A cold front moving east from the Ohio Valley encountered a very moist and unstable airmass over central Pennsylvania, triggering numerous strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. This was the first widespread severe weather event of 2008.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS CTP wrote it up.
A cold front moving east from the Ohio Valley encountered a very moist and unstable airmass over central Pennsylvania, triggering numerous strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. This was the first widespread severe weather event of 2008. This event also came at the end of a four-day heat episode.
All utility companies across the Commonwealth were affected by power outages. The overall outage affected approximately 230,000 customers.
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 Jun 10, 2:18 PM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 318 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 .SYNOPSIS... OUR EARLY SEASON BOUT WITH MID SUMMER HEAT AND HUMIDITY FROM THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS WILL BE RELIEVED BY THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY ACCOMPANY THE FRONT...WITH POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL POSSIBLE. FAIR WARM CONDITIONS ARE THEN EXPECTED THROUGH LATE WEEK WITH PLEASANT TEMPERATURES AND LOWER HUMIDITY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING/... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #501 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM LOCAL TIME FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN PENN. UPDATE JUST RELEASED TO FINE TUNE POPS/TIMING FOR THIS AFTERNOON. LINE OF TSTORMS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP AND FILL IN OVER FAR E OH AT 17Z FOLLOWED BY A COOL FRONT. AS THIS TRACKS TO THE NE...CONVECTION WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT OUR CWA IN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. CAPES INCREASE FROM W TO E ACROSS CWA. COMBINED WITH DECENT SPEED SHEAR AND ADDED LIFT NEAR FRONTAL BOUNDARY...MODERATE RISK FOR MY EASTERN HALF LOOKS JUSTIFIED. ANTICIPATE A LINE OF STRENGTHENING TSTORMS TO MOVE THROUGH LATER THIS AFTERNOON WITH STRONG WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT...ALTHOUGH SOME HAIL COULD ALSO BE MIXED IN. BETTER CHANCE FOR HAIL WILL BE IN THE MID/LOWER SUSQ VALLEY AS SINGLE CELL STORMS SHOULD FORM AHEAD OF APPROACHING LINE LATE THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE LEE TROUGH JUST EAST OF THE MTNS. CAPES IN THIS REGION WILL BE THE HIGHEST AND STAND-ALONE STORMS THAT DEVELOP IN THIS REGION WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY. SHOWERS/TSTORMS WILL RAPIDLY DECREASE TONIGHT AS FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHES EASTWARD. && .SHORT TERM /10 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... TAPERED POPS OFF FROM WEST TO EAST EARLY TNT AS THE CLD FNT TRAVERSES THE STATE...WITH NO PCPN MENTIONED AFT 06Z. CLOUDS WILL DECREASE AND COOLER/DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN TO WORK INTO THE REGION OVERNIGHT WITH LOW TEMPERATURE READINGS MORE IN-LINE WITH CLIMATOLOGY...RANGING FROM THE LOW 50S ACROSS THE NW MTNS TO THE LOW/MID 60S OVER THE LWR SUSQ RVR VLY. WITH WATER TEMPS RUNNING IN THE LOW 70S...A 20+ DEG TEMP/WATER SPREAD MAY PROMOTE PATCHY FOG OVER THE NCENT MTNS. HIGH PRES BUILDING IN FROM THE GREAT LAKES WILL PROVIDE DRY/TRANQUIL WEATHER WED-THUR. XPECT A BRIEF BREAK IN THE HOT/HUMID CONDITIONS AS DEWPOINTS PULL BACK INTO THE 50S. THE 10/12Z GEFS CONTINUES TO SHOW ANOMALOUS RIDGING BECOMING RE-ESTABLISHED BY THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... THE GFS ENSEMBLE /GEFS/ SHOWS A FNTL SYS AFFECTING THE REGION SOMETIME IN THE FRI-SAT TIMEFRAME...WITH UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARD TO THE EXACT TIMING. THIS SYS WILL PROVIDE THE NEXT CHC FOR WDSPRD PCPN WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY THE GEFS PLUME DIAGRAMS AND PLANE VIEW PROBABILITY CHARTS. A SECOND FNT WILL LKLY MOVE ACROSS THE REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH A GENERAL COOLING TREND IN STORE FOR MUCH OF THE MID ATLC REGION. THIS CONTINUES TO BE SUPPORTED BY BLW NORMAL HEIGHTS FCST BY THE GEFS. BETTER THAN AVERAGE CONFIDENCE EXISTS IN THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN EVOLUTION INTO AN ERN MEAN TROF BY NEXT TUE. && .AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... PRETTY QUIET AT 18Z ACROSS CWA...BUT A BUSY LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING IN STORE AS SHOWERS/TSTORMS AFFECT CENTRAL PA. A DEVELOPING LINE JUST AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT IN E OH/W PA WILL CONTINUE TO FILL IN AND MOVE ACROSS CWA THROUGH 00Z. EXPECT A PERIOD OF REDUCED CIG/VSBYS AS THIS LINE PASSES ALONG WITH GUSTY SW WINDS. ADDITIONAL SCATTERED ACTIVITY MAY ACCOMPANY FROPA. ALSO...SINGLE CELL CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP IN THE MID/LOWER SUSQ VALLEY AS CAP ERODES LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WILL SEE LOCALIZED STRONG STORMS WITH REDUCTIONS. ACTIVITY SHOULD RAPIDLY DIMINISH EARLY THIS EVENING AS FRONT MOVES EAST...USHERING IN A STRETCH OF GOOD FLYING WX FOR MID/LATE WEEK. ANOTHER COLD IS FCST TO SWEEP THRU THE STATE ON SATURDAY...LIKELY ACCOMPANIED BY A ROUND OF SHWRS/TSTMS WITH REDUCED CIGS/VSBYS. && .CLIMATE... RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR 6/10/08 AT SELECTED CENTRAL PA LOCATIONS. 6/10 WILLIAMSPORT 93 IN 1914/1991 HARRISBURG 96 IN 1984 STATE COLLEGE 90 IN 1984 ALTOONA 92 IN 1984 BRADFORD 85 IN 1984 && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DEVOIR/RXR NEAR TERM...RXR SHORT TERM...STEINBUGL LONG TERM...STEINBUGL AVIATION...RXR CLIMATE...STEINBUGL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 302 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 PAZ004>006-010-011-017-024-033-111915- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-CLEARFIELD-CAMBRIA-SOMERSET- 302 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE FRONT WILL MOVE INTO A VERY WARM AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS...COMBINED WITH FAVORABLE SPEED AND DIRECTIONAL WIND SHEAR ALOFT. AS A RESULT...A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL ARE THE PREDOMINANT SEVERE WEATHER THREATS...WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ACCOMPANYING ANY THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ012-018-019-025>028-034>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059- 063>066-111915- NORTHERN CLINTON-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON- MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING- SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 302 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 501 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. RXR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 230 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 PAZ066-101900- LANCASTER- 230 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN LANCASTER COUNTY THROUGH 3 PM EDT... AT 229 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING...STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 9 MILES WEST OF OXFORD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 32 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND PEA-SIZED HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. A 10 MINUTE PERIOD OF VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL FROM THIS STORM...