Multiple lines of severe thunderstorms developed and moved east across the Ohio valley ahead of a strong cold front.
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 PBZ wrote it up.
Multiple lines of severe thunderstorms developed and moved east across the Ohio valley ahead of a strong cold front.
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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 26, 2:27 PM EST, 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
327 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
A SQUALL LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH WITH
DAMAGING WIND, HEAVY RAIN, HAIL, AND LOTS OF LIGHTNING. THERE
WILL STILL BE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AROUND THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY
UNTIL SATURDAY NIGHT, WHEN A SOUTHBOUND COLD FRONT BRINGS LOWER
HUMIDITY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/...
THE MAIN CONCERN THROUGH EVENING WILL BE THE PASSAGE OF A SQUALL LINE
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WIND, HAIL, HEAVY RAIN, AND
LOTS OF LIGHTNING.
SPC HAS UPGRADED THE ENTIRE AREA TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM, WITH WIDESPREAD DAMAGING
THUNDERSTORMS THE MOST PROBABLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HAZARD. WFO
PITTSBURGH HAS BEEN ISSUING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS BASED ON
RECENT RADAR DEVELOPMENTS.
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED AS THE THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY RAIN WILL BE MOVING THROUGH URBAN AREAS, DURING EVENING
COMMUTE AND EVENING HOURS. IT MAY HAVE TO BE EXTENDED AND EXPANDED
IF LINES OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP FARTHER WEST.
HPC HAS HAD A SLIGHT RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. RAIN AMOUNTS OF
MORE THAN 1.5 INCHES IN LESS THAN 3 HOURS CAN CAUSE FLASH FLOODING
IN URBAN AREAS AND WHERE DRAINAGE IS POOR. IF MORE THAN 2.5 INCHES
OCCUR, SERIOUS FLASH FLOODING CAN DEVELOP.
RECENT HRRR MODEL OUTPUT, ALONG WITH 12Z WRF-NMM MODEL OUTPUT,
INDEED SHOWS THERE CAN BE TWO OR THREE LINES OF THUNDERSTORMS.
HOWEVER, OUR OPINION IS THAT THE INITIAL LINE WILL HAVE THE
HIGHEST WIND GUSTS, WHILE THE LATTER LINES CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE
DUBOIS-PITTSBURGH PA-WHEELING WV/ KDUJ-KPIT-KHLG/: 4-5PM.
INDIANA-MORGANTOWN WV/ KIDI-KMGW/: 4-6PM.
OAKLAND MD/ K2G4/: 5-7 PM.
CONSIDERING THE TIMINGS, THE STORMS CAN IMPACT EVENING COMMUTERS
AND THOSE PARTICIPATING IN OUTDOOR EVENING ACTIVITIES.
CONTINUE TO EXPECT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS LATER TONIGHT IN THE
WAKE OF THESE LINES OF STORMS. PATCHY FOG MAY ALSO OCCUR.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY/...
RECENT SREF MODEL OUTPUT, WITH DETAILS FROM 12Z NAM MODEL OUTPUT, SHOWS
HUMID AND HENCE UNSTABLE CONDITIONS REMAINING ACROSS THE UPPER
OHIO VALLEY UNTIL THE COLD FRONT, WITH LOWER DEW POINTS, MOVES
SOUTHWARD THROUGH AREA, SATURDAY NIGHT. THUS HAVE MAINTAINED A
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS INTO SATURDAY EVENING. SUNDAY SHOULD BE
DRY.
FORECASTED TEMPERATURES USING BLEND OF RECENT GFS AND NAM MOS AND
SREF MEAN VALUES, WHICH INDICATED TEMPERATURES CONTINUING WARMER
THAN NORMAL, WITH DAYTIME HIGHS BY UP TO 5 DEGREES, AND EARLY
MORNING LOWS BY UP TO 10 DEGREES.
&&
.LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
EXPECT DRY CONDITIONS TO HOLD UNDER WEAK SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
THROUGH MONDAY.
AN UPPER TROUGH IS PROGGED TO REMAIN OVER THE EAST COAST THROUGH
MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. MODELS CONTINUE TO HINT AT A SURFACE LOW MOVING
SLOWLY ALONG THE EAST COAST TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...WHILE A
FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPROACHES FROM THE GREAT LAKES. PLAN TO KEEP
CHANCE POPS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY NIGHT INTO
THURSDAY.
FORECAST TEMPERATURES ARE CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE AND WILL BE
GENERALLY A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD.
