 4130 7853 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

Dangelo

1 follow-up statement

028 
WWUS51 KCTP 041904
SVSCTP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
304 PM EDT Tue May 4 2021

PAC047-041915-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-210504T1915Z/
Elk PA-
304 PM EDT Tue May 4 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN ELK COUNTY...
    
At 304 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Benezette, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

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 tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
southeastern Elk County.

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 4129 7847 4134 7846 4136 7828 4129 7828
      4128 7829
TIME...MOT...LOC 1904Z 266DEG 25KT 4132 7838 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

Dangelo

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 4, 2:32 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Elk	43 min
May 4, 3:12 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Elk	33 min
May 4, 3:23 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CTP	Cameron, Elk	2 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2021 Every tornado warning in 2021 Tornadoes in 2021

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.