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES. EXPECT OCCASIONAL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING FROM THIS STORM. DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING THREATENS...MOVE INDOORS WHEN A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR BETHEL AROUND 235 PM. THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 222. FORECASTER: LAMBERT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 340 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 PAZ033-034-102015- BEDFORD-SOMERSET- 340 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL SOMERSET AND WEST CENTRAL BEDFORD COUNTIES... AT 335 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SOMERSET...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 44 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR CASSELMAN AROUND 345 PM AND BERLIN AROUND 400 PM. THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INTERSTATES...THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 110 AND 135. FORECASTER: LA CORTE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 446 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 PAZ004-005-102130- MCKEAN-WARREN- 446 PM EDT TUE JUN 10 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN WARREN AND NORTHWESTERN MCKEAN COUNTIES... AT 439 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WARREN...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND PEA-SIZED HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR MARSHBURG AROUND 500 PM...LEWIS RUN AROUND 510 PM AND BRADFORD AROUND 515 PM. THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 6...ROUTE 62...ROUTE 219...STATE ROAD 59. FORECASTER: RXR
The State College radar (KCCX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:48 UTC.
11 hail, 10 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Bedford County 911 Center reported numerous trees and wires down in Bedford Township. PEMA reported that a abandoned mobile home and dilapidated barn were destroyed. Minor damage was also reported to several other buildings. There were no injuries.
The Tioga County emergency manager reported a fairly large area of wind damage about three miles east of Liberty on Route 414. The damage included a church steeple blown off, two large trees down onto a house and a large farm building collapsed. The storm continued to move along Route 414 into Bradford County, where additional storm damage occurred. No injuries were reported.
Public reported quarter-sized hail in Danville.
Public reported penny-sized hail in Minersville.
Public reported numerous large branches downed just north of Willow Hill.
Sporadic wind damage, mainly to trees, was caused by thunderstorm winds southeast of Mount Union. Damage was mainly confined to German Valley Road, Corner Creek Land, and Loop Road. While most of the damage was to trees, there was some isolated structural damage. A church on Loop Road sustained slight damage from a tree falling on it. On German Valley Road, one home sustained minor damage to roof shingles. Significant structural damage occurred to a mobile home on Loop Road, where the roof and one wall was completely removed from the structure. All of the observed tree damage and structural damage was consistent with straight line winds, with some areas exhibiting divergent patterns consistent with a small downburst. In a few locations, swirling patterns were observed in crops and field grass. However, these damage patterns occurred at locations where straight line winds interacted with hillsides. It was concluded that one or two very small (5 to 10 yard wide) spin up gustnadoes may have occurred, but with winds generally under 50 mph.
Thunderstorm winds toppled trees and snapped tree limbs along a path from north of Dry Run to northeast of Doylesburg. The winds tore part of the roof off of one barn. one truck was also hit by a falling tree. The tree and barn roof debris were all consistent with straight line winds.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down a swath of trees extending from about 2 miles southwest of Concord to near Concord. A portion of the roof of a barn was torn off. All tree and barn damage was consistent with straight line winds.
Public reported nickel-sized hail in Fort Loudon.
Public reported golf-ball sized hail in Millersville.
A retired National Weather Service employee estimated a wind gust of 60 mph near New Germantown on Route 274.
A trained spotter reported quarter-sized hail at Millersville University.
The Lancaster County 911 Center relayed several hail reports ranging from pea to quarter size.
Public reported golf-ball sized hail in Leola.
Public reported nickel-sized hail near New Holland.
A trained spotter reported numerous trees and wires down near Bloomsburg.
Public reported numerous trees down in Bloomsburg.
Public reported nickel-sized hail in Bloomsburg.
The Lancaster County emergency manager reported several large trees snapped off and a radio tower down. Several roofs were also blown off. Trained spotters also reported wind gusts of 60 mph near Terre Hill and numerous trees and wires down on Route 897 approximately 5 miles south of Route 322. A large tree fell onto a house causing structural damage.
Public reported penny-sized hail in Gap.
Public reported quarter-sized hail in Gettysburg.
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, June 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: 93466, 93468, 93469, 93477, 93471, 93742, 93746, 94453, 93491, 93529, 93474, 93509, 93520, 93531, 93532, 93540, 93547, 93546, 93550, 93543, 93498.