Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 2, NWS State College, PA

March 16, 2025Cameron County, Elk County, McKean County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Mar 16, 2025, 2:00 PM EDT for Cameron County, Elk County, McKean County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 30 min. 3 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
Mar 16, 2025, 2:00 PM EDT (18:00 UTC)
Expired
Mar 16, 2025, 2:30 PM EDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Cameron County, PA, Elk County, PA, McKean County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:04 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
Mar 16, 2:18 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGSaint Marys, PANumerous reports of trees and wires down in Saint Marys.
Mar 16, 2:18 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGSaint Marys, PANumerous reports of trees and wires down in Saint Marys.
Mar 16, 2:22 PM EDTTORNADO6 Ese East Branch Dam, PAAn EF1 tornado downed hundreds of trees in a 0.5 mi swath near North Fork Rd in St Marys. Max winds est 100 mph. Path width 200 yds.

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
Mar 16, 12:50 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 158 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 2025-03-16Temperature 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 2025-03-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 485 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1012 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
485 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
627 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

852 
WFUS51 KCTP 161800
TORCTP
PAC023-047-083-161830-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0002.250316T1800Z-250316T1830Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service State College PA
200 PM EDT Sun Mar 16 2025

The National Weather Service in State College PA has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Cameron County in north central Pennsylvania...
  Northern Elk County in north central Pennsylvania...
  Southeastern McKean County in north central Pennsylvania...

* Until 230 PM EDT.

* At 200 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms capable of producing both
  tornadoes and extensive straight line wind damage were located over
  Portland Mills, moving northeast at 65 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.

* These dangerous storms will be near...
  St. Marys, East Branch Dam, and Johnsonburg around 210 PM EDT.
  Betula and Elk River around 220 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Mount
Jewett.

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.

This cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and
widespread significant wind damage. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest
floor of a building.

&&

LAT...LON 4172 7836 4158 7828 4151 7832 4131 7884
      4135 7893 4144 7900 4145 7899 4145 7898
      4144 7897 4144 7896 4148 7896 4176 7857
TIME...MOT...LOC 1800Z 239DEG 58KT 4142 7882 

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

$$

Lambert
1 follow-up statement
950 
WWUS51 KCTP 161812
SVSCTP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
212 PM EDT Sun Mar 16 2025

PAC023-047-083-161830-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-250316T1830Z/
Cameron PA-Elk PA-McKean PA-
212 PM EDT Sun Mar 16 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 PM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN CAMERON...NORTHEASTERN ELK AND SOUTHEASTERN MCKEAN
COUNTIES...

At 210 PM EDT, a severe squall line capable of producing both
tornadoes and extensive straight line wind damage was located over
Johnsonburg, moving northeast at 65 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.

These dangerous storms will be near...
  Betula around 220 PM EDT and 
  Norwich around 225 pm EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Mount
Jewett.

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.

This cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and
widespread significant wind damage. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. 

&&

LAT...LON 4172 7836 4158 7828 4151 7832 4141 7869
      4144 7880 4152 7886 4157 7883 4176 7857
TIME...MOT...LOC 1810Z 232DEG 56KT 4153 7866 

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

$$

Lambert

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 16, 2:49 AM EDTWind AdvisoryCTPCambria, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, McKean and 6 more15 hr
Mar 16, 2:54 AM EDTDense Fog AdvisoryCTPLycoming, Schuylkill, Tioga7 hr
Mar 16, 12:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBedford, Cambria, Somerset61 min
Mar 16, 1:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPClearfield, Elk, McKean, Warren63 min
Mar 16, 1:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Elk and 1 more43 min
Mar 16, 1:55 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPCambria, Clearfield35 min
Mar 16, 2:03 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPClearfield, Elk27 min
Mar 16, 2:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatCTPCameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, McKean and 1 more78 min
Mar 16, 2:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBlair, Huntingdon, Mifflin78 min
Mar 16, 2:30 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPCameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk30 min
Mar 16, 2:34 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPMcKean, Potter26 min
Mar 16, 2:42 PM EDTTornado WarningCTPMcKean, Potter33 min
Mar 16, 2:53 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPFulton52 min
Mar 16, 3:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCentre, Clinton, Lycoming, Tioga57 min
Mar 16, 3:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Perry62 min
Mar 16, 4:16 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPSullivan, Union29 min
Mar 16, 5:49 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPMontour26 min
Mar 16, 6:12 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPNorthumberland33 min
Mar 16, 6:48 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPLebanon42 min
Mar 16, 7:08 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPCumberland, Franklin37 min
Mar 16, 7:52 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPDauphin, Lebanon38 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2025Every tornado warning in 2025Tornadoes in 2025

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.