Heat in Pennsylvania, July 31, 2006

Name: Heat in Pennsylvania, July 31, 2006
Start: 2006-07-31T12:00
End: 2006-07-31T21:00
Location: Pennsylvania

July 31, 2006 · NWS CTP · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Strong high pressure both at the surface and aloft allowed unseasonably hot and humid weather to develop over Pennsylvania during the end of July into the first week of August. On July 31st, air temperatures reached the middle 90s and combined with dewpoints in the lower to middle 70s, produced heat index values of 98 to 103.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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 CTP wrote it up.

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 State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 31, 10:30 AM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 10:30 AM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 2:43 AM EST, 9 hours 17 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
343 AM EDT MON JUL 31 2006

PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-
049>053-056>059-063>066-010745-
WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD-
NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-
JUNIATA-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-
SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR-
NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-
CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER-
343 AM EDT MON JUL 31 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM MONDAY THROUGH NOON
TUESDAY. HEAT INDICES WILL CLIMB TO BETWEEN 100 AND 104 MONDAY
AFTERNOON ACROSS THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. MUGGY CONDITIONS
WITH LOW TEMPERATURES ONLY IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S TONIGHT WILL
OFFER ONLY MINIMAL RELIEF FROM THE HEAT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE AND
LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER VALLEY TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON...AND FOR THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER VALLEY THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES BOTH DAYS COULD TOP OUT IN THE
UPPER 90S TO LOWER 100S. HEAT INDICES COULD RANGE FROM 105 TO 115
BETWEEN 1 AND 6 PM EACH DAY.

DEVOIR

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 31, 9:35 AM EST, 2 hours 25 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 31, 11:46 AM EST, 14 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Adams

When: July 31, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.872, -77.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Cumberland

When: July 31, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.164, -77.266 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Dauphin

When: July 31, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Dauphin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.415, -76.779 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Franklin

When: July 31, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.927, -77.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Lancaster

When: July 31, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Lancaster forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.042, -76.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Lebanon

When: July 31, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Lebanon forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.367, -76.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Perry

When: July 31, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Perry forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.398, -77.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, York

When: July 31, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: York forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.920, -76.726 (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

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, July 2006

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: 5527213, 5527214, 5527215, 5527216, 5527217, 5527218, 5527219, 5527220.