Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 53, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

August 16, 2026Beaver County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this tornado warning at Aug 16, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT for Beaver County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 18 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
Aug 16, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT (19:00 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 2026, 3:18 PM EDT
In force
18 min
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

County Beaver County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 16 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:01 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
Aug 16, 3:02 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Sw Hookstown, PATrees down (uprooted, snapped trunks) in the woods along SR168.
Aug 16, 3:03 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGHookstown, PAseveral trees down.
Aug 16, 3:06 PM EDTTORNADO1 Nne Harshaville, PAA brief, narrow EF0 tornado caused damage mainly to trees along Upper Service Road in Greene and Raccoon Townships. Max wind was estimated at 75 mph, and path width was roughly 50 yd. The tornado began in a wooded area south of Service Creek and appears to hav

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
Aug 16, 1:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 32 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 2026-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 51 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 12:00Z on 2026-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 49 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
51 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
636 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
31 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

945 
WFUS51 KPBZ 161900
TORPBZ
PAC007-161930-
/O.NEW.KPBZ.TO.W.0053.260816T1900Z-260816T1930Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
300 PM EDT Sun Aug 16 2026

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southern Beaver County in western Pennsylvania...

* Until 330 PM EDT.

* At 300 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Midland, or 5 miles southeast of East Liverpool,
  moving east at 35 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...
  Aliquippa, Ambridge, Harmony Township, Shippingport and Hookstown.

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 4060 8052 4066 8031 4060 8021 4054 8029
      4055 8052
TIME...MOT...LOC 1900Z 265DEG 30KT 4058 8050

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

$$

Kramar
2 follow-up statements
448 
WWUS51 KPBZ 161905
SVSPBZ

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
305 PM EDT Sun Aug 16 2026

PAC007-161930-
/O.CON.KPBZ.TO.W.0053.000000T0000Z-260816T1930Z/
Beaver PA-
305 PM EDT Sun Aug 16 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 330 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN
BEAVER COUNTY...

At 305 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Shippingport, or 8 miles southeast of East
Liverpool, moving east at 40 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...
  Aliquippa, Ambridge and Harmony Township.

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 4056 8046 4059 8046 4064 8031 4060 8021
      4054 8029
TIME...MOT...LOC 1900Z 267DEG 32KT 4058 8049

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

$$

Kramar
249 
WWUS51 KPBZ 161918
SVSPBZ

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
318 PM EDT Sun Aug 16 2026

PAC007-161928-
/O.CAN.KPBZ.TO.W.0053.000000T0000Z-260816T1930Z/
Beaver PA-
318 PM EDT Sun Aug 16 2026

...TORNADO WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR SOUTHERN BEAVER COUNTY...

Rotation in this area has weakened, and the tornado warning has been
cancelled. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning still remains in effect for
Beaver County.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 800 PM EDT Sunday
for a portion of western Pennsylvania.

&&

LAT...LON 4056 8046 4059 8046 4064 8031 4060 8021
      4054 8029
TIME...MOT...LOC 1905Z 267DEG 32KT 4058 8043

$$

Kramar

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 2:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZBeaver, Lawrence, Washington45 min
Aug 16, 3:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZAllegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Washington40 min
Aug 16, 3:22 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZBeaver, Butler23 min
Aug 16, 3:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZGreene, Washington50 min
Aug 16, 3:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZAllegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Westmoreland49 min
Aug 16, 4:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZFayette, Greene40 min
Aug 16, 4:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZWashington5 hr
Aug 16, 4:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZArmstrong, Butler, Indiana, Westmoreland45 min
Aug 16, 4:34 PM EDTTornado WarningPBZIndiana, Westmoreland26 min
Aug 16, 4:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZFayette, Westmoreland20 min
Aug 16, 4:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZFayette16 min
Aug 16, 6:39 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZClarion, Venango5 hr
Aug 16, 7:17 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPBZClarion, Jefferson3 hr

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.