Pennsylvania, 1998

Heat in Pennsylvania, August 22 to 26, 1998

August 22 to 26, 1998 · NWS PHI · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A high pressure system that settled over the eastern part of the United States on the 20th and 21st prevented a weak backdoor cold front from completely going through Eastern Pennsylvania. This started a heat wave that lasted up to five days.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.

A high pressure system that settled over the eastern part of the United States on the 20th and 21st prevented a weak backdoor cold front from completely going through Eastern Pennsylvania. This started a heat wave that lasted up to five days. The heat wave abated on the 25th as cloudiness from a weak cold front moved into the area and ended on the 26th as the former combined with cloudiness associated with Hurricane Bonnie. The hottest day for most areas was either the 24th or 25th and included high temperatures of 95 degrees at Crum Creek (Delaware County), 94 degrees at the Franklin Institute within Philadelphia, 93 degrees at Valley Forge (Montgomery/Chester County Line), Neshaminy Falls (Bucks County) and the Philadelphia International Airport , 92 degrees at Northeast Philadelphia Airport and 90 degrees at the Willow Grove N.A.S. (Montgomery County). No heat related injuries or fatalities were reported but the combination of the high temperatures and low rainfall continued to stress the crops in farming areas.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Bucks

When
August 22, 10:00 AM EST to August 25, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Bucks forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat, Chester

When
August 22, 10:00 AM EST to August 25, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Chester forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat, Delaware

When
August 22, 10:00 AM EST to August 26, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Delaware forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.917, -75.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Montgomery

When
August 22, 10:00 AM EST to August 25, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heat, Philadelphia

When
August 22, 10:00 AM EST to August 26, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Philadelphia forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.008, -75.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, August 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5668180, 5668181, 5668182, 5668183, 5668184.