Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 62, NWS State College, PA

May 13, 20264 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 13, 2026, 7:52 PM EDT for 4 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 23 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
May 13, 2026, 7:52 PM EDT (23:52 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 2026, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
23 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Dauphin County, PA, Lancaster County, PA, Lebanon County, PA, York County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 147 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:54 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

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 302 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2026-05-13Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2026-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 221 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1355 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
221 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
206 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

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 State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 13, 2:27 PM EDT, 5 hours 25 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • 1) A line of thunderstorms this afternoon and evening precedes unseasonably cool Thursday. Thunderstorms may contain gusty winds and small hail. 2) Significant summerlike warmup ramps into early next week with the highest temperatures of the year so far.
Area forecast discussion, May 13, 2:27 PM EDT, 5 hours 25 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service State College PA
227 PM EDT Wed May 13 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
* Thunderstorm initiation underway across western PA. Several
  reports of frequent lightning and pea size hail thus far.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1) A line of thunderstorms this afternoon and evening precedes
unseasonably cool Thursday. Thunderstorms may contain gusty
winds and small hail.

2) Significant summerlike warmup ramps into early next week
with the highest temperatures of the year so far.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1: A line of thunderstorms this afternoon and
evening precedes unseasonably cool Thursday. Thunderstorms may
contain gusty winds and small hail.

A seasonably strong upper level trough will dig through the
Great Lakes/Ohio Valley today and develop into a closed low over
the northern Mid-Atlantic and southern New England region before
ejecting to the northeast on Friday. The associated sfc low
moving east from Lower Michigan toward northern New York will
drag a trailing cold front across the Alleghenies this afternoon
and evening. Steepening midlevel lapse rates, especially in
north central and NW PA, will support convection with frequent
lightning and mostly pea to dime size hail, although some of the
strongest cells could contain quarter size hail. Sufficient
(30-40kt) deep layer shear and steepening low level lapse rates
support a marginal wind threat as well.

The HREF/REFS show the primary frontal band exiting the eastern
portion of the CWA after 14/03Z. If there is some clearing
overnight (best chance from the Susq River eastward), moist low
levels cloud result in patchy fog into early Thu AM. Plenty of
clouds lingering across the western highlands should prohibit
fog in that area.

Scattered showers linger into Thursday beneath the upper low.
Thursday will be the coldest day of the week. Max temps will be
unseasonably cool and quite chilly for mid May with highs in
the 45-60F range or 10 to 20 degrees below the historical
average (frequent 20-25 mph wind gusts will only add to the
chill).

Conditions will dry out on Friday with daytime highs rebounding
+10-20 degrees vs. Thursday.

KEY MESSAGE 2: Significant summerlike warmup ramps into early
next week with the highest temperatures of the year so far.

After a cool start to May, guidance continues to signal a
significant warmup on the horizon for this weekend into early
next week. This large scale pattern shift should deliver a
rather sudden warm surge with max temps projected to reach well
into the 80s and even lower 90s. Daily record highs may be
challenged based on the current fcst Monday and Tuesday.

There may be some potential Heatrisk considerations looming for
early next week. This stems not only with the forecast high
temperatures, but also from an acclimation perspective
especially after a rather cool stretch of weather during the
first half of May. Probabilistic Heatrisk shows >50% odds for
moderate or higher levels across south central PA with fcst
heat index values starting to exceed 95F Monday and Tuesday.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
Expect TSRA activity to pick up from NW to SE along and ahead of
a cold front. BFD will see a glancing blow from a thunderstorm by
19z, with small hail and strong gusty winds possible especially
just north of the airfield. TSRA will then be possible at JST,
AOO, UNV, and IPT by late afternoon to early evening. Storms
will be on a weakening trend as the arrive in MDT/LNS after 00z.

As the upper level low drops to the south tonight into Thursday,
moisture will wrap around the low. This will result in low
stratus and showers especially across the mountains. A brief
window for clearing later tonight in the east may result in
patchy fog along and east of the Susq River. Low stratus will
result in cig restrictions in the western airfields all day
Thursday, potentially dropping as low as LIFR at BFD and JST
later tonight into early Thursday.

Conditions will improve later on Friday, as the low moves away
from the area.

Outlook...

Thu...Lingering clouds and showers with restrictions north/west
and improvement southeast.

Fri...VFR likely.

Sat-Mon...VFR is likely much of the time, although brief
restrictions are possible with isolated afternoon/evening
showers and thunderstorms.

&&

.CLIMATE...
Record low temperature of 25 degrees was tied (1963) at
Bradford yesterday.

&&

.CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

WHAT HAS CHANGED...Colbert
KEY MESSAGES...Steinbugl/Colbert
DISCUSSION...Steinbugl/Colbert
AVIATION...Colbert/Martin
CLIMATE...Steinbugl
Hazardous weather outlook, May 13, 3:35 AM EDT, 16 hours 17 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service State College PA
335 AM EDT Wed May 13 2026

PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-140745-
Warren-McKean-Potter-Elk-Cameron-Northern Clinton-Clearfield-
Northern Centre-Southern Centre-Cambria-Blair-Huntingdon-Mifflin-
Juniata-Somerset-Bedford-Fulton-Franklin-Tioga-Northern Lycoming-
Sullivan-Southern Clinton-Southern Lycoming-Union-Snyder-Montour-
Northumberland-Columbia-Perry-Dauphin-Schuylkill-Lebanon-Cumberland-
Adams-York-Lancaster-
335 AM EDT Wed May 13 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

A few thunderstorms with isolated strong to marginally severe wind
gusts are possible this afternoon and evening.

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

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 13, 7:07 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 13, 7:08 PM EDT, 44 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 13, 7:18 PM EDT, 34 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 13, 7:21 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 13, 7:25 PM EDT, 27 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 13, 7:45 PM EDT, 7 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 13, 1:37 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPMcKean, Warren38 min
May 13, 2:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPMcKean51 min
May 13, 2:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPElk46 min
May 13, 3:40 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPElk35 min
May 13, 3:54 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPCameron36 min
May 13, 4:08 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPPotter52 min
May 13, 4:29 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPTioga46 min
May 13, 5:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPTioga52 min
May 13, 5:40 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPMifflin35 min
May 13, 6:12 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPJuniata33 min
May 13, 6:12 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPHuntingdon33 min
May 13, 6:36 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPJuniata, Perry24 min
May 13, 6:44 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPSnyder46 min
May 13, 6:44 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPFranklin31 min
May 13, 6:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPDauphin, Juniata, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder47 min
May 13, 7:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPAdams27 min
May 13, 7:21 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPCumberland, Dauphin24 min
May 13, 7:45 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPDauphin30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2026Every severe thunderstorm 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.