Pennsylvania, 2004

Damaging Wind in Pennsylvania, August 20, 2004

August 20, 2004 · 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
0
Property damage
$4,000
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 Aug 20, 3:59 PM EST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 20, 3:59 PM EST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
459 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
UPDATED TO ADD SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TO APPROPRIATE ZNS.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 312 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

AVIATION...
BIG CONCERN THROUGH ABOUT MIDNIGHT IS WDSPRD TSTMS WITH CONDS BLO
3SM -TSRA AND BLO OVC010CB AS STRONG FNT WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCING
APPROACHES AND PUSHES THROUGH AREA . SOME 4RA- BR OVC020 BEHIND FRNT
WITH GRDL IMPVMENT SATURDAY.

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)...
CONVECTION REALLY GETTING UNDERWAY NOW. ETA AND GFS HAVE COME MORE
IN LINE WITH A SOLUTION FOR A SPEEDIER PASSAGE OF THE LOW WITH A
MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK. WILL GO WITH FLOOD WATCH AS PRECPBLE WATERS
BETWEEN 1.5 AND 2 INCHES..THOUGH FASTER MOVEMENT MAY HOLD DOWN FINAL
AMOUNTS. WILL INCLUDE CHC SEVERE WITH LIS -4 TO -6. WILL CONTINUE
WITH LIKELY IN THE MORNING FAR EASTERN ZNS AND CUT TO CHANCE FURTHER
WEST IN THE A.M. CLEARING SAT NIGHT AND MS SUNDAY AS RIDGE BUILDS
ACROSS.

LONG TERM (MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)...
SFC RIDGE HOLDS OFF PRECIP UNTIL WEDNESDAY WITH APPROACH OF SHORT WV
THAT TAKES UNTIL FRIDAY TO CLEAR THE FA. SE SFC RIDGE BUILDS
WESTWARD TO KEEP FA DRY THEN.
&&

.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...NONE.
OH...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069 TODAY
     AND TONIGHT.
PA...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES PAZ007>009-013>016-020-022-023-
     029-030 TODAY AND TONIGHT.
WV...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES WVZ001>004 TODAY AND TONIGHT.
&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 20, 8:56 AM EST, 9 hours 34 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
956 AM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-210920-
ALLEGHENY PA-ARMSTRONG PA-BEAVER PA-BELMONT OH-BROOKE WV-BUTLER PA-
CARROLL OH-CLARION PA-COLUMBIANA OH-COSHOCTON OH-FAYETTE PA-
FOREST PA-GARRETT MD-GREENE PA-GUERNSEY OH-HANCOCK WV-HARRISON OH-
INDIANA PA-JEFFERSON PA-JEFFERSON OH-LAWRENCE PA-MARION WV-
MARSHALL WV-MERCER PA-MONONGALIA WV-MONROE OH-MUSKINGUM OH-NOBLE OH-
OHIO WV-PRESTON WV-TUCKER WV-TUSCARAWAS OH-VENANGO PA-WASHINGTON PA-
WESTMORELAND PA-WETZEL WV-
956 AM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THERE CONTINUES TO BE A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT APPEARS TO BE
FROM DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. A TORNADO CANNOT BE
RULED OUT. ALSO HEAVY RAINS ACCOMPANYING THESE STORMS CAN CAUSE
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND LOWLAND FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY TODAY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 20, 5:16 PM EST, 1 hour 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
616 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0610 PM     HAIL             SOUTH BETHLEHEM         41.00N 79.34W
08/20/2004  1.00 INCH        CLARION            PA   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTED QUARTER SIZED HAIL IN SOUTH BETHLEHEM.

&&
Local storm report, Aug 20, 5:21 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
621 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

&&
Local storm report, Aug 20, 5:22 PM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
622 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0610 PM     HAIL             1 S SOUTH BETHLEHEM     40.99N 79.34W
08/20/2004  1.00 INCH        ARMSTRONG          PA   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTED QUARTER SIZED HAIL IN SOUTH BETHLEHEM.

&&
Local storm report, Aug 20, 5:27 PM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
627 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0445 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NE TORONTO            40.48N 80.58W
08/20/2004                   HANCOCK            WV   COUNTY EOC

            LARGE AREA OF TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN STARTING FIRES IN
            THE TOPE HILL AREA.

&&
Local storm report, Aug 20, 5:35 PM EST, 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
635 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 E ROCHESTER           40.70N 80.19W
08/20/2004                   BEAVER             PA   SKYWARN SPOTTER

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN NEW SEWICKLEY TOWNSHIP.

0515 PM     TSTM WND DMG     OHIOVILLE               40.68N 80.48W
08/20/2004                   BEAVER             PA   SKYWARN SPOTTER

            NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN THE OHIOVILLE AREA.

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HOOKSTOWN               40.60N 80.47W
08/20/2004                   BEAVER             PA   SKYWARN SPOTTER

            ROOF BLOWN OFF HOUSE IN HOOKSTOWN.

0515 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BEAVER                  40.69N 80.31W
08/20/2004                   BEAVER             PA   COUNTY EOC

            WIDESPREAD TTREES AND POWER LINES DOWN THROUGHOUT COUNTY.

&&
Local storm report, Aug 20, 5:39 PM EST, 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
639 PM EDT FRI AUG 20 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0529 PM     HAIL             BUTLER                  40.86N 79.90W
08/20/2004  0.75 INCH        BUTLER             PA   SKYWARN SPOTTER

            3/4 INCH HAIL REPORTED IN CITY OF BUTLER.

0530 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BUTLER                  40.86N 79.90W
08/20/2004                   BUTLER             PA   COUNTY EOC

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN COUNTY-WIDE.

&&

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Indiana

When
August 20, 6:30 PM EST
Where
Indiana County, Shelocta
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$4,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
40.667, -79.300

Trees and power lines blown down.

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 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, August 2004

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: 5418339.