Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 38, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

May 20, 2026Camden County, Gloucester County, New Jersey; 4 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2026, 5:10 PM EDT for Camden County, Gloucester County, New Jersey; 4 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 50 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, 5:10 PM EDT (21:10 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Camden County, NJ, Gloucester County, NJ, Chester County, PA, Delaware County, PA, Montgomery County, PA, Philadelphia County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:12 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, 5:12 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Ene Lenape, PAPicture sent in of a large pine tree down. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 5:12 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Ene Lenape, PAPicture sent in of a large pine tree down. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 5:25 PM EDTHAIL 11 Wnw Wayne, PATime estimated from radar. Picture sent in from skywarn spotter.
May 20, 5:37 PM EDTTSTM WND GST 53Philadelphia Internatio, PAASOS station KPHL Philadelphia International Airport.
May 20, 5:39 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 N Chester Heights, PATrees down on Route 1 across the roadway in Media resulting in lane closures. Time estimated from radar.
May 20, 5:39 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 N Chester Heights, PATrees down on Route 1 across the roadway in Media resulting in lane closures. 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, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 218 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.

625 
WUUS51 KPHI 202110
SVRPHI
NJC007-015-PAC029-045-091-101-202200-
/O.NEW.KPHI.SV.W.0038.260520T2110Z-260520T2200Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Northwestern Camden County in southern New Jersey...
  North central Gloucester County in southern New Jersey...
  Southeastern Montgomery County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
  East central Chester County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
  Philadelphia County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
  Delaware County in southeastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 600 PM EDT.

* At 510 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near West Chester,
  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...
  Philadelphia, Camden, West Chester, Gloucester City, Chester,
  Deptford, West Deptford, Bellmawr, Yeadon, Westtown, Woodbury,
  Downingtown, Conshohocken, Palmyra, Folcroft, Swarthmore,
  Paulsboro, Jenkintown, Magnolia, and Westville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4009 7566 4011 7503 4002 7504 3999 7506
      3999 7505 4000 7504 3982 7505 3987 7573
TIME...MOT...LOC 2110Z 275DEG 27KT 3999 7556 

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 20, 2:25 PM EDTSmall Craft AdvisoryPHI3 days
May 20, 4:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIHunterdon, Warren47 min
May 20, 5:01 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningPHI86 min
May 20, 5:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBurlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset45 min
May 20, 5:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIHunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, Warren51 min
May 20, 5:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHICamden, Gloucester, Salem46 min
May 20, 5:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHISalem40 min
May 20, 5:40 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIBurlington, Camden, Gloucester3 hr
May 20, 5:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBurlington, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean49 min
May 20, 5:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBurlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and 1 more38 min
May 20, 6:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBurlington, Camden, Gloucester44 min
May 20, 6:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPHIHunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Somerset56 min
May 20, 6:07 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningPHI53 min
May 20, 6:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIAtlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Ocean46 min
May 20, 6:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIOcean33 min
May 20, 6:17 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningPHI118 min
May 20, 6:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBurlington, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset56 min
May 20, 6:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIOcean32 min
May 20, 7:30 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningPHI90 min
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, 4:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBerks, Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery44 min
May 20, 4:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester, Delaware40 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2026Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in New Jersey, 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.