Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms developed across western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and eastern Ohio ahead of a fast moving cold front during the morning and early afternoon.
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.
Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms developed across western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and eastern Ohio ahead of a fast moving cold front during the morning and early afternoon.
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 Mar 28, 9:50 AM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 1050 AM EDT WED MAR 28 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL BRING SHOWERS WITH THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY REGION TODAY. SEASONABLY COOL WEATHER WILL FOLLOW FOR THURSDAY...BUT LOOK FOR INCREASED RAIN CHANCES AGAIN ON FRIDAY AS LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES THE AREA. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... A SURFACE WARM FRONT IS ADVANCING NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING...WITH ELEVATED CONVECTION GENERALLY DRIVEN BY STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES SPAWNING THUNDERSTORMS THAT HAVE CROSSED THE PITTSBURGH METRO AREA THIS MORNING. THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO BISECT THE FORECAST AREA...WITH THEIR SOUTHWARD PROGRESS LIKELY BECOMING INCREASINGLY RETARDED AS THE AFTERNOON ENSUES DUE TO MID- LEVEL FORCING STARTING TO SHEAR OFF TO THE EAST. SHEAR IN THE 0-6 KM LAYER WILL REMAIN ROUGHLY IN THE 50 KT RANGE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...WHILE INSTABILITY SHOULD INCREASE AHEAD OF A SLOWLY SOUTHWARD ADVANCING COLD FRONT BY THE AFTERNOON...THIS MAY LEAD TO A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS YET AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. FRIES PREVIOUS... LOW PRESSURE MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN LAKES WILL PULL A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO REGION TODAY. STRONG WARM ADVECTION IN ADVANCE OF THE LOW HAS DEVELOPED A SHALLOW INVERSION AND WILL INITIALLY CAP THE BOUNDARY LAYER. HOWEVER...SUFFICIENT FUEL/INSTABILITY IS INDICATED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SOME ELEVATED SHOWERS/POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING...WHICH SHOULD BECOME MORE SURFACE BASED AS THE FRONT AND THE DAY PROGRESS. OVERALL SEVERE POTENTIAL REMAINS LOW DESPITE FAVORABLE DEEP LAYER SHEAR WITH LIMITATIONS IMPOSED BY A LACK OF INSTABILITY. MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT IN MORE RAPID PASSAGE OF THE FRONT THAN PREVIOUSLY DEPICTED...SO ADJUSTMENTS THIS MORNING FEATURE FADING PRECIP PROBABILITIES DURING THE AFTERNOON. ALSO OF INTEREST FOR THE AFTERNOON IS THE AFOREMENTIONED STRONG WIND FIELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STEEPENING LOW LAPSE RATE AS DISPLAYED VIA MODEL SOUNDINGS. WIND GUSTS HAVE THUS BEEN INCREASED...BUT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY THRESHOLDS. COLDER AIR IS PROJECTED TO ADVECT OFF THE LAKES TONIGHT...AND LOW INVERSION LEVELS SHOULD PRECLUDE MUCH THE WAY OF SHOWERS. SMALL PRECIP PROBABILITIES WERE TWEAKED TO FAVOR AREAS IN LEE OF THE LAKES AND THE RIDGES. PROJECTED TEMPERATURE PROFILE ALSO IS INDICATIVE OF SOME FROZEN PRECIP OVER NORTHERN COUNTIES...SNOW SHOWER MENTION WAS THUS ADDED. NEAR TERM TEMPERATURES WERE FORECAST USING TWEAKED SREF MEANS. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY/... BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD SNUFF ANY LINGERING SHOWERS BY MIDDAY THURSDAY...AND CONTINUED COLD ADVECTION SHOULD HOLD TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES BELOW THE SEASONAL NORMALS. THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE AXIS IS NAM/GFS FORECAST TO SLIDE ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO ON THURSDAY NIGHT...AND THE AIRMASS WILL BE PLENTY DRY FOR A PERIOD OF RADIATIONAL COOLING BEFORE WARM...MOIST ADVECTION RESUMES IN ADVANCE OF MIDWESTERN LOW PRESSURE. ANOTHER FREEZE IS THUS FORECAST...BUT DURATION/MAGNITUDE LOOKS TO BE LIMITED AS MID LEVEL CLOUDINESS INCREASES. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE IS FORECAST FOR A FRIDAY APPROACH AND SATURDAY EXIT...HENCE CHANCE POPS WERE MAINTAINED FOR THE CLOSE OF THE WORK WEEK...FOLLOWED BY DIMINISHED NUMBERS INTO THE WEEKEND. SHORT TERM TEMPERATURES SHOULD AVERAGE OUT FAIRLY CLOSE TO NORMAL AND WERE FORECAST USING A BLEND OF SREF AND GFS MOS. