Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 38, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

August 31, 2021Allegheny County, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 31, 2021, 1:22 PM EDT for Allegheny County, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 2 hr. 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 31, 2021, 1:22 PM EDT (17:22 UTC)
Expired
Aug 31, 2021, 3:49 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Allegheny County, PA, Westmoreland County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:23 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, 5.4 hours before the alert went out and 15 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 2021-08-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 15 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 2021-08-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 2 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
15 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1074 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
84 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

950 
WGUS51 KPBZ 311722
FFWPBZ
PAC003-129-312030-
/O.NEW.KPBZ.FF.W.0038.210831T1722Z-210831T2030Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
122 PM EDT Tue Aug 31 2021

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Central Allegheny County in southwestern Pennsylvania...
  West Central Westmoreland County in southwestern Pennsylvania...

* Until 430 PM EDT.

* At 122 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain 
  have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin 
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Pittsburgh, Penn Hills, Mount Lebanon, Bethel Park, Ross Township, 
  Monroeville, McKeesport, Shaler Township, Plum, West Mifflin, 
  North Side Pittsburgh, Baldwin, Upper St. Clair, Murrysville, 
  Scott Township, Wilkinsburg, Whitehall, South Park Township, 
  Robinson Township and Munhall.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood 
deaths occur in vehicles.

&&

LAT...LON 4034 7978 4032 8010 4038 8023 4046 8025
      4052 7998 4049 7978 4044 7970 4037 7970

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

Brown
1 follow-up statement
035 
WGUS71 KPBZ 311949
FFSPBZ

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
349 PM EDT Tue Aug 31 2021

PAC003-129-311959-
/O.CAN.KPBZ.FF.W.0038.000000T0000Z-210831T2030Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Allegheny PA-Westmoreland PA-
349 PM EDT Tue Aug 31 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR CENTRAL ALLEGHENY AND WEST 
CENTRAL WESTMORELAND COUNTIES...

Flood waters have receded. The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no 
longer expected to pose a threat. Please continue to heed remaining 
road closures.

LAT...LON 4034 7978 4032 8010 4038 8023 4046 8025
      4052 7998 4049 7978 4044 7970 4037 7970

$$

JL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 31, 12:25 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPBZWestmoreland2 hr
Aug 31, 12:43 PM EDTRiver Flood WatchPBZFayette, Washington56 hr
Aug 31, 12:43 PM EDTRiver Flood WatchPBZAllegheny, Westmoreland62 hr
Aug 31, 1:14 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZWestmoreland76 min
Aug 31, 2:41 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPBZAllegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland2 hr
Aug 31, 3:55 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPBZAllegheny, Washington, Westmoreland2 hr
Aug 31, 5:05 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPBZWashington115 min
Aug 31, 5:52 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZAllegheny, Washington, Westmoreland113 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2021Every flash flood warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.