Deep moisture combined with an upper level disturbance produced thunderstorms across the region, a few of which were severe across western 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 PBZ wrote it up.
Deep moisture combined with an upper level disturbance produced thunderstorms across the region, a few of which were severe across western Pennsylvania.
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 4, 2:05 PM EST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 305 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013 .SYNOPSIS... MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE HUMID WEATHER AND DAILY CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... GULF MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO BE FUNNELED NORTHWARD TOWARDS THE REGION HELPING TO PROVIDE FOR VERY HUMID CONDITIONS AND PERIODS OF HEAVIER RAINFALL IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD. A BRIEF BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO BE DUE TO THE DRIER AIR BEING PUSHED WESTWARD FROM THE BUILDING COASTAL HIGH...AS IS APPARENT IN THE WATER VAPOR SATELLITE LOOP. THIS HAS ALLOWED FOR SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER OVER WESTERN/CENTRAL PA. IF THIS CONTINUES...EXPECT THAT DAYTIME HEATING AND DESTABILIZATION SHOULD ALLOW FOR MORE WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN THESE AREAS. FURTHER WEST...MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION MAY BE ENHANCED FROM UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHERLY FLOW. BETWEEN PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES APPROACHING 2 INCHES AND WARM RAIN PROCESSES...RAINFALL RATES COULD BE HIGHER THAN HAS BEEN SEEN IN PREVIOUS DAYS. MODEL CONSENSUS SUGGESTS THE BULK OF THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WILL REMAIN WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA OVER SOUTHWESTERN OHIO...WHERE THE GREATEST DYNAMICS WILL BE PRESENT. WHILE THIS WILL NOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT FLOODING CONCERNS...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT EXPERIENCE TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS...THINK THAT THIS WILL BE MORE OR LESS A LOCALIZED PROBLEM. THUS...NO FLOOD WATCHES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL BE VIRTUALLY THE SAME AS THEY HAVE BEEN FOR THE LAST WEEK. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... A CONTINUED VERY SLOW EVOLUTION OF THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CONUS LOOKS TO TAKE PLACE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND THE UPPER LOW TO OUR WEST GETS PROGRESSIVELY SQUEEZED BY SPRAWLING UPPER ANTI-CYCLONES OVER BERMUDA AND THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. THIS SHOULD ACTUALLY SLOWLY SQUEEZE THE UPPER LOW OVER THE MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY NORTHWARD AND GRADUALLY OPEN IT UP AS IT NEARS THE POLAR JET OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES. HOWEVER...MODEL TIMING FOR THE PROGRESSION OF SAID EVOLUTION HAS REALLY STARTED TO BECOME A BIT SCATTER SHOT. THE 12Z NAM TREMENDOUSLY SLOWED THE EVOLUTION OF THE UPPER LOW AS DID THE 12Z GFS TO A LESSER DEGREE. HOWEVER...THE 12Z CANADIAN GLOBAL REMAINED IN LOCK STEP WITH THE 00Z ECMWF FROM LAST NIGHT IN BRINGING THE ENTIRETY OF THE UPPER LOW THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA AND PUSHING IT TO OUR EAST BY LATE SUNDAY. BECAUSE OF AT LEAST SOME SLOWING OF THE CONSENSUS RELATIVE TO THE PREVIOUS RUNS...THE FORECAST TIMING FOR THE PROGRESSION OF THE UPPER WAVE THROUGH THE AREA WAS SLOWED BY ROUGHLY 12 HOURS IN THE GRIDS. AS SUCH...DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW WITH THE MAIN UPPER JET STREAK FOCUSING LARGE SCALE LIFT PREFERENTIALLY OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA LOOKS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEKEND. AFTER THAT TIME...THE SPEED OF THE NORTHEASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THE LOW OVER THE MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BECOMES KEY. IN FAVORING A PASSAGE CLOSE TO THE GFS GIVEN ITS COMPROMISE SOLUTION BETWEEN THE NAM AND ECMWF...HIGH DEWPOINTS AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS LOOK TO CONTINUE UNTIL SUNDAY. AFTER THAT TIME...BETTER SYNOPTIC LIFT IS LIKELY TO TRACK ACROSS THE AREA. ADDITIONALLY...SHEAR VALUES INCREASE MARKEDLY WITH ABUNDANT INSTABILITY. AS SUCH...THE BEST CHANCE FOR ORGANIZED CONVECTION LOOKS TO HOLD OFF UNTIL SUNDAY. THIS WAS WHEN POPS WERE REALLY FOCUSED IN ON IN THE SHORT TERM. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE SHORT TERM LOOK TO BE RANGE BOUND BY SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER. CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CLOUDS AS WELL AS CONVECTIVE CUMULUS CLOUDS WILL LIKELY KEEP A LID ON THE WARMING OF THE LOWER BOUNDARY LAYER. AS SUCH...WARMING THE AIR WILL MORE LIKELY TAKE PLACE DUE TO MIXING. WITH THAT SAID...A LACK OF INSOLATION REALLY LOOKS TO KEEP HIGHS DOWN...WHILE CLOUDS WILL KEEP LOWS UP...AT LEAST UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT. FRIES && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... THE UPPER LOW WILL SLOWLY DEPART TO THE EAST BY MONDAY NIGHT WITH A MORE ZONAL FLOW ALOFT DEVELOPING BY MID WEEK. HARD TO DEFINE A 24 HR PERIOD WHICH WOULD BE RAIN FREE AS AT LEAST 2 SEPARATE SHORTWAVES IN THE ZONAL FLOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY THIS PERIOD. HIGH CHANCE POPS WERE USED AS TIMING WILL AGAIN BE A PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IN ZONAL FLOW. TEMPERATURES WILL TREND TOWARD SEASONAL NORMS. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... ABUNDANT MOISTURE WILL MOVE NORTHWARD WITH UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES CONTINUING TO HELP SPAWN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. TEMPORARY RESTRICTIONS WILL BE EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY IN THOSE LOCATIONS THAT EXPERIENCE HEAVIER RAINFALL THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...FOR NOW JUST MAINTAINED THE VFR CONDITIONS AND WILL ADD TEMPOS AS NEEDED TO REFLECT ANY BRIEF PERIODS OF MVFR/IFR. OUTLOOK.../THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... BRIEF IFR VIS RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. IN ADDITION...IFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN PREDAWN FG EACH MORNING...ESPECIALLY IF AN AIRPORT EXPERIENCES A STORM IN THE AFTN/EVNG. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...NONE. OH...NONE. PA...NONE. WV...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 325 AM EDT THU JUL 4 2013 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-051200- GARRETT-TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON- JEFFERSON OH-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-MERCER-VENANGO- FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY- ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND-WESTMORELAND RIDGES- FAYETTE-FAYETTE RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION- MONONGALIA-PRESTON-TUCKER- 325 AM EDT THU JUL 4 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE FLOODING IN AREAS THAT HAVE RECEIVED HEAVY RAINFALL DURING THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY MAY CAUSE FLOODING IN AREAS THAT HAVE RECEIVED HEAVY RAINFALL DURING THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
400 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013
MDZ001-042045-
GARRETT MD-
400 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013
...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WILL AFFECT GARRETT COUNTY...
