Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 36, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

May 20, 20264 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2026, 4:46 PM EDT for 4 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 44 min. 15 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, 4:46 PM EDT (20:46 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT
In force
44 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Berks County, PA, Bucks County, PA, Lehigh County, PA, Montgomery County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 120 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:47 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
May 20, 4:47 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Nne Pottstown, PASeveral trees and large tree limbs down on Charlotte Street and Diamond Street. Time estimated from KDIX radar.
May 20, 4:47 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Nne Pottstown, PASeveral trees and large tree limbs down on Charlotte Street and Diamond Street. Time estimated from KDIX radar.
May 20, 4:47 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Se Douglass Twp, PAWires down along Sunset Drive. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:47 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Se Douglass Twp, PAWires down along Sunset Drive. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:48 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGPottstown, PAPicture sent in via social media of multiple trees down. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:48 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGPottstown, PAPicture sent in via social media of multiple trees down. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:50 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGEast Greenville, PATrees and wires down in East Greenville. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:50 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGEast Greenville, PATrees and wires down in East Greenville. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:56 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 512 Ese Sanatoga, PAASOS station KPTW Pottstown.
May 20, 4:59 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG3 Ese Lower Pottsgrove, PATrees down around Limerick, PA. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 4:59 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG3 Ese Lower Pottsgrove, PATrees down around Limerick, PA. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 5:03 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Ene New Hanover Twp, PAWidespread trees and wires down in New Hanover Township, PA. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 5:03 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Ene New Hanover Twp, PAWidespread trees and wires down in New Hanover Township, PA. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 5:25 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Nnw Montgomeryville, PATrees and wires down around Colmar. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 5:25 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Nnw Montgomeryville, PATrees and wires down around Colmar. 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 20, 2:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 217 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2026-05-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 47 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2026-05-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -79 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
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.

448 
WUUS51 KPHI 202046
SVRPHI
PAC011-017-077-091-202130-
/O.NEW.KPHI.SV.W.0036.260520T2046Z-260520T2130Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Southeastern Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania...
  Northwestern Montgomery County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
  South central Lehigh County in eastern Pennsylvania...
  West central Bucks County in southeastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 530 PM EDT.

* At 446 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Laureldale,
  or near Reading, moving east at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

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

* Locations impacted include...
  Reading, Pottstown, Lansdale, Wyomissing, Quakertown, Perkasie,
  Souderton, Birdsboro, Fleetwood, Chalfont, Laureldale, Hatfield,
  East Greenville, Dublin, Leesport, Schwenksville, Bally,
  Bechtelsville, Green Lane, and Lyons.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4048 7596 4050 7583 4043 7520 4020 7523
      4027 7600
TIME...MOT...LOC 2046Z 275DEG 31KT 4038 7584 

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

$$

Fitzsimmons
1 follow-up statement
023 
WWUS51 KPHI 202105
SVSPHI

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

PAC011-017-077-091-202130-
/O.CON.KPHI.SV.W.0036.000000T0000Z-260520T2130Z/
Berks PA-Montgomery PA-Lehigh PA-Bucks PA-
505 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM EDT
FOR EAST CENTRAL BERKS...NORTHWESTERN MONTGOMERY...SOUTH CENTRAL
LEHIGH AND WEST CENTRAL BUCKS COUNTIES...

At 505 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Green Lane, or
19 miles south of Allentown, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

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

Locations impacted include...
Pottstown, Lansdale, Quakertown, Perkasie, Souderton, Chalfont,
Hatfield, East Greenville, Dublin, Schwenksville, Bally, Green Lane,
Fricks, Spring Mount, Geryville, Gilbertsville, Skippack, Telford,
Sellersville, and Pennsburg.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4024 7565 4047 7558 4043 7520 4020 7523
      4023 7552
TIME...MOT...LOC 2105Z 275DEG 29KT 4031 7546 

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.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 19, 8:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia25 min
May 20, 3:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBerks, Lehigh48 min
May 20, 4:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBerks45 min
May 20, 4:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBerks, Chester, Montgomery46 min
May 20, 4:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBerks, Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton47 min
May 20, 4:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester, Delaware40 min
May 20, 5:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia50 min
May 20, 5:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia45 min
May 20, 5:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks, Northampton51 min
May 20, 5:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester, Delaware, Philadelphia46 min
May 20, 5:40 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIBucks, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia3 hr
May 20, 5:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia49 min
May 20, 5:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia38 min
May 20, 6:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIDelaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia44 min
May 20, 6:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIDelaware, Philadelphia46 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.