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... PROGRESSIVE PATTERN IS GFS/ECMWF DEPICTED FOR THE LONG TERM PERIOD AND AS SENSIBLE WEATHER WILL THUS BE SHORTWAVE DEPENDENT...FORECAST WILL GENERALLY BE OF PERSISTENCE AND ALTERATIONS MINIMAL THIS MORNING. WITH THE JET PROJECTED TO MEANDER OVER...OR NORTH OF THE GREAT LAKES...TEMPERATURES WERE FORECAST ABOVE THE SEASONAL AVERAGES USING TWEAKED HPC GUIDANCE. && .AVIATION /15Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... MAIN AVIATION CONCERN THROUGH 14Z WILL BE LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR. RECENT NAM MODEL PROFILES SHOW A VERY STRONG AND SHALLOW SURFACE INVERSION THIS MORNING, WITH BASE 1 KFT AGL, HAVING SURFACE WINDS FROM THE SOUTH AT 5-10 KTS. RADAR VERTICAL WIND PROFILES AND NAM MODEL PROFILES SHOW WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND WEST 35-50 KTS IN THE LAYER 1-2 KFT AGL WILL CONTINUE TODAY. BLEND OF HIGH RESOLUTION MODEL OUTPUT SHOW VERTICAL MIXING, ACCOMPANYING THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE 14Z-18Z, DEEPENING THE SURFACE LAYER WHICH WILL THEN TAP THE FAST WINDS ALOFT AND CAUSE SOUTHWEST TO WEST SURFACE WINDS TO GUST TO 25-30 KTS THROUGH 22Z. FLIGHT CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MAINLY VFR THROUGH 06Z, DESPITE PASSAGE OF FRONTAL BAND OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS 14Z-18Z, AS HAVE TOO LOW CONFIDENCE TO MENTION. TIMING OF SHOWERS HAS BEEN BASED ON RECENT WRF-NMM AND HRRR MODEL OUTPUT. COLD POOL STRATOCUMULUS LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING MAY PROMOTE A PERIOD OF MVFR CEILINGS. OUTLOOK...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... VFR THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY. RESTRICTIONS THEN POSSIBLE DUE TO SHOWERS FROM A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PASSAGE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY, AND LINGERING COLD POOL CLOUDS SUNDAY. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...NONE. OH...NONE. PA...NONE. WV...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 958 AM EDT WED MAR 28 2012 PAZ007>009-013-015-016-291400- MERCER-VENANGO-FOREST-LAWRENCE-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA- 958 AM EDT WED MAR 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AND WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO FALL TO NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING ON FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ014-020>023-029-031- 073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-291400- GARRETT-TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON- JEFFERSON OH-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-BUTLER-BEAVER- ALLEGHENY-ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND- WESTMORELAND RIDGES-FAYETTE-FAYETTE RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO- MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION-MONONGALIA-PRESTON-TUCKER- 958 AM EDT WED MAR 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL BE FROM DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO FALL TO NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING ON FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1218 PM EDT WED MAR 28 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1120 AM HAIL CANONSBURG 40.27N 80.15W
03/28/2012 U0.50 INCH WASHINGTON PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1105 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1120 AM
03/28/2012
1122 AM HAIL WASHINGTON 40.16N 80.25W
03/28/2012 U0.25 INCH WASHINGTON PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1107 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1122 AM
03/28/2012
1123 AM HAIL CANONSBURG 40.27N 80.15W
03/28/2012 U0.25 INCH WASHINGTON PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1108 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1123 AM
03/28/2012
1124 AM HAIL WASHINGTON 40.16N 80.25W
03/28/2012 U0.25 INCH WASHINGTON PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1109 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1124 AM
03/28/2012
1126 AM HAIL WASHINGTON 40.16N 80.25W
03/28/2012 U0.75 INCH WASHINGTON PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1111 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1126 AM
03/28/2012
1128 AM HAIL WASHINGTON 40.16N 80.25W
03/28/2012 U1.00 INCH WASHINGTON PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1113 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1128 AM
03/28/2012
1133 AM HAIL WASHINGTON 40.16N 80.25W
03/28/2012 U0.75 INCH WASHINGTON PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1118 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1133 AM
03/28/2012
1134 AM HAIL IRWIN 40.32N 79.72W
03/28/2012 U0.88 INCH WESTMORELAND PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1119 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1134 AM
03/28/2012
1136 AM HAIL WASHINGTON 40.16N 80.25W
