Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms associated with a cold front produced isolated wind damage across portions of the Northwest Mountains.
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.
Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms associated with a cold front produced isolated wind damage across portions of the Northwest Mountains.
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 May 31, 3:03 PM EST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 403 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 .SYNOPSIS... THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN WILL UNDER GO A TRANSITION THIS WEEK. OUR MEAN TROUGH WILL BE REPLACED BY A RIDGE. IN THE SHORT TERM...A SHORTWAVE WILL PUSH A FRONT ACROSS THE REGION TODAY TRIGGERING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. DRIER AIR WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THE FRONT AND REMAIN UNTIL THE NEXT CHANCE OF SHOWERS SOME TIME TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY MORNING/... CONVECTION CONTINUES ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE MASON-DIXON LINE. ATMOSPHERE NORTH OF THE BORDER HAS THUS FAR RESISTED RECOVERY AND INSTABILITY REMAINS MARGINAL. WATER VAPOR SHOWS VERY DRY MID LEVEL AIR SLIDING EAST AHEAD OF THE OHIO VALLEY SHORTWAVE...AND THIS IS APPARENTLY KEEPING A LID ON THINGS DESPITE FAVORABLE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES. THE FOCUS OF THE BEST STORMS SHUD REMAIN ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE BORDER THRU LATE DAY BEFORE THINGS DRY OUT RAPIDLY AROUND OR AFTER 00Z. THE FORECAST HAS THE HIGHEST POPS OVER THE SOUTH INTO THE SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVE BEFORE DROPPING OFF THE RAIN CHANCES RAPIDLY BETWEEN 00-06Z. CONTINUITY AND NEW OPERATIONAL/ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE ALL LEAN THAT WAY SO ITS HARD TO JUSTIFY KEEPING SHOWERS GOING MUCH LONGER THAN ABOUT 21-23Z. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY/... THE PW VALUES AND TEMPS SUGGEST THE FRONTAL SYSTEM PUSHES MOST OF THE ACTIVITY TO THE EAST AT OR BEFORE 8 PM. KEPT A SHORT PERIOD OF CHANCE SHOWERS TO REMAIN COLLABORATED WITH OTHER OFFICES. THOUGH ENSEMBLE POPS ARE LOWER THAN MOS POPS AND OUR POPS ARE A BLEND. AFTER 11 PM DROPPED ALL POPS AND MENTION OF SHOWERS. IT SHOULD BECOME MOSTLY CLEAR WITH SOME NICE COOL AM TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S AND LOWER 50S. THE DRY AIR SHOULD LIMIT THE PATCHY FOG OFTEN EXPECTED AFTER A RAIN EVENT. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... SUNDAY NIGHT THE REGION WILL BE DOMINATED A WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT SO LIGHT WINDS AND DRY AIR WILL PROVIDE A MOSTLY CLEAR COOL NIGHT. MONDAY...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WITH DRY AIR SHOULD CONTINUE WITH VERY LOW POPS IN THE ENSEMBLES AND MOS. TUESDAY...A WARM FRONT MOVES TOWARDS THE REGION AND THE 500 HPA HEIGHT BEGIN TO RISE. THIS BOUNDARY AND THE ABOVE NORMAL PW WITH IT IS THE FOCUS FOR SOME INCREASE SHOWER AND CLOUD ISSUE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. THE GEFS ENSEMBLES CONTINUE TO SHOW INCREASING CHANCES OF RAIN BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WEDNESDAY...PW VALUES GO ABOVE NORMAL AS THE WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS LIKELY TO MOVE NORTH OF PA. A WARMER HUMID AIR MASS TAKES HOLD OF THE REGION. THE GEFS SHOWS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF RAIN DURING THIS TIME. UPPED POPS FURTHER TO LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTH AND HIGH CHANCE IN THE SOUTH. THURSDAY...THE HIGH PW AIR IS IN PLACE AND BOTH THE 850 HPA TEMPS AND 500 HPA HEIGHTS GO ABOVE NORMAL. THE ENSEMBLES SUGGEST THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION. WARM MOIST AIR MASSES HOLD THE POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. GEFS POPS SHOW THIS DIURNAL ISSUE. FRI AND SAT...THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IN THE GEFS SHOWS A 588 DM CONTOUR AND ABOVE NORMAL HEIGHTS OVER THE EASTERN US. SOME MEMBERS SHOW A CLOSED 588 DM CONTOUR...A SIGN OF AN EARLY SUMMER WARM EPISODE. PA SHOULD BE ON THE FRINGES OF THIS...NEAR THE MOISTURE PLUME AND PW VALUES ARE 1 TO 1.5SDS ABOVE NORMAL. