Pre-frontal convection developed early in the day across western Pennsylvania and produced isolated wind damage and marginally severe hail. Additional strong to severe thunderstorms formed later in the afternoon and evening across portions of central and eastern Pennsylvania.
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.
Pre-frontal convection developed early in the day across western Pennsylvania and produced isolated wind damage and marginally severe hail. Additional strong to severe thunderstorms formed later in the afternoon and evening across portions of central and eastern Pennsylvania. This activity became more widespread and produced multiple reports of large hail and damaging winds.
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 29, 10:14 AM EST, 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1114 AM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT. A SECONDARY TROUGH WILL PASS TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY...FOLLOWED BY COOLER WEATHER FOR THURSDAY. UNSETTLED WEATHER SHOULD RETURN BY LATE IN THE WEEK AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPS IN THE SOUTH-CENTRAL STATES AND MOVES NORTHEAST. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... SVR WATCH 312 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT FOR THE NW AND WRN COS. STORMS ARE FIRING OVER FAR NW PA AND ALL OVER ERN OH NOW. MANY OF THESE STORMS ARE ALREADY TURNING SEVERE. HAVE ADDED SVR WORDING TO THE GRIDS/ZFP...AND TIMING REMAINS THE SAME AS ANTICIPATED. TROUBLE MAY COME AS ADDITIONAL STORM CELLS WILL MOST LIKELY DEVELOP AHEAD/EAST OF THE CURRENT AREA OF STORMS...FIRST ALONG THE RIDGES AND DRIFTING ENE. THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE EAST IS ROUGHLY SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE WEST BUT LACKS MUCH SHEAR. LAPSE RATES IN THE LOW LEVELS ARE SHOOTING UP AS TEMPS ARE ALREADY IN THE L/M80S AT 11 AM. CAPES COULD TOP 2000J/KG TODAY WITH NO CAP TO BE PRESENT LATER TODAY AS LAPSE RATES ALSO STEEPEN ALOFT. HAIL IS LOOKING LIKELY WITH SVR HAIL POSS...AND WIND DMG POSSIBLE AS WELL...BUT WINDS ALOFT ARE NOT EXTREME. HEAVY RAINERS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH PWATS IN THE 1.5-1.75 INCH RANGE THIS AFTN/EVENING AND STORM RELATIVE FLOW SLIGHTLY AGAINST THE INFLOW...MAKING FOR THE POSS OF SLOW MOVING CELLS /BACK-BUILDING. WILL HOLD OFF ON FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NOW AND KEEP MENTION OF HEAVY RAIN/POSS FLOODING IN HWO. FRONT NOT QUITE INTO KDTW NOR KTOL ATTM...SO A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED. EXPECT THE SVR THREAT TO PERSIST INTO THE EVE HRS ESP OVER THE ERN/SERN COS BEFORE DIURNAL COOLING DIMINISHES THREAT LATER TNT. HOWEVER AS THE SOURCE OF LIFT FOR THESE STORMS IS ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXPECT THEM TO CONTINUE WELL INTO THE EVENING. PCPN SHOULD BE OVER/EXIT THE SE PART OF THE CWA LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY WED. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... ANOTHER PROGRESSIVE SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL DIVE ESEWD FM THE ARROWHEAD OF MN AND TRACK ALONG THE U.S/CANADIAN BORDER REACHING NRN NEW ENGLAND ON THURS. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM AND PUSH EWD THROUGH CENTRAL PA WED NGT. NLY FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH SFC HIGH PRESSURE SLIDING EWD INTO PA FM THE UPPER MS VLY WILL BRING A MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS TO THE REGION ON THURS. BERYL WILL LIFT NEWD FM THE NC COAST INTO THE NRN ATLC BY THE END OF THE PD. A STG MID-UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DIVING SEWD THRU THE CENTRAL STATES SHOULD FORM AN AREA OF LOW PRES OVR THE SRN PLAINS/LWR MS VLY WHICH SHOULD TRACK NWD INTO THE OH VLY/GRT LKS FRI-FRI NGT. A FEW STG TO SVR STORMS APPEAR POSSIBLE ON WED TO THE SOUTH/EAST OF THE SECONDARY COLD FRONT. SPC OUTLINED MOST OF THE CWA IN THE SEE TEXT. THUR NGT-FRI MORNING LOOKS RATHER CHILLY ESP IN THE NRN TIER WITH HIGH PRES OVRHEAD AND PWS BLW NORMAL. OVRRNG TYPE RAINS SHOULD EVENTUALLY REACH THE AREA FRI-FRI NGT AS THE PLAINS SYS EVOLVES NEWD INTO THE LWR LKS. MODEL SPREAD IS HIGH REGARDING THIS SYSTEM SO OPTED FOR EVEN MODEL COMPROMISE SPLIT BETWEEN THE SLOWER GFS AND PROGRESSIVE EURO. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... GFS/EC ENSEMBLE MEANS SHOW A H5 TROUGH PERSISTING OVER THE NE STATES/NEW ENG WITH THE LOCAL AREA UNDER NW FLOW ON THE SW EDGE OF THE LOW CENTER. INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE NAO IS FCST TO APPROACH MINUS 3 WHICH WOULD FAVOR COOLER THAN NORMAL TEMPS. HOWEVER THE GEFS WANTS TO REBOUND HEIGHTS ABOVE NORMAL WHILE THE ECENS KEEPS A LW TROUGH IN PLACE WITH CLOSED LOW OVR NRN NEW ENG. CONFIDENCE IS LESS THAN AVERAGE AND THEREFORE HEDGED LONG TERM GRIDS TWD THE GLOBAL ENSEMBLE MEANS TO ADDRESS THE UNCERTAINTY IN THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN. && .AVIATION /15Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... COVERAGE OF TSRA/SHRA WILL RAMP UP MARKEDLY AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO NORTHWESTERN PA LATER THIS AFTN. ALL AIRFIELDS ARE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE A TSRA BY THIS EVENING...CAUSING BRIEF VSBY REDUCTIONS AND GUSTY WINDS. BEST CHC OF TSRA WILL BE EARLY AFTN AT BFD...MID AFTN TO LATE AFTN IPT/UNV/AOO/JST...AND EARLY EVENING AT MDT AND LNS. FOG IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT...AS HIGH PRES RIDGE BUILDS IN BEHIND DEPARTING FRONT. HOWEVER...LATEST MDL DATA SUGGESTS LINGERING HIGH CLOUDS WILL LIMIT RADIATIONAL COOLING AND POSSIBILITY OF DENSE FOG. OUTLOOK... WED...AM FOG POSS. ISOLD AFTN SHRA/TSRA POSS. THU...NO SIG WX EXPECTED. FRI...PM THUNDERSTORM IMPACTS POSSIBLE. SAT...THUNDERSTORM IMPACTS POSSIBLE. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...STEINBUGL NEAR TERM...DANGELO/CERU/STEINBUGL SHORT TERM...STEINBUGL LONG TERM...STEINBUGL AVIATION...FITZGERALD/CERU
