Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2023

Tornado Warning 16, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 2, 2023Berks County, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at Jul 2, 2023, 6:16 PM EDT for Berks County, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 29 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 2, 2023, 6:16 PM EDT (22:16 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 2023, 6:45 PM EDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Berks County, PA, Lehigh County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 128 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:16 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 2, 4:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 227 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2023-07-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 137 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2023-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 7 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
137 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-151 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1034 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
21 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

971 
WFUS51 KPHI 022216
TORPHI
PAC011-077-022245-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0016.230702T2216Z-230702T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
616 PM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania...
  Central Lehigh County in eastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 645 PM EDT.
    
* At 615 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Kutztown, or 15 miles northeast of Reading, moving
  east at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  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...
  Allentown, Emmaus, Kutztown, Fleetwood, Topton, Lyons, Ancient
  Oaks, Claussville, Macungie and Alburtis.

This includes the following highways...
 Northeast Extension between mile markers 50 and 61.
 Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 39 and 57.

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 4045 7585 4058 7586 4066 7552 4050 7549
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 260DEG 24KT 4055 7579 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Fitzsimmons
2 follow-up statements
819 
WWUS51 KPHI 022225
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
625 PM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023

PAC011-077-022245-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0016.000000T0000Z-230702T2245Z/
Berks PA-Lehigh PA-
625 PM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM EDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN BERKS AND CENTRAL LEHIGH COUNTIES...
        
At 624 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Kutztown, or 14 miles west of Allentown, moving east
at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Weather spotters reported a funnel cloud. At 6:18 PM, video 
         was received of a funnel cloud within the tornado warned 
         storm. 

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...
Allentown, Emmaus, Kutztown, Topton, Ancient Oaks, Claussville,
Macungie and Alburtis.

This includes the following highways...
 Northeast Extension between mile markers 50 and 60.
 Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 42 and 57.

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 4050 7578 4059 7580 4066 7552 4050 7549
TIME...MOT...LOC 2224Z 257DEG 18KT 4055 7575 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$
Hoeflich
258 
WWUS51 KPHI 022242
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
642 PM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023

PAC011-077-022248-
/O.EXP.KPHI.TO.W.0016.000000T0000Z-230702T2245Z/
Berks PA-Lehigh PA-
642 PM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN BERKS AND CENTRAL LEHIGH
COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 645 PM EDT...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.  However gusty
winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

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

LAT...LON 4050 7578 4059 7580 4066 7552 4050 7549
TIME...MOT...LOC 2238Z 260DEG 24KT 4057 7563 

$$

Fitzsimmons

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 5:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBerks, Lehigh52 min
Jul 2, 6:33 PM EDTTornado WarningPHIBerks, Chester, Montgomery27 min
Jul 2, 6:57 PM EDTTornado WarningPHIBerks, Chester, Montgomery9 min
Jul 2, 7:06 PM EDTTornado WarningPHIChester24 min
Jul 2, 7:23 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIBerks2 hr
Jul 2, 7:25 PM EDTTornado WarningPHIChester35 min
Jul 2, 7:57 PM EDTTornado Warning Tornado observedPHIChester33 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.