Thunderstorms developed early in the morning across southwest Pennsylvania on the northern edge of a large convective system moving eastward from the Ohio Valley into the central Appalachians. Strong west-northwest deep layer wind shear proved favorable for loosely organized clusters/lines with some enhanced bowing segments.
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.
Thunderstorms developed early in the morning across southwest Pennsylvania on the northern edge of a large convective system moving eastward from the Ohio Valley into the central Appalachians. Strong west-northwest deep layer wind shear proved favorable for loosely organized clusters/lines with some enhanced bowing segments. These storms produced localized wind damage across portions of Somerset County. The storms also produced frequent lightning, which struck and killed a 36-year-old woman near Garrett in the southeastern corner of Somerset County.
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 24, 7:39 AM EST, 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 839 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012 .SYNOPSIS... DRIER AIR WILL MOVE DOWN FROM THE NORTH TODAY. THE HUMIDITY WILL RETURN THURSDAY AFTER A WARM FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. THE FAST WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL KEEP THE WEATHER UNSETTLED DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK AND THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... MINOR UPDATE TO COVER SW PART OF THE CWA...AS ISOLATED STRONG STORMS HAVE FORMED ACROSS THAT AREA SINCE SUNRISE...AND SEVERAL MORE RACING SE AT 35 TO 40 KNOTS TOWARD THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS AND SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. THE SWRLY WINDS HAVE PICKED UP OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS AND TEMPS HAVE STEADIED OR EVEN RISEN. LITTLE TO NO CONVERGENCE IS LEFT OVER THE AREA AS THE TROUGH THAT PASSED THROUGH WRN NY AND NERN PA IS OFF TO THE EAST. L60 DEPOINTS BEHIND A SW TO NW WIND SHIFT LINE IS TRYING TO EMIGRATE TO THIS SIDE OF THE LOWER GREAT LAKES. HOWEVER...THE DAY WILL MOST LIKELY START OUT HUMID. AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...THE DRY AIR WILL SLIDE ACROSS THE REGION FROM N-S AND MIXING WILL ALSO DRY IT UP EVEN MORE. BUT...THE SHIFT ALONG THE FRONT AND HEATING WILL ALLOW SHRA/TSRA TO POP UP. WEAK TSRA ARE PROGGED BY THE MODELS OVER OH AND WRN PA THIS MORNING...AND SHOULD SLIDE TO THE EAST AND INTO THE LAURELS. STORMS SHOULD BECOME MORE NUMEROUS ALONG THE WIND SHIFT/FRONT AS IT REACHES THE SRN TIER. WILL KEEP THE POPS BELOW MENTIONABLE FOR THE CENTRAL COS WITH LOW CHC POPS FROM ROUGHLY THE TURNPIKE SOUTHWARD. SLIGHT RISK EXISTS FOR THE SRN TIER OF COS AS PEAK HEAT AND FROPA MEET UP EARLY THIS AFTN. SHEAR IS WEAK TO MOD DURING THE MID-DAY BUT SREF CAPES ARE AVERAGING BETWEEN 1500 AND 2000 J/KG ALONG THE SRN BORDER. WILL MAKE MENTION OF THE SLIGHT RISK IN THE HWO BUT HOLD OFF ON MENTIONING GUSTY WINDS/HAIL IN THE WX GRIDS JUST YET...DUE TO UNCERTAINTY OF OCCURRANCE AND EXPECTED ISOLD/SCT COVERAGE. THE TEMPS WILL PUSH INTO THE L90S IN THE S...BUT COULD HOLD AT 80F IN THE NORTHERN MTS SINCE EVEN WITH MIXING THE 8H TEMPS STAY AROUND +15C IN THE AFTN. