Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 26, NWS State College, PA

July 9, 2026Lancaster County, York County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 9, 2026, 6:17 PM EDT for Lancaster County, York County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 101 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: Jul 9, 2026, 6:17 PM EDT (22:17 UTC)
Expired: Jul 9, 2026, 7:58 PM EDT
In force: 101 min
Issued by: NWS State College, PA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Lancaster County, PA, York County, PA

The radar

The Sterling radar (KLWX), 141 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:17 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

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 139 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1170 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 543 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 49 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 9, 12:53 PM EDT, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

1) Locally significant flash flooding possible across portions of south central PA this afternoon and evening 2) Unsettled weather continues into the first half of the weekend.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 9, 12:53 PM EDT, 5 hours 24 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service State College PA
1253 PM EDT Thu Jul 9 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
*Flood Watch expanded across the southern tier of central PA

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Locally significant flash flooding possible across portions
of south central PA this afternoon and evening

2) Unsettled weather continues into the first half of the
weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1: Locally significant flash flooding possible
across portions of south central PA this afternoon and evening

Showers and thunderstorms are increasing in coverage this
afternoon across southern PA. Rainfall rates of 2-3"/hr are
likely at times, leading to 2-4" of rain with locally higher
amounts possible.

Synoptic ascent associated with shortwave lifting E/NE out of
KY is working in tandem with RRQ of a modest jet streak aloft
robust thermodynamics reflected by PWs measured via the 12Z
soundings that are near previous daily records (2.17" at IAD)
and a ribbon of MLCAPE already reaching 1000+ J/kg (2000 J/kg
within clearing sky conditions). MRMS hourly rainfall have been
above 1 inch in some areas, indicative of the impressive heavy
rain environment in place. Earlier this morning, rainfall rates
of ~1.5"/hr where achieved via ground truth report from
broadcast media partner - so rates >2" should be easily
attainable given the time of day and copious amount of moisture
available. WPC excessive rainfall outlook continues to favor a
"high-end" level 2/4 flash flood risk over the southern tier of
central PA where locally significant/urban flash flooding is
possible.

KEY MESSAGE 2: Unsettled weather continues into the first half
of the weekend.

Additional showers and thunderstorms are expected on Friday
ahead of a cold front that will slowly cross the region into
Saturday. Isolated flash flooding will be the primary concern
as the environment will still be supportive of very heavy
rainfall. A few showers remain possible on Saturday across the
southern half of the area as the cold front will be very slow to
move to our south. Sunday looks like a much drier day as the
front finally moves off to the south and a strong ridge develops
over the middle of the country.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
VFR flying across south central PA may be interrupted and
restricted by showers and thunderstorms through 00Z Fri.
Storms will be capable of torrential rainfall likely resulting
in IFR/LIFR visibility. Gusty winds are also possible.

In the wake of this storms, partial clearing along with residual
low level moisture from recent rainfall and light/variable wind
may lead to areas of fog and low stratus developing late
tonight into early Friday morning. Expect sub-VFR restrictions
to improve to VFR by Friday afternoon with more scattered
showers and storms possible.

Outlook...

Sat...Reduced chance and more limited coverage of PM showers/t-storm.

Sun-Tue...Mainly VFR/no sig wx.

&&

.CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Flood Watch until midnight EDT tonight for PAZ033>036-056-057-
059-063>066.

&&

WHAT HAS CHANGED...Steinbugl
KEY MESSAGES...Steinbugl
DISCUSSION...Steinbugl
AVIATION...Steinbugl

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 9, 5:24 PM EDT, 53 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 9, 3:09 PM EDT, 3 hours 8 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 3:27 PM EDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 4:31 PM EDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 9, 4:33 PM EDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 4:54 PM EDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 5:59 PM EDT, 18 minutes before

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The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 9, 2:10 AM EDT	Flood Watch	CTP	Adams, Bedford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton and 5 more	18 hr
Jul 9, 4:00 AM EDT	Dense Fog Advisory	CTP	Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, McKean and 2 more	5 hr
Jul 9, 2:06 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CTP	Adams, Lancaster, York	2 hr
Jul 9, 2:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Lancaster	45 min
Jul 9, 2:49 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CTP	Lancaster	3 hr
Jul 9, 3:00 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Schuylkill	30 min
Jul 9, 3:27 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Fulton	33 min
Jul 9, 3:29 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CTP	Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, York	3 hr
Jul 9, 4:31 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Adams	29 min
Jul 9, 4:54 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Adams	36 min
Jul 9, 5:59 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CTP	Elk	31 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2026 Every flash flood warning in 2026

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.