Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Special Weather Statements in 2021

Special Weather Statement, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

July 29, 2021Washington County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this special weather statement at Jul 29, 2021, 6:55 PM EDT for Washington County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 35 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 29, 2021, 6:55 PM EDT (22:55 UTC)
Expired
Jul 29, 2021, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA

County Washington County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 52 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:58 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, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 45 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 2021-07-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 136 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2021-07-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 175 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
136 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-76 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1222 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
213 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

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What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at Jul 29, 1:37 PM EDT, 5 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 1:37 PM EDT, 5 hours 18 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
137 PM EDT Thu Jul 29 2021

.SYNOPSIS...
Showers and thunderstorms will be crossing the area today with the
passage of a cold front. High pressure returns dry and seasonably
cool conditions for the first half of the weekend.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
A shortwave will finish its exit through the region shortly, pushing
most convection east while leaving a residual trail of cloud cover.
Though storms may continue north of I-80 due weak sfc convergence,
the main focus will be on scattered shower and thunderstorm
development ahead of an approaching pre-frontal trough this afternoon
and early evening.

Storms could become severe with damaging wind and large hail the
primary threats in part due to abundant shear and increasingly dry
mid-level air. However, there are two factors that may limit the
threat, keeping confidence low that one even develops. The first
factor is waning upper support as the sfc feature lags behind the
exiting shortwave; more limited storm coverage is the likely outcome
of this. The other factor is instability, or the lack thereof, at
the moment given excessive cloud cover from this morning's
convection. Very simply: more heating/destabilization is needed to
foster robust storm development and tap into the shear/dry air to
create the severe threat.

Overnight, additional weak shortwaves and the passage of the sfc cold
front may aid iso/sct showers with localized thunder. Otherwise,
drier conditions are expected due to building high pressure and dry, cold
advection.

&&

.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/...
High pressure will slowly build in from the northwest on Friday with
dry conditions expected through Saturday. Temperatures will run
below seasonal averages under cold advection.

&&

.LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
Another shortwave within the broad eastern U.S. upper trough will
push a weak sfc cold front through the region Sunday, increasing
precipitation chances.

High pressure should resume influence over the upper Ohio River
Valley heading into next week under weak upper troughing, with
temperature near to slightly below seasonal averages.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
Initial activity associated with a shortwave trough/MCV is currently
exiting the region, with MGW/DUJ possibly keeping a brief
restriction right at TAF time.

Another round of at least scattered showers and thunderstorms are
expected to develop in association with a pre-frontal trough during
the afternoon. Uncertainty regarding storm coverage and intensity
remains, and depends on the degree of destabilization that we can
achieve. Still, elected to keep a period of VCTS for several hours,
and tried to time the most likely period of impact in TEMPO groups at
the terminals. A direct hit will likely result in a brief period of
IFR/LIFR visibility and perhaps strong wind gusts.

Activity should dissipate/move off this evening with the departure of
the trough and the loss of instability. As the cold front drops
across the region overnight, a period of MVFR ceilings and mist is
possible at most terminals. Once daytime mixing commences on Friday,
ceilings will likely break, and VFR conditions and light northwest
wind will develop by midday.

.Outlook...
Restrictions are possible with a Sunday cold front.

&&

.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PA...None.
OH...None.
WV...None.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 29, 3:18 PM EDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
318 PM EDT Thu Jul 29 2021

OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ014-020>023-029-031-073>076-
WVZ001>004-012-021-509>514-301930-
Tuscarawas-Carroll-Columbiana-Coshocton-Harrison-Jefferson OH-
Muskingum-Guernsey-Belmont-Noble-Monroe-Butler-Beaver-Allegheny-
Armstrong-Indiana-Washington-Greene-Westmoreland-
Higher Elevations of Westmoreland-Fayette-
Higher Elevations of Fayette-Hancock-Brooke-Ohio-Marshall-Wetzel-
Marion-Monongalia-
Ridges of Eastern Monongalia and Northwestern Preston-Preston-
Eastern Preston-Western Tucker-Eastern Tucker-
318 PM EDT Thu Jul 29 2021

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 403 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Ohio, southwest
Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible today. Damaging wind
gusts would be the primary threat, but large hail and a tornado or
two cannot be ruled out. However, there is a fair amount of
uncertainty whether the severe threat will develop.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather
conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures.

PAZ007>009-013-015-016-301930-
Mercer-Venango-Forest-Lawrence-Clarion-Jefferson PA-
318 PM EDT Thu Jul 29 2021

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for western Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible today. Damaging wind
gusts would be the primary threat, but large hail and a tornado or
two cannot be ruled out. However, there is a fair amount of
uncertainty whether the severe threat will develop.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather
conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 29, 6:00 PM EDT, 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
600 PM EDT THU JUL 29 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0559 PM     TORNADO          NEW ALEXANDRIA          40.29N  80.68W
07/29/2021                   JEFFERSON          OH   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TORNADO REPORTED SEEN ON THE GROUND IN NEW ALEXANDRIA
            PARTIALLY WRAPPED IN RAIN BANDS.

&&

EVENT NUMBER PBZ2102025

FLH
Local storm report, Jul 29, 6:18 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 29, 6:25 PM EDT, 30 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 29, 6:35 PM EDT, 20 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 29, 6:38 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 29, 6:55 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 29, 8:47 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZVenango28 min
Jul 29, 12:51 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZVenango24 min
Jul 29, 1:58 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZFayette, Westmoreland22 min
Jul 29, 3:34 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZArmstrong26 min
Jul 29, 4:01 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZArmstrong29 min
Jul 29, 4:43 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZBeaver32 min
Jul 29, 5:09 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZIndiana36 min
Jul 29, 5:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZIndiana30 min
Jul 29, 5:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZGreene, Washington36 min
Jul 29, 5:48 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZGreene, Washington27 min
Jul 29, 5:59 PM EDTTornado Warning Tornado observedPBZWashington31 min
Jul 29, 6:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZFayette, Greene52 min
Jul 29, 6:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZGreene32 min
Jul 29, 6:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZFayette, Greene28 min
Jul 29, 6:35 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZWashington25 min
Jul 29, 7:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZGreene, Washington45 min
Jul 29, 7:34 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZGreene26 min
Jul 29, 4:53 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZBrooke22 min
Jul 29, 5:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBrooke, Hancock47 min
Jul 29, 5:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZMarshall38 min
Jul 29, 5:39 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZBrooke, Hancock21 min
Jul 29, 6:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBrooke, Ohio48 min
Jul 29, 3:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZMuskingum27 min
Jul 29, 3:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZCoshocton, Guernsey, Muskingum44 min
Jul 29, 4:05 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZColumbiana25 min
Jul 29, 4:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZGuernsey, Monroe, Muskingum, Noble48 min
Jul 29, 4:15 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZGuernsey45 min
Jul 29, 4:20 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZHarrison25 min
Jul 29, 4:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZCarroll, Columbiana, Jefferson45 min
Jul 29, 4:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBelmont, Harrison, Jefferson14 min
Jul 29, 4:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZMonroe, Noble36 min
Jul 29, 5:02 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZCarroll, Columbiana, Jefferson13 min
Jul 29, 5:14 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZCarroll, Columbiana, Jefferson16 min
Jul 29, 6:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBelmont, Harrison, Jefferson24 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Pennsylvania, 2021Every special weather statement 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.