Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2024

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 55, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

April 17, 2024Greene County, Washington County, Pennsylvania; Marshall County, Ohio County, West Virginia; Belmont County, Monroe County, Ohio

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 17, 2024, 8:00 PM EDT for Greene County, Washington County, Pennsylvania; Marshall County, Ohio County, West Virginia; Belmont County, Monroe County, Ohio. It was in force for 22 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 17, 2024, 8:00 PM EDT (00:00 UTC)
Expired
Apr 17, 2024, 8:22 PM EDT
In force
22 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Belmont County, OH, Monroe County, OH, Greene County, PA, Washington County, PA, Marshall County, WV, Ohio County, WV

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 73 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:01 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
Apr 17, 3:46 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), launched 00:00Z, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 277 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, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 2024-04-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 197 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, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 2024-04-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 53 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
197 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1786 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 17, 7:02 PM EDT, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 17, 7:02 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
702 PM EDT Wed Apr 17 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
Cold front will cross the area this evening bringing
thunderstorms. After a brief dry period Thursday, another cold
front moving through very late Thursday night and Friday will
bring another round of showers before a period of cool and dry
weather moves in for Saturday through Monday.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/...
KEY MESSAGES:

-  Severe thunderstorms with very large hail and damaging winds
   until midnight.

------------------------------------------------------------------

For the evening update...refining PoPs with the line of storms
moving through the region. Used a blend of hires and blended
guidance. Timing of latest hires guidance has sped the eastward
movement up just a bit. This lines up well with current radar
speeds. Rapid end to the rain behind the front, so PoPs were
decreased faster later this evening and overnight. Made some
adjustments to late night cloud cover as the threat for stratocu
still remains. Rest of the forecast looks goods.

Previous discussion...

500 mb trough with 50-60 meter height falls rolls through this
evening with associated band of severe thunderstorms along cold
front. A band of supercells has formed ahead of the surface
cold front and will move steadily into eastern OH, western PA,
and northern WV early this evening.

MLCAPE of 1,500 J/kg coupled with 7 to 7.5 C/km lapse rates and
0-6 km shear of 40-50 knots supports large to very large hail.
The 17z KILN had several SARS analogs with 2"+ hail. LCL values
are a bit high for strong tornadoes in the 1,300 m range.
However with 20-30 knots of 0-1km shear tornadoes are possible
especially in Ohio counties before upscale evolution to a solid
squall line focuses threat on wind damage.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
KEY MESSAGES:

- Above normal temperature and dry weather expected for
  transitory day Thursday.
- Another round of showers and low probability thunderstorms
  expected Friday with cold front passage.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Height rises with 500mb ridge move across area Thursday bring
brief period of dry weather with weak surface ridge at the
surface.

A deep upper low then moves across Ontario Thursday night and
Friday with 200 meter height falls into Quebec. Although this is
a glancing blow this far south, it does induce a wave of low
pressure, pushing a cold front through the Upper Ohio River
valley with showers expected starting very late Thursday night
in Ohio and moving through rest of area Friday.

Heights fall about 80 meters Friday night in wake of cold front
and usher in colder air to set up the weekend as 850 mb
temperatures fall to about 0C during the night.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
KEY MESSAGES:

- Dry but cooler conditions expected for the weekend.
- Periodic shortwave passages may offer brief precipitation
  windows through the middle of next week.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Dry and cool westerly flow aloft expected Saturday through
Monday. A large Canadian High settles into the central CONUS
with persistent northwest surface flow and gradually cooling 850
mb temps. By Saturday evening they will drop to -2 to -4C, then
-4 to -6C by early Sunday morning.

While 30s are possible Saturday night, Sunday night appears to
be the coldest with clear skies and light winds creating
favorable conditions for radiational cooling. Even though
boundary layer starts to warm with 850 mb temps warming close to
zero, a sharp inversion is expected with light winds under the
surface ridge. NBM 10th percentile Min Temps are in the upper
20s in the north and lower 30s over much of the central potion
of forecast area. Given the recent warmth and early start to
growing season, we ran the frost tools and widespread frost is
expected Sunday night which may eventually require headlines.

Trough coming out of Midwest Monday night moves into Great Lakes
Tuesday and the northeast states on Wednesday. Showers are
possible Tuesday and may linger on Wednesday as a result of
strong cold advection and possible lake effect showers. 12z
ECMWF even had -10C 850 mb temps reaching into northern PA on
Wednesday.

&&

.AVIATION /23Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
Line of showers and thunderstorms will move through the region
until 04z. Will likely be east of ZZV at start of forecast
period. Storms could produce strong winds, hail, and frequent
lightning. Storms will bring a reduction in vis/cig to mainly
MVFR, but iso IFR possible in stronger storms. After line passes
to the east, expect a return to VFR for the overnight period for
most ports, except at FKL and DUJ where MVFR cigs are expected
through most of the forecast period.

A brief lowering of cigs is anticipated around dawn. This is a
low confidence forecast at this point, but most of the model
data is showing this threat. There should be an improvement in
conditions by late morning as a return to VFR is anticipated at
all ports except FKL and DUJ.

.Outlook...
Restrictions remain possible Thursday night into Friday under
another passing upper trough and associated chances for rain.
Prevailing VFR returns over the weekend.

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...Craven
NEAR TERM...Craven/22
SHORT TERM...Craven
LONG TERM...Craven
AVIATION...22
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 17, 2:20 PM EDT, 5 hours 40 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
220 PM EDT Wed Apr 17 2024

PAZ009-016-074-076>078-WVZ510>514-181830-
Forest-Jefferson PA-Higher Elevations of Westmoreland-
Higher Elevations of Fayette-Indiana-Higher Elevations of Indiana-
Ridges of Eastern Monongalia and Northwestern Preston-Preston-
Eastern Preston-Western Tucker-Eastern Tucker-
220 PM EDT Wed Apr 17 2024

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for western Pennsylvania and
northern West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

There is a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms mainly between 8 and
10 pm this evening with potential for large hail and damaging winds.

Heavy rain associated with thunderstorms could also pose a limited
flash flood risk given saturated grounds across the region.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

A frost or freeze is expected Saturday night and especially Sunday
night.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007-008-013>015-020>022-029-
031-073-075-WVZ001>004-012-021-509-181830-
Tuscarawas-Carroll-Columbiana-Coshocton-Harrison-Jefferson OH-
Muskingum-Guernsey-Belmont-Noble-Monroe-Mercer-Venango-Lawrence-
Butler-Clarion-Beaver-Allegheny-Armstrong-Washington-Greene-
Westmoreland-Fayette-Hancock-Brooke-Ohio-Marshall-Wetzel-Marion-
Monongalia-
220 PM EDT Wed Apr 17 2024

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

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms mainly between 5 and
8 pm this evening with potential for large hail up to golf ball sized
and damaging winds. Isolated tornadoes are possible especially in the
Ohio Counties.

Heavy rain associated with thunderstorms could also pose a limited
flash flood risk given saturated grounds across the region.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Frost and potentially a freeze is expected Saturday night and
especially Sunday night.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

Craven

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 17, 7:42 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 17, 7:46 PM EDT, 14 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Apr 17, 7:50 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 17, 7:51 PM EDT, 9 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 17, 7:54 PM EDT, 6 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 17, 7:58 PM EDT, 2 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 17, 8:28 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZForest, Indiana, Jefferson32 min
Apr 17, 9:01 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZFayette59 min
Apr 17, 10:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPBZTucker58 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2024Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in West Virginia, 2024Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Ohio, 2024Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2024

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.