Pennsylvania, 2001

High Wind in Pennsylvania, February 25, 2001

February 25, 2001 · NWS PBZ · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

An intense area of low pressure passing over the region brought a prolonged period of high winds to western Pennsylvania. Although the highest recorded wind was only 60 MPH (at the Beaver Falls Airport, Beaver County), wind gusts to over 50 MPH continued from late morning into the early evening hours, downing numerous trees, large limbs and power lines across the entire area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$65,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

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 PBZ wrote it up.

An intense area of low pressure passing over the region brought a prolonged period of high winds to western Pennsylvania. Although the highest recorded wind was only 60 MPH (at the Beaver Falls Airport, Beaver County), wind gusts to over 50 MPH continued from late morning into the early evening hours, downing numerous trees, large limbs and power lines across the entire area.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 25, 9:38 AM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 25, 9:38 AM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
938 AM EST SUN FEB 25 2001

UPDATING ZONES TO LESSEN THREAT OF PRECIP THIS AFTERNOON.

REMAINDER OF FORECAST LOOKS GOOD.

WILL KEEP THE WIND WARNING GOING AS GUSTS BEHIND THE FRONT ARE
NEARLY 50 MPH AT SOME LOCATIONS.

CAT

FCSTID = 66
PIT   62  33  40  24 /  40  10   0  10
HLG   62  31  41  26 /  40  10   0  10
MGW   62  33  40  24 /  40  10   0  10
ZZV   62  31  41  26 /  40  10   0  10
PHD   62  31  41  26 /  40  10   0  10
FKL   57  29  37  21 /  50  20   0  10
DUJ   57  29  37  21 /  50  20   0  10
LBE   62  33  40  24 /  40  10   0  10
BTP   57  29  37  21 /  50  20   0  10
IDI   57  29  37  21 /  50  20   0  10
ODM   62  30  40  23 /  50  10   0  10

.PBZ...
MD...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 700 PM SUNDAY
MDZ001.

OH...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 700 PM SUNDAY
OHZ039>041...OHZ048>050...OHZ057>059...OHZ068>069.

PA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 700 PM SUNDAY
PAZ007>009...PAZ013>016...PAZ020>023...PAZ029>032.

WV...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 700 PM SUNDAY
WVZ001>004...WVZ012...WVZ021>023...WVZ041.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Allegheny

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Allegheny forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.469, -79.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Armstrong

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Armstrong forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.812, -79.464 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Beaver

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Beaver forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.682, -80.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Butler

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Butler forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.912, -79.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Clarion

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Clarion forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.192, -79.421 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Fayette

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Fayette forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

High Wind, Greene

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Greene forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
39.854, -80.223 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Indiana

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Indiana forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

High Wind, Jefferson

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.128, -78.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mercer

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Mercer forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.302, -80.258 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Venango

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Venango forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
41.401, -79.758 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Washington

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.189, -80.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Westmoreland

When
February 25, 10:50 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Westmoreland forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, February 2001

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: 5230949, 5230950, 5230951, 5231058, 5231059, 5231060, 5231061, 5231062, 5231063, 5231064, 5231065, 5231066, 5231067.