Alert archive / West Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 21, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

June 18, 2026Preston County, West Virginia

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this tornado warning at Jun 18, 2026, 7:33 AM EDT for Preston County, West Virginia. It was in force for 6 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jun 18, 2026, 7:33 AM EDT (11:33 UTC)
Expired
Jun 18, 2026, 7:39 AM EDT
In force
6 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

County Preston County, WV

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 145 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:34 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 00:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 129 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 00:00Z on 2026-06-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 12 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 00:00Z on 2026-06-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 143 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
12 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1446 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
143 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
196 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

632 
WFUS51 KPBZ 181133
TORPBZ
WVC077-181145-
/O.NEW.KPBZ.TO.W.0021.260618T1133Z-260618T1145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
733 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Preston County in northeastern West Virginia...

* Until 745 AM EDT.

* At 733 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 8 miles south of Terra Alta, moving east 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.

* Locations impacted include...
  Aurora, Cathedral State Park and Elgon.

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 3937 7962 3939 7948 3935 7948 3934 7949
      3926 7949 3926 7961
TIME...MOT...LOC 1133Z 264DEG 56KT 3932 7952

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

$$

MLB
1 follow-up statement
405 
WWUS51 KPBZ 181139
SVSPBZ

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
739 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

WVC077-181149-
/O.CAN.KPBZ.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-260618T1145Z/
Preston WV-
739 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

...TORNADO WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHEASTERN PRESTON COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. To report severe weather,
contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will send your
report to the National Weather Service office.

&&

LAT...LON 3937 7962 3939 7948 3935 7948 3934 7949
      3926 7949 3926 7961
TIME...MOT...LOC 1133Z 264DEG 56KT 3932 7951

$$

MLB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 18, 5:09 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZMarion, Monongalia, Preston, Wetzel51 min
Jun 18, 7:15 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZPreston, Tucker59 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in West Virginia, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.