AT 359 PM EDT...THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE FROM MINERAL SPRING
TO 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF MOUNTAIN LAKE PARK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20
MPH.
HEAVY RAIN WILL POND WATER ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL SMALL STREAMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SWALLOW FALLS STATE PARK... MOUNTAIN LAKE PARK...
MCHENRY... MCCOMAS BEACH... GORMAN...
FRIENDSVILLE... DEEP CREEK LAKE STATE PARK...
MINERAL SPRING... ACCIDENT... BITTINGER...
BIG RUN STATE PARK... MERRILL...
IN HILLY TERRAIN...THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS WHICH
MAY BE HAZARDOUS IN HEAVY RAIN. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ON FLOODED
ROADS. IT TAKES ONLY A FEW INCHES OF FLOWING WATER TO CARRY A VEHICLE
AWAY.
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER BY CALLING...412-262-1988...POSTING
TO THE NWS PITTSBURGH FACEBOOK PAGE...OR USING TWITTER
@NWSPITTSBURGH.
LAT...LON 3929 7930 3930 7933 3929 7934 3951 7944
3972 7940 3973 7922 3973 7896 3972 7895SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
417 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013
PAZ076-042030-
FAYETTE RIDGES PA-
417 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EAST CENTRAL FAYETTE COUNTY...
AT 412 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES EAST OF
OHIOPYLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS STORM WAS MOVING ALONG
THE FAYETTE...SOMERSET COUNTY BORDER.
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND PENNY SIZE HAIL ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
OHIOPYLE... SEVEN SPRINGS...
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER BY CALLING...412-262-1988...POSTING
TO THE NWS PITTSBURGH FACEBOOK PAGE...OR USING TWITTER
@NWSPITTSBURGH.
LAT...LON 3990 7940 3986 7941 3984 7938 3982 7939
3985 7953 4008 7938 4007 7935 4004 7934
4004 7930 4003 7929
15SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
434 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013
PAZ074-076-042100-
FAYETTE RIDGES PA-WESTMORELAND RIDGES PA-
434 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EAST CENTRAL FAYETTE AND
SOUTHEASTERN WESTMORELAND COUNTIES...
AT 429 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF SEVEN SPRINGS...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM. HEAVY RAIN WILL POND WATER ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL DITCHES
AND SMALL STREAMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SEVEN SPRINGS... LAUREL MOUNTAIN STATE PARK...
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER BY CALLING...412-262-1988...POSTING
TO THE NWS PITTSBURGH FACEBOOK PAGE...OR USING TWITTER
@NWSPITTSBURGH.
LAT...LON 4015 7916 4014 7915 4011 7918 4010 7919
4011 7920 4007 7926 3991 7938 3990 7940
3991 7943 4022 7932 4017 7914
15SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
454 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013
MDZ001-042200-
GARRETT MD-
454 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2013
...A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN
GARRETT COUNTY...
AT 451 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN PITTSBURGH
SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
MERRILL...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH.
HEAVY RAIN WILL POND WATER ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL DITCHES AND
SMALL STREAMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BLOOMINGTON... BITTINGER... BIG RUN STATE PARK...
MERRILL... NEW GERMANY... GRANTSVILLE...
PINEY GROVE... FINZEL...
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. THE
WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT FOR SAFE PASSAGE.
PLEASE REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER BY CALLING...412-262-1988...POSTING
TO THE NWS PITTSBURGH FACEBOOK PAGE...OR USING TWITTER
@NWSPITTSBURGH.
LAT...LON 3948 7906 3948 7907 3949 7913 3952 7925
3973 7918 3973 7894 3972 7893
07The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:55 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The 911 call center reported Trees and wires down.
Emergency management reported trees down.
Emergency management reported trees and wires down.
A trained spotter reported multiple trees down.
Emergency management reported a utility line down.
Emergency management reported 60 trees down just south of Rural Valley Borough near Reefer Hollow and Spring Roads.
The public reported 3 trees down and damage to a mobile home in Sugar Creek Township.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, July 2013
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: 459886, 459887, 459888, 459885, 459889, 459890, 459891, 459892.