High Wind, Mercer
- When
- March 8, 9:10 PM EST
- Where
- Mercer forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.302, -80.258 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in Pennsylvania, March 8, 2003
High winds blew down trees and power lines in Uniontown, Marion Center, Portersville, Derry, Upper Burrell, Barkeyville, Coraopolis, New Castle, Evans City, Limestone, Elders Ridge, Ohioville, Canonsburg, and Sharon.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 12
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.
High winds blew down trees and power lines in Uniontown, Marion Center, Portersville, Derry, Upper Burrell, Barkeyville, Coraopolis, New Castle, Evans City, Limestone, Elders Ridge, Ohioville, Canonsburg, and Sharon.
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 Mar 8, 6:30 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 8, 6:30 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 630 PM EST SAT MAR 8 2003 LOOKING AT LATEST RUC SHOWS 70KT AT 85H MOVING INTO OUR AREA AFT 02Z AND COULD AFFECT OUR HIER ELEVATIONS TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST. ANY THUNDERSTORMS COULD MIX THIS DOWN. WILL UPGRADE OUR ADVISORY TO A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR OUR COUNTIES TO THE EAST. .PBZ... MD...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONE MDZ001. OH...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES OHZ039>041...OHZ048>050... OHZ057>059...OHZ068>069. PA...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES PAZ023...PAZ030... PAZ032. WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES PAZ007>009...PAZ013>016... PAZ020>022...PAZ029...PAZ031. WV...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES WVZ023...WVZ041. WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES WVZ001>004...WVZ012...WVZ021>022.
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 8, 5:00 AM EST, 16 hours 10 minutes before
MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-081200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTION TO DATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 500 AM EST SAT MAR 8 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND. .DAY ONE...TODAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT IN EAST CENTRAL OHIO AND THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PROVIDE GUSTY WINDS...POSSIBLY GUSTING TO 50 MPH OR MORE. WARM TEMPERATURES AND RAIN MAY CAUSE ICE JAMS IN THE ALLEGHENY RIVER TO MOVE TONIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY. THIS MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 8, 8:00 PM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-090230- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 800 PM EST SAT MAR 8 2003 DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM WEST OF COLUMBUS TO AKRON OHIO. SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE IN A LINE EXTENDING FROM ZANESVILLE TO EAST PALESTINE BETWEEN 8:30 AND 9:30 PM. EXPECT WINDS GUSTS OVER 45 MPH AS THIS LINE MOVES THROUGH. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT.
Special weather statement, Mar 8, 8:35 PM EST, 35 minutes before
PAZ007>009-013>016-020-022-090300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 835 PM EST SAT MAR 8 2003 DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM WEST OF YOUNGSTOWN OHIO TO CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS PENNSYLVANIA. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 45 MPH. SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE IN A LINE EXTENDING FROM BEAVER TO DUBOIS BY 9:30 PM. EXPECT WINDS TO GUSTS OVER 45 MPH AS THIS LINE MOVES THROUGH. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT.
Special weather statement, Mar 8, 8:55 PM EST, 15 minutes before
OHZ069-PAZ021-029-031-WVZ001>004-012-021-022-090330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 855 PM EST SAT MAR 8 2003 DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING WEST OF ZANESVILLE TO NEW PHILADELPHIA IN OHIO TO WEST OF FRANKLIN PENNSYLVANIA. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 45 MPH. SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE IN A LINE EXTENDING FROM WOODSFIELD OHIO TO PITTSBURGH TO DUBOIS PENNSYLVANIA BY 10:00 PM. EXPECT WINDS TO GUSTS OVER 45 MPH AS THIS LINE MOVES THROUGH. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
12 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Butler
- When
- March 8, 9:17 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
- Where
- Butler forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.912, -79.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Venango
- When
- March 8, 9:20 PM EST
- Where
- Venango forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.401, -79.758 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Lawrence
- When
- March 8, 9:20 PM EST
- Where
- Lawrence forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.991, -80.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Allegheny
- When
- March 8, 9:45 PM EST
- Where
- Allegheny forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.469, -79.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Beaver
- When
- March 8, 9:45 PM EST
- Where
- Beaver forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.682, -80.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Clarion
- When
- March 8, 9:45 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
- Where
- Clarion forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 41.192, -79.421 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Trees down in Lickingville and Limestone.
High Wind, Indiana
- When
- March 8, 10:07 PM EST
- Where
- Indiana forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Wind, Westmoreland
- When
- March 8, 10:15 PM EST to 11:02 PM EST
- Where
- Westmoreland forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
High Wind, Armstrong
- When
- March 8, 10:15 PM EST
- Where
- Armstrong forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.812, -79.464 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Washington
- When
- March 8, 10:22 PM EST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.189, -80.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Fayette
- When
- March 8, 10:45 PM EST
- Where
- Fayette forecast zone
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
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
- Cold in Minnesota, March 8 to 9, 2003
- Cold in North Dakota, March 8 to 9, 2003
- Strong Wind in Ohio, March 8, 2003
- Strong Wind in Pennsylvania, March 8, 2003
- Strong Wind in Ohio, March 8, 2003
- Cold in North Dakota, March 8, 2003
- High Wind in West Virginia, March 8, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Montana, March 8 to 9, 2003
- High Wind in Oregon, March 8 to 9, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, March 8, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, March 8 to 9, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Washington, March 8 to 9, 2003
More
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, March 2003
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: 5342769, 5342761, 5342763, 5342765, 5342764, 5342767, 5342770, 5342760, 5342762, 5342766, 5342768, 5342759.