Pennsylvania, 2003

Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, October 14, 2003

October 14, 2003 · NWS PBZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
6
Property damage
$1.0 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 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 Oct 14, 3:05 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 14, 3:05 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
405 PM EDT TUE OCT 14 2003

HAVE ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. ETA AND GFS
SHOW THE APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEEPENING AS IT MOVES
THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES. PREFRONTAL THUNDERSTORMS HAVE A SLIGHT RISK
OF SEVERE WEATHER, MAINLY WIND GUSTS. POSTFRONTAL DOWNWARD MOMENTUM
TRANSFER WITH THE TIGHTENING ISOBARIC GRADIENT LIKEWISE CAPABLE OF
WIND GUSTS OVER 50 MPH. ENSUING TROUGHY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL
MAKE TEMPERATURES NOTICEABLY COOLER FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.

GFS SHOWS NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM TO ALSO BE WELL DEVELOPED AS IT MOVES
THROUGH FRIDAY. SO ACCOMPANYING SHOWERS CAN LINGER INTO SATURDAY.

PIT   46  54  40  55 / 100  30  10  10
HLG   46  55  40  56 / 100  30  10  10
MGW   46  56  41  56 / 100  30  10  10
ZZV   45  56  41  56 / 100  30  10  10
PHD   45  54  40  55 / 100  30  10  10
FKL   43  49  37  50 / 100  40  10  10
DUJ   43  49  37  50 / 100  40  10  10
LBE   46  55  39  54 / 100  30  10  10
BTP   44  52  39  53 / 100  40  10  10
IDI   46  55  39  54 / 100  30  10  10
ODM   44  55  37  52 / 100  30  10  10

.PBZ...
MD...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR ZONE MDZ001.

OH...NONE.
PA...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES PAZ007>009...
PAZ013>016...PAZ022>023...PAZ030...PAZ032.

WV...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES WVZ023...
WVZ041.
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 14, 11:40 AM EST, 4 hours 30 minutes before
MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-142000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1240 PM EDT TUE OCT 14 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND
GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT
COUNTY MARYLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WITH
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. THE STORMS WILL FORM
AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT WHICH WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE REGION
EARLY TONIGHT.

AFTER THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR
STRONG WINDS LATE TONIGHT.  THE HIGHEST WINDS WILL OCCUR OVER
NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE MOUNTAINS.  WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 60 MPH
ARE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS CONTINUES ON DAY TWO.  THE HIGHEST
WINDS WILL OCCUR OVER NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA AND THE MOUNTAINS.  WIND
GUSTS OF UP TO 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED BEYOND DAY TWO.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 14, 11:32 AM EST, 4 hours 38 minutes before
MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-141915-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1232 PM EDT TUE OCT 14 2003

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT
COUNTY MARYLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT WITH
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. THE STORMS WILL FORM
AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT WHICH WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE REGION
EARLY TONIGHT.

SKYWARN ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.
Special weather statement, Oct 14, 4:09 PM EST, 1 minute before
MDZ001-PAZ007>009-014>016-021>023-029>032-WVZ021>023-041-142200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
509 PM EDT TUE OCT 14 2003

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH SAYS WINDS CAN GUST OVER 50 MPH
AS A LINE OF HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVES THROUGH
BETWEEN NOW AND 6:30 PM. TAKE COVER IN A STRONG BUILDING.

RAIN AMOUNTS CAN GO OVER 1 INCH AND CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS
AND IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:09 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Butler

When
October 14, 4:10 PM EST to 4:13 PM EST
Where
Butler County, 1 mi S of Criders Corners
Measured
87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust
Injuries
6 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$1.0 million
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
40.683, -80.100

A microburst, estimated at 100 mph (87 kts), struck Cranberry Mall and nearby areas. Aluminum flag poles were bent to the ground. Trailer picked up and rolled by the wind, injuring 6 people. A total of 12 businesses were damaged, including a muffler shop, jewelry store, and bank, mainly between Routes 19 and 228. One house destroyed on Shady Oak Dr. Nine houses suffered major damage; 64 received minor damage. Roofing, siding, and windows broken. Dunkin Doughnuts on Route 19 hard hit. Its sign was found 5 miles north. Fox Run area off Rowan Rd also hit hard. Many large trees toppled or snapped. Recreational vehicle destroyed. Four vehicles at the muffler shop were crushed by debris. Witnesses described the sky as pitch black or green. At Fox Run, microburst was one quarter mile wide. 5500 customers lost electric power in Butler, Beaver, and Allegheny counties.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5337933.