An upper air disturbance helped trigger thunderstorms in eastern Pennsylvania during the day on the 8th.
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The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.
An upper air disturbance helped trigger thunderstorms in eastern Pennsylvania during the day on the 8th.
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 Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 8, 2:09 PM EST, 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 309 PM EDT FRI AUG 8 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE WEST TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT AND UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT, THEN HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE WEST MONDAY AND TUESDAY. OTHER UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES AND FRONTAL SYSTEMS SHOULD AFFECT THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND AGAIN THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED TO THE WEST TODAY. THESE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK COLD FRONT AND UPPER AIR SHORT WAVE/DISTURBANCE. DAYTIME HEATING COMBINED WITH THIS SYSTEM TO HELP DEVELOP THE SHOWERS AND TSTMS AS THEY HEADED OFF TO THE EAST. WITH THE AIRMASS REMAINING UNSTABLE INTO THE EVENING HOURS, I EXPECTED THE SHOWERS AND TSTMS TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION BEFORE DISSIPATING AROUND SUNSET. DRY AIR RETURNS LATE TONIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST. CONSIDERING THE AIRMASS AND THE 1000-850 THICKNESS, THE MET TEMPS WHICH ARE A BIT LOWER THAN THE MAV LOOK MORE REASONABLE. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... THIS IS USUALLY THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN IT IS HOT AND HUMID, DO I HEAR DOG DAYS. HOWEVER, THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND COMFORATABLE HUMIDITY THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY AS AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG UPPER TROUGH DOMINATES THE WEATHER. ALTHOUGH THE TROUGH ALOFT REMAINS OVER THE REGION ON SATURDAY WITH COOL AIR ALOFT THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO CAUSE PCPN, SO I KEPT THE FCST DRY. HOWEVER, IF I AM WRONG, ANY CONVECTION SHOULD BE ISOLATED AT WORSE. THE AIRMASS IS COOL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR AND LOOKS ONLY MARGINALLY ABLE TO SUPPORT HIGHS AROUND 80 AT PHL, WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE MET/FWC FCST RATHER THAN THE MAV. SATURDAY NIGHT THE UPPER TROUGH LOOKS TO DEEPEN TO THE WEST AND CLOSE OFF NEAR THE GREAT LAKES ALLOWING ANOTHER FRONT TO FORM IN RESPONSE TO WAA OVER THE DELAWARE VALLEY AND COLD ADVECTION INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. THE WAA OVER THE REGION WILL HELP INCREASE THE MOISTURE AND CLOUDS SAT NIGHT, BUT SINCE THE UPPER AIR DYNAMICS ARE TO THE WEST, I ONLY MENTION POSSIBLE SHOWERS. FOR SUNDAY, THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH FROM THE WEST AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ARE ANTICIPATED UNTIL THE FRONT CROSSES LATE SUNDAY. THE STRENGTH OF THE TSTMS WILL DEPEND ON HOW WARM WE CAN GET SUNDAY AND IT APPEARS THAT THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH CLOUD COVER TO LIMIT THE INSTABILITY DUE TO DAYTIME HEATING. AGAIN MET/FWC TEMPS WERE PREFERRED OVER THE MAV. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... WITH AN UPPER AIR TROUGH REMAINING OVER THE REGION, BUT CONTINUALLY REORIENTING ITSELF, THE TIMING OF THE UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES/SHORT WAVES DOES NOT LEAVE ME WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE FOR FCSTING PCPN LONGER TERM. THE MODELS DO SEEM TO AGREE THAT WED AFTN INTO THURSDAY WILL SEE THE UPPER AIR TROUGH REDEVELOP ONCE AGAIN TO OUR WEST AND IS THEREFORE THE TIMING USED FOR MENTIONING POTENTIAL SHOWERS AND TSTMS. ON FRIDAY, HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK OVER THE AREA AND WE SHOULD BE BETWEEN UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES ALLOWING FOR ANOTHER DRY FCST. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. WITH COOL AIR ALOFT, ANY SIGNIFICANT HEATING WOULD PROBABLY CAUSE CLOUDS AND/OR CONVECTION TO FORM AND THEREBY LIMIT HOW WARM WE WOULD GET. THE 1000-850 THICKNESSES BETTER INDICATE THE TEMPS THAN USING 850 MB TEMPS AND MIXING DOWN. FOLLOWING THIS THINKING, HPC TEMPS LOOK SLIGHTLY HIGH FROM 12Z. && .AVIATION /18Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POPPING UP ALONG A BOUNDARY EXTENDING FROM MORRIS COUNTY IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY TO CHESTER CO IN SOUTHEAST PA. CONDITIONS ARE VFR AND THE SKY BRIGHT BLUE SO FLIGHT VISIBILITY IS EXCELLENT AND SHOWERS AND TSTMS EASILY NAVIGATED AROUND. MOVEMENT IS THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. FREEZING LEVEL IS 10,000 WHICH IS A GOOD MEASURABLE OF THE AUTUMN-LIKE AIRMASS. THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION INTO SUNDAY THEN INTENSIFY AND DROP TO WESTERN NEW YORK STATE BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SATURDAY SHOULD BE LESS OF A THREAT FOR SHOWERS BUT SUNDAY WELL RETURN TO A DAY SIMILAR TO TODAY. SURFACE