Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 44, NWS State College, PA

September 9, 2026McKean County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this tornado warning at Sep 9, 2026, 7:16 PM EDT for McKean County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 29 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
Sep 9, 2026, 7:16 PM EDT (23:16 UTC)
Expired
Sep 9, 2026, 7:45 PM EDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

County McKean County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:16 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Sep 9, 7:19 PM EDTTORNADO2 Wsw Cyclone, PAAn EF1 tornado with a maximum wind speed of 105mph occurred just east of Bradford Airport. Its path length was 1.23 miles and it had a peak width of around 200 yards.
Sep 9, 7:20 PM EDTFUNNEL CLOUD3 Wsw Cyclone, PAFunnel cloud seen traveling near the airport.
Sep 9, 7:20 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Wsw Cyclone, PATrees on power lines. Time est from radar.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this tornado warning; the first came 3 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Sep 9, 2:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Buffalo Intl Airport, NY (KBUF), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 126 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 2026-09-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 136 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, Buffalo Intl Airport, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-09-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 122 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
136 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
897 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
122 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
125 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

464 
WFUS51 KCTP 092316
TORCTP
PAC083-092345-
/O.NEW.KCTP.TO.W.0044.260909T2316Z-260909T2345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service State College PA
716 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

The National Weather Service in State College has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central McKean County in north central Pennsylvania...

* Until 745 PM EDT.

* At 716 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 5 miles southeast of Marshburg, or 11 miles south of
  Bradford, moving east at 25 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.

* This tornado will be near...
  Cyclone around 725 PM EDT.
  Kinzua Bridge State Park around 730 PM EDT.
  Smethport and Crosby around 740 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by the tornado include Bradford Airport.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from 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 4176 7873 4184 7874 4189 7840 4173 7837
TIME...MOT...LOC 2316Z 270DEG 22KT 4180 7868

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

Bowen
2 follow-up statements
611 
WWUS51 KCTP 092325
SVSCTP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
725 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

PAC083-092345-
/O.CON.KCTP.TO.W.0044.000000T0000Z-260909T2345Z/
McKean PA-
725 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
MCKEAN COUNTY...

At 725 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Cyclone, or 11 miles south of Bradford, moving east
at 25 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.

This tornado will be near...
  Cyclone around 730 PM EDT.
  Smethport around 740 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by the tornado include Bradford Airport.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from 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.

Report severe weather to your nearest law enforcement agency or the
National Weather Service office in State College PA.

&&

LAT...LON 4177 7862 4185 7864 4189 7840 4177 7838
TIME...MOT...LOC 2316Z 270DEG 22KT 4180 7867

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

Bowen
243 
WWUS51 KCTP 092341
SVSCTP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
741 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

PAC083-092351-
/O.EXP.KCTP.TO.W.0044.000000T0000Z-260909T2345Z/
McKean PA-
741 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

...TORNADO WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 745 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL MCKEAN
COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and has exited the warned area. Therefore, the warning will
be allowed to expire.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM EDT
Wednesday for a portion of central Pennsylvania.

&&

LAT...LON 4177 7862 4185 7864 4189 7840 4177 7838
TIME...MOT...LOC 2325Z 270DEG 22KT 4180 7860

$$

Bowen

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Sep 9, 3:01 PM EDT, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • 1) Showers and scattered strong to potentially severe thunderstorms, with the threat for localized gusty to damaging winds for late today and early tonight, mainly across the NW third of PA. 2) Showers confined to southern tier of PA Thursday. Dry conditions Friday before unsettled weekend.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 9, 3:01 PM EDT, 4 hours 15 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service State College PA
301 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
* Severe Weather Watch #665 in place for Northwestern PA for
  severe storms this evening

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Showers and scattered strong to potentially severe
thunderstorms, with the threat for localized gusty to damaging
winds for late today and early tonight, mainly across the NW
third of PA.

2) Showers confined to southern tier of PA Thursday. Dry
conditions Friday before unsettled weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1: Showers and scattered strong to potentially severe
thunderstorms, with the threat for localized gusty to damaging
winds for late today and early tonight, mainly across the NW
third of PA.

Increasingly southwesterly flow at the surface and aloft will
carry warm and humid air into the region today, in advance of a
cold front moving southeast across the Upper Great Lakes. An
axis of high PWAT air (1.75"+) will reach the south shore of
Lake Erie during the early afternoon, then sag SE across the NW
Mtns early this evening before reaching the Southern Tier of PA
before daybreak Thursday.

This surge of moisture, coupled with clearing in West/Central
PA, has allowed for sufficient instability to develop for
storms to feed on in this evening. Latest RAP Mesoanalysis has
2000+ SBCAPE J/kg nosing its way into Western PA and 1000+ J/kg
in the western half of the state. Lapse rates aloft aren't very
impressive though, leading to tall but skinny CAPE profiles
expected this evening. This favors heavy, efficient
precipitation and coupled with Confordi Vectors expected in the
10-15kt range could lead to training storms. Isolated flash
flooding in Northwest PA is possible as a result, but fast
enough storm speed should preclude a more widespread threat.