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY/... ANY CHANCE FOR TSRA WILL BE OVER BY EVENING...WITH CAPES WANING WITHOUT HEAT AND LOSING MSTR BY THE BUCKETFUL. THE PWATS DROP TO ALMOST 0.5INCH TONIGHT. THUS...CLEAR SKIES WILL LEAD TO A CHILLY NIGHT IN THE NORTH AND CENTRAL MTS. MOS IS PLACING BFD IN THE M40S. THIS IS REASONABLE WITH COLD ADVECTION BEFORE AND CALM AIR OVERNIGHT. THE URBAN AREAS IN THE S COULD STAY IN THE L60S...BUT EXPECT LOWS IN THE 50S IN GENERAL. THE DRY AIR WILL ALSO HEAT UP QUICKLY ON WEDNESDAY...WITH HIGHS BOUNCING BACK TO NORMALS. WARM ADVECTION KICKS IN LATE IN THE DAY OR OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING AS THE SFC HIGH OVERHEAD DIPS SOUTHWARD AND A SFC LOW MOVES INTO LWR MICHIGAN. THE STRENGTH OF THE LOW AND TIMING COULD LEAD TO AN MCS SLIDING W-E THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES. VERY MINOR RIDGING ALOFT WILL CREST OVER THE AREA WED NIGHT TOO...SO ANY NIGHTTIME CONVECTION MAY WELL SLIDE TO THE NORTH OF THE STATE. HOWEVER...WE WILL BE FIRMLY ROOTED IN THE WARM SECTOR FOR THE DAY ON THURSDAY. THUS...THE SLIGHT RISK SHOWS UP FOR THURSDAY AGAIN. SFC LOW CROSSES NY STATE THROUGH THE DAY THURS...BUT THE ASSOCD FRONT DOES NOT PUSH THROUGH ENTIRELY AS THE FLOW IS ZONAL BY THEN. SO IT MAY STAY OVER THE NORTH OR WASH OUT OVERHEAD. TEMPS WILL SOAR ON THURSDAY...WITH AN EARLY/WARM START. NAM 8H TEMPS IN THE M20S MID-DAY THURS. EC/GFS ARE COOLER WITH MUCH MORE CLOUD DEBRIS OVER AT LEAST THE NRN HALF OF THE AREA. WILL GO WITH THE WARMER SOLUTION SINCE THE AIR TO THE WEST HAS BEEN VERY HOT LATELY. ONLY 2 OR 3 DAYS HAVE BEEN BELOW NORMAL SO FAR THIS JULY...AND THEY WERE SOLIDLY RAINY DAYS. BUT WE LOOK TO BE BACK INTO THE HEAT MOVING IN FROM THE WEST. WILL GO WITH THE PERSISTENT WARM BIAS. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... HIGH CHANCES FOR SHRA/TSRA FRIDAY INTO SAT AS UPPER WAVE/COLD FRONT SLIPS THROUGH. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...TEMPS WELL ABOVE NORMAL. SUNDAY LOOKS MAINLY DRY...BUT UNSETTLED WEATHER RETURNS BY MON AS NW FLOW AGAIN SHARPENS TROUGH OVER GLAKES. && .AVIATION /13Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... LACK OF SFC CONVERGENCE HAS KEPT SHOWERS AND STORMS FROM FORMING ACROSS THE AREA. LARGE MCS OVER THE IN/WESTERN OH AREA...EXPECT THIS TO DROP SE...SOME MID LVL CLDS FROM THIS TODAY. MAIN CHANGE AT 12Z IS TO ADD THUNDER TO AOO AND JST...AS ISOLATED CELLS AHEAD OF OH COMPLEX MAY CLIP THESE 2 SITES. ALSO SOME FOG FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO AT SEVERAL SITES. RATHER BREEZY AND WARM OUT FOR THE EARLY AM MOURS. IT WILL REMAIN BREEZY TODAY...GIVEN THE RATHER STRONG WINDS ALOFT. FOR WED...LOOKING LIKE A DECENT DAY...AS HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. LATE WED NIGHT INTO THU STILL HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACTIVE DAY FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS...AS NTENSE WARM ADVECTION DEVELOPS. ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM FOR LATE FRIDAY COULD BRING MORE SHOWERS AND STORMS FOR LATE FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. OUTLOOK... WED...NO SIG WX EXPECTED. THU-SAT...SCT TSRA IMPACTS POSSIBLE. && .EQUIPMENT... KCCX RADAR IS STILL OFFLINE AND WILL REMAIN SO THROUGH THE NIGHT AND PERHAPS MUCH OF THE DAY. RESTORATION TIME IS UNKNOWN. ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS ARE BEING CONSULTED AND LOCAL STAFF ARE WORKING WITH THEM TO FIND A RESOLUTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DANGELO NEAR TERM...DANGELO/MARTIN SHORT TERM...DANGELO LONG TERM...RXR AVIATION...MARTIN EQUIPMENT...DANGELO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 354 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063-250800- 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-CUMBERLAND- 354 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ033>036-064>066-250800- SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 354 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY AS WELL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DANGELO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
740 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012
PAZ024-033-034-241245-
BEDFORD PA-CAMBRIA PA-SOMERSET PA-
740 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN SOMERSET...NORTHERN
BEDFORD AND SOUTHWESTERN CAMBRIA COUNTIES...