WINDS REST OF TODAY FAVORING WEST AND NORTHWEST...SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY AFTERNOON...THEN A RETURN FLOW TO THE WEST AND NORTHWEST SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO NEXT WEEK. OUTLOOK... NORTHWEST FLOW TO CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK WITH VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING. && .MARINE... AUTUMN-LIKE TEMPERATURES NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WHILE NEARSHORE SSTS HAVE RECOVERED TO THE LOWER 70S. THESE CONDITIONS COMPLIMENTS OF AN UPPER LEVEL LOW NORTH OF THE REGION WHICH WILL BECOME REINFORCED OVER THE WEEKEND. THE NORTHWEST FLOW IS BRINGING IN THE DRIER AIR AND IS BLOWING OFFSHORE. SEAS HAVE BEEN SMALL ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE 44009 BUOY BUT MAY BE A BIT CHOPPY ACROSS THE MOUTH OF THE DELAWARE BAY. A FEW SHOWERS AND A POSSIBLE TSTM ARE POSSIBLE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS LATER TODAY AND OVER THE WEEKEND. SEAS AND WINDS WILL REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT CRITERIA(5 FT SEAS-25KT WINDS)BUT A FEW HOURS OF GUSTY WINDS TO 20 KT IS POSSIBLE. COOL AIR ALOFT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS AND MIX DOWN TO THE WATERS SURFACE. ON SUNDAY...WHEN THE UPPER LOW IS STRONGER AND DIPS FARTHER SOUTH...THE SURFACE FRONT WILL APPROACH THE COAST AND MAY GUST TO 25 NEAR SHORE. A LONGER STRETCH OF 25 KT GUSTS AND NEAR 5 FT SEAS MAY BE THE CASE AS THE COOLER AIR SWEEPS IN ON MONDAY BEHIND THE FRONT. OTHERWISE...EXCEPT FOR A FEW SHOWERS AND A POSSIBLE TSTM...NICE WEATHER FOR SEVERAL DAYS. && .PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...NONE. NJ...NONE. DE...NONE. MD...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...STAUBER NEAR TERM...STAUBER SHORT TERM...STAUBER LONG TERM...STAUBER AVIATION...EBERWINE MARINE...EBERWINE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 401 AM EDT FRI AUG 8 2008 DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055- 060>062-067>071-091000- NEW CASTLE-KENT-INLAND SUSSEX-DELAWARE BEACHES-CECIL-KENT MD- QUEEN ANNES-TALBOT-CAROLINE-SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET- MIDDLESEX-WESTERN MONMOUTH-EASTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-SALEM-GLOUCESTER- CAMDEN-NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-OCEAN-CUMBERLAND-ATLANTIC-CAPE MAY- ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY-COASTAL ATLANTIC-COASTAL OCEAN- SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON-CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON- CHESTER-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA- 401 AM EDT FRI AUG 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL DELAWARE...NORTHERN DELAWARE...SOUTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND...CENTRAL NEW JERSEY...NORTHERN NEW JERSEY...NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY...SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY...EAST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION LATER TODAY. SOME OF THE STORMS MIGHT CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. THE GREATEST CHANCES OF THIS OCCURRING LIKE YESTERDAY ARE TOWARD THE NEW YORK STATE BORDER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY. PLEASE LOOK FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES LATER TODAY AND OVER THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ANZ430-431-450>455-470-091000- DELAWARE BAY WATERS NORTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE- DELAWARE BAY WATERS SOUTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE- COASTAL WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK TO MANASQUAN INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM MANASQUAN INLET TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE EGG INLET TO GREAT EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM GREAT EGG INLET TO CAPE MAY NJ OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE MAY NJ TO CAPE HENLOPEN DE OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE HENLOPEN TO FENWICK ISLAND DE OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK NJ TO FENWICK ISLAND DE FROM 20 TO 40 NM- 401 AM EDT FRI AUG 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND DELAWARE BAY WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION LATER TODAY. SOME OF THE STORMS MIGHT CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. THE GREATEST CHANCES OF THIS OCCURRING LIKE YESTERDAY ARE ALONG THE NORTHERN NEW JERSEY COASTAL WATERS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY. PLEASE LOOK FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES LATER TODAY AND OVER THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:13 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A lightning strike caused a fire at the Keystone Automotive Warehouse on Pennsylvania State Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township. The roadway was closed as firefighters battled the blaze. Traffic was backed up on several other roads. No injuries were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, August 2008
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: 132042.