A fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms associated with a sharp cold front raced east across the Laurel Highlands and south central mountains during the late evening hours. The storms produced damaging winds between 50 to 60 mph, toppling several trees and wires from Bedford to Clearfield.
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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 fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms associated with a sharp cold front raced east across the Laurel Highlands and south central mountains during the late evening hours. The storms produced damaging winds between 50 to 60 mph, toppling several trees and wires from Bedford to Clearfield. Some minor structural damage was also reported.
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 Feb 11, 6:51 PM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 651 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PASSING TO OUR NORTH WILL PUSH A STRONG COLD FRONT THROUGH TONIGHT. A ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS EVENING AND EARLY TONIGHT. STRONG...GUSTY WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AND LAST MOST OF THURSDAY. MUCH MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES WILL THEN OCCUR INTO THE WEEKEND. A WEAK UPPER LOW CAUGHT IN THE FAST WESTERLY FLOW WILL BRING A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW OR COLD RAIN ON SATURDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... FORECAST HAS BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 20 THAT ENCOMPASSES THE WESTERN THIRD OF PA UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVE. LONG LIVED LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS QUICKLY SLIDING EAST ACROSS OH STRETCHING SOUTH THRU CENTRAL WV...SHUD ARRIVE ACROSS WESTERN PA IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. MAINLY DRY...AND UNSEASONABLY MILD WEATHER WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE STRONG COLD FRONT CROSSES CENTRAL PA LATER TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD PASS THROUGH THE REGION BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z...MOVING VERY QUICKLY EASTWARD. THE N-S ORIENTATION OF THE FRONT AND THE VERY STRONG WSW FLOW THROUGH THE LOWEST 10-15KFT WILL ENSURE A BRIEF TIME FOR THE BEST INSTABILITY TO LINE UP WITH THE NARROW RIBBON OF HIGH MOISTURE OVER THE REGION. ALL THIS SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE LATE FOR THE BEST/DIURNAL INSTABILITY. STILL...THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR SOME SEVERE CONVECTION LATE THIS EVENING - MAINLY OVER OUR WRN COUNTIES. THE MORE-SURE THREAT IS FOR GRADIENT WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT TO GET CRANKING. DEEPENING SFC LOW WILL TRACK TO WEST OF PA THEN INTO WESTERN NY BY 12Z THUR. STRONG PRESSURE RISES KT LL JET WILL FOCUS STRONGEST WINDS OVER WESTERN CWA. WILL UPGRADE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR FAR WESTERN COUNTIES...FROM THE LAURELS NORTHWARD AND A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA. WITH PCPN CONFINED TO NEAR THE FRONT AND FAST MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT...STILL EXPECT LITTLE QPF /A QUARTER TO HALF INCH AT MOST/ WITH THE SHOWERS AND STORMS THIS EVENING...AS THE BEST MOISTURE IS HERE FOR ONLY A SHORT TIME...AND DRY SLOT WORKS IN QUICKLY. THE VERY WARM/NEAR RECORD TEMPS OCCURRING TODAY WILL FURTHER MELT AWAY OUR SNOW PACK - OR WHAT IS LEFT OF IT. THIS SHOULD LIMIT RISES ON THE WATERWAYS TO MINOR MOVEMENTS AT MOST. ANY LOCATIONS THAT ARE PRONE TO ICE JAMMING WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED FOR PROBLEMS...BUT FLOWS ARE LOW AT THIS TIME...AND QPF NOT GOING TO PUT MUCH MORE INTO THE STREAMS. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY/... ENTIRE CWA WILL BE POST FRONTAL BY THUR MORNING WITH ONLY LINGERING SHOWER CONFINED TO AREAS DOWN WIND OF LAKE ERIE. EXPECT SOME SNOW TO MIX IN AFTER MIDNIGHT THERE...BUT NO ACCUMS EXPECTED BEFORE SUNRISE. TEMPS WILL PROBABLY BE AT THEIR HIGHEST THURSDAY MORNING. WILL CHANGE PRECIP TYPE TO MOSTLY SNOW IN THE NW AFTER SUNRISE...AND KEEP ACCUMS MINIMAL UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY AS TEMPS CONTINUE TO SLIDE. LITTLE/NO PRECIP WILL MAKE IT SE OF AOO/UNV/IPT THURSDAY. DISCUSSED POSSIBLE NEED FOR ADVISORY ACROSS NW COUNTIES WITH POSS SNOW ACCUMS OF 2-4 INCHES AND BLOWING SNOW...BUT WILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW GIVEN MORE PRESSING WIND SITU...SMALL COVERAGE AREA OF PCPN AND THAT REGIONS FREQUENT EXPERIENCE WITH COUPLE INCH SNOW EVENTS. SNOW SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY DISSIPATE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS AND LAUREL HIGHLANDS THROUGH FRIDAY AS HIGH PRES WORKS ITS WAY INTO THE REGION FROM THE OHIO VALLEY. