Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2023

Tornado Warning 11, NWS Cleveland, OH

July 20, 2023Erie County, Pennsylvania

NWS Cleveland, OH issued this tornado warning at Jul 20, 2023, 6:00 PM EDT for Erie County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 30 min. 6 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
Jul 20, 2023, 6:00 PM EDT (22:00 UTC)
Expired
Jul 20, 2023, 6:30 PM EDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Cleveland, OH
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.75 in

County Erie County, PA

The radar

The Buffalo radar (KBUF), 141 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:05 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 20, 6:05 PM EDTHAIL 11 W Union City, PA
Jul 20, 6:05 PM EDTHAIL 11 W Union City, PA
Jul 20, 6:15 PM EDTHAIL 1Elgin, PAHail damaged some vehicles and also tore off window screens.
Jul 20, 6:15 PM EDTHAIL 1Elgin, PAHail damaged some vehicles and also tore off window screens.
Jul 20, 6:30 PM EDTHAIL 2Corry, PANorth side of Corry, PA.
Jul 20, 6:30 PM EDTHAIL 2Corry, PANorth side of Corry, PA.

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

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 20, 2:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 141 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2023-07-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2023-07-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 36 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1391 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
36 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

226 
WFUS51 KCLE 202200
TORCLE
PAC049-202230-
/O.NEW.KCLE.TO.W.0011.230720T2200Z-230720T2230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Cleveland OH
600 PM EDT Thu Jul 20 2023

The National Weather Service in Cleveland has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Erie County in northwestern Pennsylvania...

* Until 630 PM EDT.
    
* At 600 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Union City, or 17 miles southeast of Erie, moving
  east at 20 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and golf ball size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* Locations impacted include...
  Corry, Union City, Wattsburg and Elgin. 

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.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 4186 7993 4195 7994 4196 7997 4203 7996
      4204 7976 4200 7975 4200 7962 4199 7961
      4186 7961
TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 276DEG 16KT 4192 7988 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.75 IN

$$

Sullivan
2 follow-up statements
512 
WWUS51 KCLE 202215
SVSCLE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Cleveland OH
615 PM EDT Thu Jul 20 2023

PAC049-202230-
/O.CON.KCLE.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-230720T2230Z/
Erie PA-
615 PM EDT Thu Jul 20 2023

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN ERIE COUNTY...
    
At 615 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado 
was located between Corry and Union City, or 23 miles southeast of 
Erie, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and golf ball size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
Corry and Elgin. 

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.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 4186 7977 4188 7981 4193 7985 4198 7987
      4200 7975 4200 7962 4199 7961 4186 7961
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 269DEG 28KT 4190 7973 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.75 IN

$$

Sullivan
859 
WWUS51 KCLE 202232
SVSCLE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Cleveland OH
632 PM EDT Thu Jul 20 2023

PAC049-202241-
/O.EXP.KCLE.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-230720T2230Z/
Erie PA-
632 PM EDT Thu Jul 20 2023

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN ERIE COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...
    
The tornado threat has diminished and the Tornado Warning has been
cancelled. However, large hail and damaging winds remain likely and a
Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect for the area.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM EDT for
northwestern Pennsylvania.

Remember, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning still remains in effect for
Erie County until 700 PM EDT. 

LAT...LON 4186 7977 4188 7981 4193 7985 4198 7987
      4200 7975 4200 7962 4199 7961 4186 7961
TIME...MOT...LOC 2231Z 276DEG 16KT 4189 7963 

$$

Greenawalt

The office that day

Everything else NWS Cleveland, OH issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 20, 1:31 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCLEErie74 min
Jul 20, 1:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLEErie39 min
Jul 20, 4:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLEErie56 min
Jul 20, 5:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLEErie60 min
Jul 20, 5:34 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCLEErie3 hr
Jul 20, 5:36 PM EDTTornado WarningCLEErie24 min
Jul 20, 6:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLECrawford, Erie31 min
Jul 20, 6:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatCLECrawford, Erie76 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2023Every tornado warning in 2023Tornadoes in 2023

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.