AT 736 AM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR BLACK LICK...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT VINTONDALE...JOHNSTOWN...DALE...BROWNSTOWN...
AND WESTMONT...GEISTOWN...LORAIN...SCALP LEVEL...AND BELMONT AND
WINDBER.
THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INTERSTATES...THE
PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 134 AND 148...I-99 BETWEEN
MILE MARKERS 0 AND 12.
THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...THE JOHNSTOWN
EXPRESSWAY...ROUTE 22...ROUTE 30...ROUTE 219...ROUTE 220...STATE ROAD
56.
LAT...LON 4029 7906 4036 7900 4048 7893 4049 7892
4014 7831 3992 7862
FORECASTER: MARTINSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
831 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012
PAZ033>036-241315-
BEDFORD PA-FRANKLIN PA-FULTON PA-SOMERSET PA-
831 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT BEDFORD...FULTON...
NORTHEASTERN SOMERSET AND SOUTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES...
AT 828 AM EDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM WELLS
TANNERY TO LIGONIER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
EXPECT LIGHTNING FROM THESE STORMS. DO NOT STAY IN THE OPEN NOR SEEK
SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING THREATENS...MOVE INDOORS WHEN A
THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT SIDELING HILL REST
AREA...MCCONNELLSBURG...CRYSTAL SPRINGS...GREENCASTLE AND CLAYLICK.
THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INTERSTATES...THE
PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 121 AND 175...I-70 BETWEEN
MILE MARKERS 147 AND 168...I-81 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 6...I-99
BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 0 AND 9.
THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 11...ROUTE
30...ROUTE 219...ROUTE 220...ROUTE 522.
LAT...LON 3981 7866 4015 7917 4027 7908 4014 7816
3972 7757 3972 7801
FORECASTER: STEINBUGLSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
857 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012
PAZ033-034-241415-
BEDFORD PA-SOMERSET PA-
857 AM EDT TUE JUL 24 2012
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOMERSET AND
SOUTHWESTERN BEDFORD COUNTIES...
AT 854 AM EDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM DERRY
TO DUNBAR...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 70 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS
WILL AFFECT JENNERSTOWN...SHANKSVILLE...CALLIMONT AND LAKE GORDON.
THIS WILL IMPACT THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 100
AND 130.
THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 30...ROUTE
40...ROUTE 219...ROUTE 220.
LAT...LON 3971 7939 3974 7941 3982 7937 3985 7942
3987 7942 4009 7926 4012 7921 4012 7919
4015 7917 4027 7908 3972 7846
FORECASTER: CR/RGThe Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:24 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph produced a damage swath of downed trees and utility wires from Friedens and Listie eastward through Shanksville.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees in Confluence.
A Somerset County woman and her unborn baby were killed when she was struck by lightning around 1100 am EDT. The woman was hit on Rockdale Road in Summit Township near Garrett while taking cover from a storm under a pine tree. According to PSP, the woman, her husband and two of their children were in the woods picking blueberries when it began to storm. The woman took shelter under one tree and her husband and two children took shelter under another tree nearby. The woman's husband was also hit and slightly injured. The children were not affected.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Somerset | 2012-07-24 | 36 | Female | Under Tree | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, July 2012
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: 386640, 386644, 386650.