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1030 AM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 PAZ004>006-010-011-017-301430- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-CLEARFIELD- 1030 AM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 312 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING... 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. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO CONTACT THE NWS WITH ANY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS PER LOCAL PROCEDURES. PAZ012-018-019-036-037-041-042-045-046-056-057-059-063>066-301430- NORTHERN CLINTON-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-FRANKLIN-TIOGA- NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-PERRY- DAUPHIN-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 1030 AM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS ANTICIPATED LATER TODAY. PAZ024-033-301430- CAMBRIA-SOMERSET- 1030 AM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 312 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING... 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. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL FROM SOME THUNDERSTORMS...AND FLASH FLOODING IS A SLIGHT POSSIBILITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO CONTACT THE NWS WITH ANY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS PER LOCAL PROCEDURES. PAZ025>028-034-035-049>053-058-301430- BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-BEDFORD-FULTON-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-SCHUYLKILL- 1030 AM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL FROM SOME THUNDERSTORMS...AND FLASH FLOODING IS A SLIGHT POSSIBILITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS ANTICIPATED LATER TODAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1138 AM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
PAZ004-291645-
WARREN PA-
1138 AM EDT TUE MAY 29 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN WARREN COUNTY...
AT 1135 AM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR GARLAND...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT LOTTSVILLE...YOUNGSVILLE...SUGAR
GROVE...RUSSELL...KINZUA DAM AND SCANDIA.
THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 6...ROUTE 62...
AND STATE ROAD 59.
LAT...LON 4200 7892 4188 7891 4186 7892 4185 7891
4184 7892 4174 7948 4179 7955 4201 7939
FORECASTER: DANGELOThe Buffalo radar (KBUF), 131 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:58 UTC.
18 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A spotter from the Cleveland NWS office reported 1 inch hail in Columbus. The report was relayed via NWS Cleveland.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires near Brockport.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires near Osceola.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires near Coudersport.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires near Petersburg. A few power poles were also snapped-off.
A trained spotter reported 1 inch hail in Huntingdon.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires in Tioga Junction.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees in Westmont.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires just east of Mansfield.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down several trees in Brookside.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires near Blossburg.
Spotter reported nickel-size hail in Hughesville.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires in Centre Hall.
Spotter reported nickel-sized hail in Mercersburg.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires along Lambert Hill Road (SR4015) near Dushore.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down several large trees and limbs along Mountain Brook Road and Apple Way near US30 near Edenville.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees in Bloomsburg.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires in St. Thomas. The severe winds also caused damage to several homes near 1772 St Thomas/Eden Mill Road. Three homes suffered minor damage; one home suffered moderate damage. No injuries were reported.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees in Newville.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down several trees near Carlisle.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees near John Rudy County Park.
A line of intense heavy thunderstorm rains caused flash flooding across much of the county. Carlisle reported 2.3 inches of rainfall in a short period of time. Flooded roads were reported in Camp Hill, Carlisle, Shippensburg and Southampton Townships. A water rescue was reported on Hummel Avenue in Camp Hill. Two cars were rescued from flood waters in Carlisle.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees in Millersville.
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, May 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: 376062, 376070, 376071, 376067, 376069, 376063, 376072, 376068, 376073, 376076, 376074, 376064, 376729, 376065, 376075, 376083, 376077, 376078, 376079, 376084, 376080, 377437, 376066, 376081.