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS SHOULD LIMIT THE HIGH TEMPERATURES LOCALLY. THAT SAID 850 HPA TEMPS ARE 1SD ABOVE NORMAL AND THE 925 HPA TEMPS GO TO 2 SDS ABOVE NORMAL. SHOULD BE A WARM AND HUMID PERIOD THAT WILL CONTINUE INTO SAT. THE GEFS SUGGESTS A FRONT SHOULD BRING THE WARM HUMID WEATHER TO AN END NEXT WEEKEND. && .AVIATION /20Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... CONVECTION CONTINUES TO FIRE NEAR THE MASON-DIXON LINE...WHERE A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 5 PM. ELSEWHERE ACROSS CWA...A FEW STRAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS POPPING UP THIS AFTN. LWR CIGS AND -SHRA POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY EVENING. JST HAS BEEN SOCKED IN W/ LOW CLOUDS THRU THE AFTN...ALTHOUGH THINGS APPEAR TO BE IMRPOVING THERE GRADUALLY. ELSEWHERE...EXPECT THINGS TO IMPRV LATER TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY AS DRIER AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE DEPARTING FRONT. THINGS LOOK GOOD /VFR/ SUN THRU EARLY TUES. TUES AFTN THRU THURS LOOKS TO BE UNSETTLED...W/ SCT SHOWERS AND TSTORMS POSSIBLE. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...LACORTE NEAR TERM...LACORTE SHORT TERM...GRUMM LONG TERM...GRUMM/RXR AVIATION...EVANEGO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1030 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 PAZ033>036-063>066-011430- SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 1030 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...TORNADO WATCH 402 IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. TORNADO WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-011430- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD- NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN- JUNIATA-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON- SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR-NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY- DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON- 1030 AM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND WARM MOIST UNSTABLE AIR WILL LIKELY PRODUCE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REGION TODAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG AND A FEW ISOLATED STORMS COULD REACH SEVERE LIMITS. GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL IS LIKELY. ISOLATED AREAS OF STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 453 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 PAZ004-312130- WARREN- 453 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN WARREN COUNTY... AT 450 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 18 MILES NORTH OF OIL CITY...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...TORRENTIAL RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND PEA-SIZED HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR TIDIOUTE AROUND 505 PM AND SHEFFIELD AROUND 530 PM. FORECASTER: MARTIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 458 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 PAZ017-312145- CLEARFIELD- 458 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM APPROACHING NORTHWESTERN CLEARFIELD COUNTY... AT 450 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF BROOKVILLE... MOVING EAST AT 41 MPH. STRONG WIND GUSTS AND HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM AS IT ARRIVES NEAR TREASURE LAKE AROUND 530 PM AND CLEARFIELD AROUND 545 PM. THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INTERSTATES... I-80 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 101 AND 134. FORECASTER: KF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 536 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 PAZ005-006-312215- MCKEAN-POTTER- 536 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL MCKEAN AND WEST CENTRAL POTTER COUNTIES... AT 527 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF KANE...MOVING EAST AT 49 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR KINZUA BRIDGE STATE PARK AROUND 545 PM... SMETHPORT AROUND 600 PM AND PORT ALLEGANY AROUND 615 PM. FORECASTER: KF
The State College radar (KCCX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:08 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The McKean County 911 center reported power lines down on Bondell Road off of Route 46 in Keating Township.
The McKean County 911 center reported several power lines down at the intersection of Champlin Road and Route 446 in Eldred Township.
Thunderstorm winds knocked down trees onto power lines in Roulette Township, causing 2000 customers to lose power.
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, May 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: 91879, 91880, 92484.