03/28/2012 U0.25 INCH WASHINGTON PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1121 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1136 AM
03/28/2012
1137 AM HAIL INDIAN HEAD 40.02N 79.40W
03/28/2012 M1.00 INCH FAYETTE PA TRAINED SPOTTER
1143 AM HAIL BELLE VERNON 40.15N 79.81W
03/28/2012 U0.75 INCH FAYETTE PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1128 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1143 AM
03/28/2012
1148 AM HAIL PERRYOPOLIS 40.09N 79.75W
03/28/2012 U0.75 INCH FAYETTE PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1133 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1148 AM
03/28/2012
1149 AM HAIL CHARLEROI 40.14N 79.95W
03/28/2012 U0.75 INCH WASHINGTON PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1134 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1149 AM
03/28/2012
1151 AM HAIL WEST NEWTON 40.20N 79.73W
03/28/2012 U1.00 INCH WESTMORELAND PA PUBLIC
EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1136 AM 03/28/2012 AND 1151 AM
03/28/2012
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ0000000 PBZ0000000 PBZ0000000 PBZ0000000 PBZ0000000
PBZ0000000 PBZ0000000 PBZ0000000 PBZ0000000 PBZ1200355 PBZ0000000
PBZ0000000 PBZ0000000 PBZ0000000SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1233 PM EDT WED MAR 28 2012
PAZ075-076-281700-
FAYETTE PA-FAYETTE RIDGES PA-
1233 PM EDT WED MAR 28 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL FAYETTE COUNTY...
AT 1229 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
WALTERSBURG...MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WALTERSBURG... UNIONTOWN... HOPWOOD...
DUNBAR... CONNELLSVILLE... OHIOPYLE...
SEVEN SPRINGS...
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
LAT...LON 3990 7940 3985 7941 3985 7939 3982 7936
3989 7990 4003 7979 4004 7956 4002 7931SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1241 PM EDT WED MAR 28 2012
MDZ001-PAZ031-075-076-WVZ012-021>023-041-281730-
FAYETTE PA-FAYETTE RIDGES PA-GARRETT MD-GREENE PA-MARION WV-
MONONGALIA WV-PRESTON WV-TUCKER WV-WETZEL WV-
1241 PM EDT WED MAR 28 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT GARRETT...MARION...MONONGALIA...
NORTHWESTERN TUCKER...PRESTON...SOUTHEASTERN GREENE...SOUTHERN
FAYETTE AND SOUTHERN WETZEL COUNTIES...
AT 1238 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM
MASONTOWN TO STAR CITY TO SMITHFIELD TO 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
FLY...MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND PEA-SIZED HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
METZ... JACKSONBURG... DAYBROOK...
CASSVILLE... MOUNT MORRIS... MASONTOWN...
GREENSBORO... BOBTOWN... MCCURDYVILLE...
CURTISVILLE... SMITHFIELD... STAR CITY...
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
LAT...LON 3947 7906 3929 7929 3915 7984 3923 7982
3930 7990 3944 7991 3945 7994 3938 8007
3939 8020 3947 8049 3943 8055 3947 8071
3952 8075 3972 8011 3988 7986 3980 7936
3973 7938 3973 7910 3969 7895PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1259 PM EDT WED MAR 28 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM HAIL WOODSFIELD 39.76N 81.12W
03/28/2012 E0.75 INCH MONROE OH EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1200356
WOODRUMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
101 PM EDT WED MAR 28 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM HAIL 2 N WOODSFIELD 39.79N 81.12W
03/28/2012 E0.88 INCH MONROE OH EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1200357
WOODRUMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
144 PM EDT WED MAR 28 2012
MDZ001-WVZ023-041-281815-
GARRETT MD-PRESTON WV-TUCKER WV-
144 PM EDT WED MAR 28 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN GARRETT...SOUTHERN
PRESTON AND TUCKER COUNTIES...
AT 143 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF CATHELDRAL STATE PARK...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SAINT GEORGE... ROWLESBURG... PLEASANT RUN...
PARSONS... HANNAHSVILLE... HAMBLETON...
DAVISVILLE... HENDRICKS...
CATHELDRAL STATE PARK... SILVER LAKE...
ELK... KEMPTON...
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING TOLL FREE...877-633-6772...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
LAT...LON 3897 7952 3904 7978 3910 7980 3913 7984
3923 7982 3925 7986 3929 7987 3951 7938
3944 7911 3939 7916 3935 7925 3929 7929
3929 7933 3920 7948 3922 7934 3920 7929
3909 7935 3907 7929 3896 7934
WOODRUMThe Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 163 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:05 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management reported trees down along SR 219 just north of Thomas.
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, March 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: 365624.