&&
.AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
WILL CONTINUE TO AMEND TAFS, PERTAINING TO IFR RESTRICTIONS AND
POSSIBLE WIND GUSTS OVER 50 KTS, BASED ON MOVEMENT AND
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LINES OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 02Z.
EXPECT COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO DECREASE TO SCATTERED BY LATE
TONIGHT. POST-STORM FOG AND STRATUS MAY ALSO CAUSE A SHORT PERIOD OF
IFR RESTRICTIONS MAINLY FROM 08Z TO 12Z FRIDAY. SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND STORMS WITH OCCASIONAL RESTRICTIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE
REGION FRIDAY.
OUTLOOK...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR RESTRICTIONS WILL
REMAIN THROUGH SATURDAY AS AN UPPER TROUGH AND A SECONDARY FRONT
PUSH ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. DRY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
UNDER SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. INCREASING MOISTURE
ASSOCIATED WITH AN EAST COAST LOW WILL FUEL SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY.
&&
.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...NONE.
OH...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR OHZ039>041-
048>050-057>059-068-069.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR OHZ041-050-
059-069.
PA...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR PAZ020-021-029-
031-073-075.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR PAZ013>016-
020>023-029-031-073>076.
WV...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR WVZ001>004-012-
021-022.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR WVZ001>004-
012-021-022.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 331 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 OHZ039-040-048-049-057-058-068-271945- TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COSHOCTON-HARRISON-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-NOBLE- 331 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 524 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. HEAT ADVISORY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. SLIGHT RISK FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. THUNDERSTORM RAIN AMOUNTS OF MORE THAN 1.5 INCHES MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN URBAN AREA AND WHERE DRAINAGE IS POOR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME, THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER APPEARS LOW FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. STARTING SUNDAY, NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MDZ001-PAZ007>009-WVZ023-041-271945- GARRETT-MERCER-VENANGO-FOREST-PRESTON-TUCKER- 331 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 524 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. SLIGHT RISK FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. SLIGHT RISK FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. THUNDERSTORM RAIN AMOUNTS OF MORE THAN 1.5 INCHES MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN URBAN AREA AND WHERE DRAINAGE IS POOR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME, THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER APPEARS LOW FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. STARTING SUNDAY, NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. OHZ041-050-059-069-PAZ020-021-029-031-073-075-WVZ001>004-012-021-022- 271945- COLUMBIANA-JEFFERSON OH-BELMONT-MONROE-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY-WASHINGTON- GREENE-WESTMORELAND-FAYETTE-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL-WETZEL- MARION-MONONGALIA- 331 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 524 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. HEAT ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME, THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER APPEARS LOW FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. STARTING SUNDAY, NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ013>016-022-023-074-076-271945- LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-ARMSTRONG-INDIANA- WESTMORELAND RIDGES-FAYETTE RIDGES- 331 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 524 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AND WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME, THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER APPEARS LOW FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. STARTING SUNDAY, NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
315 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM TSTM WND DMG NEW CASTLE 41.00N 80.35W
07/26/2012 LAWRENCE PA AMATEUR RADIO
TREE DOWN ELLWOOD ROAD
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1200840
XXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
324 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM TSTM WND DMG NEW CASTLE 41.00N 80.35W
07/26/2012 LAWRENCE PA AMATEUR RADIO
LARGE TREE DOWN AND POWER OUTAGE VALLEY ROAD
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1200841
XXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
332 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0315 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 NW COOKSBURG 41.38N 79.28W
07/26/2012 CLARION PA 911 CALL CENTER
TREES DOWN ON HOUSE. PERSON TRAPPED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1200842
XXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
337 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM TSTM WND DMG NEW CASTLE 41.00N 80.35W
07/26/2012 LAWRENCE PA 911 CALL CENTER
TREES AND LINES DOWN NASHUA ROAD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1200843
XXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
339 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0338 PM TSTM WND DMG BEAVER 40.69N 80.31W
07/26/2012 BEAVER PA 911 CALL CENTER
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1200844
XXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
349 PM EDT THU JUL 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0348 PM TSTM WND DMG EVANS CITY 40.77N 80.06W
07/26/2012 BUTLER PA 911 CALL CENTER
TREES AND WIRES DOWN NUMEROUS LOCATIONS FROM EVANS CITY
NORTHWARD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1200845
XXThe Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:00 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
A trained spotter reported large trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down.
Law enforcement reported numerous trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in West Virginia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in West Virginia, 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: 402145, 402146, 402148, 402147, 402150, 402153, 402151, 402152, 402154.