Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 32, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

May 20, 2026Berks County, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2026, 3:57 PM EDT for Berks County, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 48 min. 6 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: May 20, 2026, 3:57 PM EDT (19:57 UTC)
Expired: May 20, 2026, 4:45 PM EDT
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Berks County, PA, Lehigh County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 148 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:57 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 20, 4:15 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 Wsw Hamburg, PA	Wires down on State Street in Hamburg, PA. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:15 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 Wsw Hamburg, PA	Wires down on State Street in Hamburg, PA. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:27 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Wnw Richmond Twp, PA	Tree down blocking the road along Moselem Spring Road. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:27 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Wnw Richmond Twp, PA	Tree down blocking the road along Moselem Spring Road. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:33 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Nne Kutztown, PA	Tree down on wires along Eagle Point Road in Maxatawny Township. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:33 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Nne Kutztown, PA	Tree down on wires along Eagle Point Road in Maxatawny Township. Time estimated from radar.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 20, 2:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 224 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: 47 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -204 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1752 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -79 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -47 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

963 
WUUS51 KPHI 201957
SVRPHI
PAC011-077-202045-
/O.NEW.KPHI.SV.W.0032.260520T1957Z-260520T2045Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
357 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Northeastern Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania...
  Western Lehigh County in eastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 445 PM EDT.

* At 357 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Orwigsburg,
  or near Schuylkill Haven, moving east at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Damage to roofs, siding, trees, and power lines is 
           possible.

* Locations impacted include...
  Kutztown, Hamburg, Walnutport, Topton, Shoemakersville, Lyons,
  Lenhartsville, Neffs, Wanamakers, Coffeetown, New Tripoli, Jordan
  Valley, Schnecksville, Claussville, Ancient Oaks, and Alburtis.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 4056 7613 4057 7608 4058 7606 4057 7602
      4063 7600 4065 7598 4070 7583 4074 7575
      4074 7559 4072 7556 4044 7561 4054 7616
TIME...MOT...LOC 1957Z 274DEG 24KT 4066 7609 

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

Fitzsimmons

1 follow-up statement

861 
WWUS51 KPHI 202022
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
422 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026

PAC011-077-202045-
/O.CON.KPHI.SV.W.0032.000000T0000Z-260520T2045Z/
Berks PA-Lehigh PA-
422 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM EDT
FOR NORTHEASTERN BERKS AND WESTERN LEHIGH COUNTIES...

At 422 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Wanamakers, or
11 miles southeast of Tamaqua, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damage to roofs, siding, trees, and power lines is 
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Kutztown, Hamburg, Walnutport, Topton, Lyons, Lenhartsville, Neffs,
Wanamakers, Coffeetown, New Tripoli, Jordan Valley, Schnecksville,
Claussville, Ancient Oaks, and Alburtis.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 4052 7603 4065 7598 4066 7596 4070 7583
      4074 7575 4074 7559 4072 7556 4044 7561
      4046 7570
TIME...MOT...LOC 2022Z 274DEG 24KT 4065 7587 

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

Fitzsimmons

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 19, 8:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia	25 min
May 20, 4:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks	45 min
May 20, 4:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks, Chester, Montgomery	46 min
May 20, 4:43 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks, Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton	47 min
May 20, 4:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks, Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery	44 min
May 20, 4:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Chester, Delaware	40 min
May 20, 5:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia	50 min
May 20, 5:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia	45 min
May 20, 5:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Northampton	51 min
May 20, 5:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia	46 min
May 20, 5:40 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia	3 hr
May 20, 5:41 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia	49 min
May 20, 5:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia	38 min
May 20, 6:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia	44 min
May 20, 6:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Delaware, Philadelphia	46 min

Nearby

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