The main deep layer shear and upper level forcing though
remains in Southern Michigan as of 18Z and is still a few hours
away from Northwest PA. This leads to uncertainty regarding
storm coverage and degree of organization. Should these features
align with the best CAPE this evening, greater coverage and
more organization of storms is more likely. A jet developing at
850mb this evening, coupled with forward storm speed and
precipitation loading in downdrafts, will allow for damaging
wind gusts to be the main hazard. Low level shear from this 850mb
jet will allow for 0-1km and 0-3km shear to be in the 20-30kt
range this evening. Coupled with cyclonic low level hodograph
curvature, a transient tornado threat may emerge from embedded
supercell structures and/or mesovorticies depending on the
dominant storm mode. Day cloud phase has shown an area of
enhanced cumulus clouds this afternoon in the northern PA
counties. This indicates a potential low level boundary present,
which may act as a focus for storms and source of extra
vorticity for storms to ingest. Storms are anticipated to weaken
as they push further south and east tonight with increasingly
unfavorable instability. However, they will still be capable of
producing localized heavy downpours.

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

KEY MESSAGE 2: Showers confined to southern tier of PA
Thursday. Dry conditions Friday before unsettled weekend.

The most recent WPC ERO has pushed most of the Day 2 Marginal
to our south. Some lingering precipitation in the early morning
may occur in the southern tier as the previous night's wave
pushes through. The main shot of precipitation tomorrow is most
likely in the southern tier, particularly in the southwest, as
the cold front moves through in the afternoon. Most 6hr HREF
PMMs stay below 1" tomorrow afternoon and evening, but some
locally heavy rain remains possible.

High pressure builds behind the cold front, giving way to a dry
and sunny Friday. Low level moisture lurking just south of the
Mason/Dixon line Fri night will advance NE across the state on
Saturday as SFC high pressure moves well off the Mid Atlantic
and Southern New England Coast. This will lead to some showers
spreading NE across the region with a few PM TSRA possible
Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons, especially over the western
mtns. A more- active (wetter) pattern is in store for Mon-Tues.
But, the flat upper ridge over the southern half of the CONUS
will make it difficult for deep moisture to make it into PA
ahead of any shots of atmos forcing. The second half of the week
probably ends dry as the upper ridge pumps up over the central
CONUS.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
18z update... For much of the daylight hours, VFR/unrestricted
conditions are anticipated, with locally gusty S-SW surface
winds.

A band of showers and embedded thunderstorms is expected to
cross much of PA this evening, generally losing steam with
southeastward extent over time. The highest confidence in
thunder is at KBFD, so we indicated the most likely 3-hour
window there for TSRA development early this evening. Elsewhere,
confidence is only 30-50% at best, so we'll use a strategy to
amend for TSRA as needed.

Later tonight into early Thursday, there is a high probability
(70-80%) of low cloud development across the central and western
portions of the Commonwealth. We have high enough confidence to
go with IFR restrictions at KBFD and KJST, with MVFR-fuel
alternate restrictions anticipated at KAOO, KUNV, and KIPT. At
this early juncture, we expect KMDT and KLNS to stay VFR.

By midday Thursday, cloud bases should be in the process of
lifting, with improving categories across the board.

Outlook...

Fri...VFR conditions expected.

Sat-Mon...Primarily VFR conditions, with some potential for
afternoon SHRA/TSRA on at least a hit and miss basis.

&&

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

&&

WHAT HAS CHANGED...Lambrech
KEY MESSAGES...Lambrech
DISCUSSION...Lambrech
AVIATION...Jurewicz
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 9, 2:57 PM EDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service State College PA
257 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

PAZ024>028-033>036-049>053-056>059-063>066-101900-
Cambria-Blair-Huntingdon-Mifflin-Juniata-Somerset-Bedford-Fulton-
Franklin-Union-Snyder-Montour-Northumberland-Columbia-Perry-Dauphin-
Schuylkill-Lebanon-Cumberland-Adams-York-Lancaster-
257 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

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

Heavy rainfall is possible Thursday and Saturday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

PAZ012-018-019-037-041-042-045-046-101900-
Northern Clinton-Northern Centre-Southern Centre-Tioga-
Northern Lycoming-Sullivan-Southern Clinton-Southern Lycoming-
257 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Strong to severe thunderstorms with gusty winds are possible late
today into early tonight.

.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.

PAZ004>006-010-011-017-101900-
Warren-McKean-Potter-Elk-Cameron-Clearfield-
257 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 665 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to
weather.gov/StateCollege on the internet for more
information about the following hazards.

   Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

.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

Special weather statement, Sep 9, 5:52 PM EDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
552 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

PAZ004-092215-
Warren PA-
552 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN WARREN COUNTY UNTIL
615 PM EDT...

At 552 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Spring Creek, or 18 miles west of Warren, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
  Youngsville, Spring Creek, Lottsville, Garland and Starbrick.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 4182 7958 4194 7958 4200 7920 4176 7921
TIME...MOT...LOC 2152Z 270DEG 29KT 4188 7949

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Bauco
Special weather statement, Sep 9, 6:15 PM EDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service State College PA
615 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

PAZ004-092245-
Warren PA-
615 PM EDT Wed Sep 9 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN WARREN COUNTY UNTIL
645 PM EDT...

At 615 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Warren South, or near Warren, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
  Warren, Russell, Scandia, Warren South, Kinzua Dam and Starbrick.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

&&

LAT...LON 4181 7927 4194 7928 4199 7892 4183 7892
      4183 7895 4178 7895
TIME...MOT...LOC 2214Z 269DEG 29KT 4188 7922

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Bauco

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 9, 5:52 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPWarren23 min
Sep 9, 6:15 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPWarren30 min
Sep 9, 7:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPTioga42 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.