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... HIGH PRES WILL RETREAT FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY YIELDING TO AN APPROACHING SYSTEM FROM THE MIDWEST. MODEL AND ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO DIFFER WITH REGARDS TO THE TIMING/TRACK OF THE LOW MOVING EAST ACROSS THE MID SOUTH SAT TOWARD THE EAST COAST SAT NGT. BOTH ENSEMBLE PREDICTIONS SYSTEMS ARE ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE ENVELOPE OF SOLUTIONS. OVERALL MADE LITTLE CHANGE TO THE POPS KEEPING HIGH CHC SOUTH OF I-80. A LGT SNOW ACCUM IS POSSIBLE BY 00Z SUN. THIS SYSTEM IS FCST TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE ECOAST ON SUNDAY AS HIGH PRES RETURNS TO THE REGION. SEASONABLY COLD AND MAINLY DRY WEATHER IS FCST FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH ONLY A FEW SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE OVER THE WESTERN HIGH TERRAIN. THE GFS/GEFS AND ECMWF ALL HINT AT A POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT ECOAST STORM SYSTEM NEXT WED/THUR. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS HIGH AND CONFIDENCE IS STILL LOW BEYOND FRIDAY. && .AVIATION /00Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... LINE OF TSRA WILL PUSH INTO WESTERN PA IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS...HOWEVER EXPECTING SOME WEAKENING BEFORE IMPACTING KBFD/KJST/KAOO/KUNV. HAVE INCLUDED CB IN CLOUD GROUPS...HOWEVER CONFIDENCE IS MARGINAL FOR TSRA...MORE LIKELY VCTS AT BEST. STRONG LOW MOVING NE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES WILL PULL A STRONG COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. FREQUENT RAIN SHOWERS WITH POSS SCT THUNDER WILL MOVE ACROSS AIR FIELDS THIS EVE...AFT 01Z IN THE WEST...AFTER 03Z IN THE EAST. ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH MUCH OF THUR. EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS GREATER THAN 25KTS AND GUSTS GREATER THAN 40KTS...GUSTS GREATER THAN 50KTS POSS FROM JST/AOO TO BFD. THUR...CIGS/VSBYS WILL START MVFR AND IMPROVE TO VFR LATE THUR. SOME RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. FRI...VFR CIGS/VSBYS. SAT/SUN...INCREASING MOISTURE WITH VFR CIGS TRENDING TO MVFR LATE SAT THRU SUN. PRECIP ARRIVES SAT EVE AND LINGERS IN VC THRU SUN. TEMPS BORDERLINE FOR SNOW && .HYDROLOGY... SIGNIFICANT SNOW MELT...RIVER ICE BREAKUP/MOVEMENT AND RUNOFF FROM LIGHT RAINFALL WILL RESULT IN MINOR TO MODERATE RISES ON RIVERS AND STREAMS IN THE WEST BRANCH AND MAIN STEM SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASINS INTO FRIDAY. LESSER RISES ARE EXPECTED IN THE JUNIATA BASIN WHERE THE SNOW PACK IS LIMITED. WILLIAMSPORT WILL LIKELY EXCEED CAUTION STAGE THURSDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING. BUT FOR THE MOST PART...NO FLOODING IS ANTICIPATED AT AREA FORECAST RIVER FORECAST POINTS. && .CLIMATE... THE RECORD HIGH AT HARRISBURG IS 59 SET BACK IN 1999. THE RECORD HIGH AT WILLIAMSPORT IS 55 DEGREES SET BACK IN 1960. BOTH RECORDS WERE BROKEN THIS AFTN. INITIAL RER WAS SENT FOR EACH LOCATION. WITH A BIT MORE WARMING YET TO GO...FINAL RER WILL BE SENT LATER THIS EVE. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM EST THURSDAY FOR PAZ006-011- 012-018-019-026>028-035>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059- 063>066. HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM EST THURSDAY FOR PAZ004- 005-010-017-024-025-033-034. && SYNOPSIS...DANGELO NEAR TERM...BEACHLER/GARTNER SHORT TERM...DANGELO/GARTNER LONG TERM...STEINBUGL AVIATION...BEACHLER/GARTNER HYDROLOGY...STEINBUGL CLIMATE...GARTNER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 559 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009 PAZ004-005-010-017-024-025-033-034-122300- WARREN-MCKEAN-ELK-CLEARFIELD-CAMBRIA-BLAIR-SOMERSET-BEDFORD- 559 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 20 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM EST THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...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. HIGH WIND WARNING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG AND AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. HIGH WIND WARNING. MINOR TO MODERATE WITHIN-BANK RISES ON AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL OCCUR THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. PAZ006-011-012-018-019-026>028-035>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-122300- POTTER-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE- HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-FULTON-FRANKLIN-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING- SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 559 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM EST THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT AFTER A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY. MINOR TO MODERATE WITHIN-BANK RISES ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR ON AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. BEACHLER
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:19 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds of 50 to 60 mph toppled numerous trees near New Centerville.
Thunderstorm winds of 50 to 60 mph toppled a large tree, which fell onto a house in Geistown.
Thunderstorm winds of 50 to 60 mph tore a roof off a house in Stoystown. Several trees and wires were also reported down.
An estimated thunderstorm wind gust near 60 mph was reported near Somerset.
Thunderstorm winds of 50 to 60 mph downed trees in Mahaffey.
Thunderstorm winds of 50 to 60 mph downed trees and wires near Hopewell.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, February 2009
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: 154697, 154698, 154699, 154700, 145934, 145935.