A belt of seasonably strong lower-mid tropospheric flow in the Ohio Valley on the eastern periphery of a large-scale upper trough impinged on a moist and unstable environment over central Pennsylvania and resulted in severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening. Multicell thunderstorm clusters organized into mini bowing line segments which produced several reports of damaging winds.
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.
A belt of seasonably strong lower-mid tropospheric flow in the Ohio Valley on the eastern periphery of a large-scale upper trough impinged on a moist and unstable environment over central Pennsylvania and resulted in severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening. Multicell thunderstorm clusters organized into mini bowing line segments which produced several reports of 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 22, 4:22 PM EST, 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 522 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013 .SYNOPSIS... SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY STRONG WIND GUSTS OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN PA THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT TRAILING THE LOW WILL CROSS THE REGION ON THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY A SECONDARY COLD FRONT ON FRIDAY. A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL USHER IN COOLER AND DRIER AIR THAT WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... UPDATED... SVR WATCH #211 IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR FAR WESTERN AND NORTHERN COUNTIES... EARLY AFTERNOON VISIBLE LOOP SHOWS STRATIFIED CU ACROSS THE ALLEGHENY HIGHLANDS. LAPS SOUNDINGS STARTING TO DESTABLIZE WITH SFC TEMPS APPROACHING CONVECTIVE TEMPS...AND UP TO 1400 J/KG ABOVE THE LFC. UPSTREAM ACTIVITY OVER WV HAS CONTINUED TO BUT THIS AREA HAS OVERALL BEEN WEAKENING AND SLIGHTLY SHRINKING IN COVERAGE OVER THE PAST 2 HOURS. MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IN THE NEAR TERM IS CONVECTIVE INITIATION AND EVENTUAL INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WITH THE AREA IS ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF AMPLIFIED UPPER RIDGE...AND ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVES LIFTING THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY... WESTERN PA WILL BE IN AN INCREASINGLY CONVERGENT BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW AS 30-40 KT 850 MB JET NOSES INTO EASTERN OHIO. WITH CIN APPEARING TO DISSIPATE ON SCHEDULE EXPECT TO SEE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP AFTER 18Z OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND WEST. WITH SPEED SHEAR OF 25 TO 40 KTS AND MODERATE CAPE...SOME OF STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS FROM BOWING LINE SEGMENTS AND CLUSTERS INTO THIS EVENING. PEAK INTENSITY LKLY BTWN APPROX 21-03Z. ANOTHER VERY WARM AND MUGGY AFTERNOON IS IN STORE WITH MAXES REACHING WELL INTO THE 80S...~10F ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... AREA REMAINS IN SPC SEE TEXT OUTLOOK THURSDAY. GENERALLY WEAK INSTABILITY IS PROGGED IN THE PRE-FRONTAL WARM SECTOR...AND WILL BE DEPENDENT ON THE EXTENT OF ANY PREFRONTAL WARMING/PARTIAL CLEARING. MODERATE SHEAR PRESENT WHICH COULD PROMOTE A FEW STRONGER STORMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT THU AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY EAST. CONTINUED EWD PROGRESSION OF THE EXPANSIVE ERN CONUS TROUGH IS EXPECTED THIS PERIOD...HOWEVER IT MAY BE AT SLOWER PACE AS SOME MODEL DATA IS TRENDING SLOWER/SHARPER BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. THE ATTENDANT COLD FRONT WILL TRAVERSE THE AREA DURING THE AFTN AND EVENING BEFORE EXITING THE ERN PART OF THE CWA AROUND MIDNIGHT. A LIGHTER...DEFORMATION PCPN AXIS IS PROGGED TO SET UP OVER THE AREA THURS NIGHT INTO FRI AS A SHORTWAVE EMBEDDED IN THE LARGER- SCALE TROUGH DIGS FROM THE GRT LKS TWD WV. THERE ARE SOME NOTABLE MODEL DIFFS HEADING INTO DAY 3 SURROUNDING THE DEPTH AND SPEED OF THE H5 TROUGH CROSSING THE MID-ATLC REGION. MORE ON THIS IN THE LONG TERM SECTION. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... EXPECT PLENTY OF CLOUDS AND LGT RAIN IN THE DEFORMATION ZONE ON FRIDAY...WITH TEMPS FALLING BACK TO 55-65F. A BIT OF A RANGE DUE TO THE MODEL VARIABILITY AND HAVE GONE WITH THE MODE AND TRENDED TOWARD THE ECMWF SOLN AS IT WOULD LINGER LIGHT RAIN OVER THE AREA /ESP IN THE EAST/ INTO SATURDAY...BUT DID NOT FULLY BUY-INTO THIS GIVEN HOW STRONG IT WAS WITH THE CLOSED H5 LOW COMPARED TO THE OTHER GLOBAL GUIDANCE. CANADIAN HIGH PRES EXTENDING SWD FROM NUNAVUT INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST WILL SHIFT EWD ACRS THE GREAT LAKES AND EVENTUALLY TAKE UP RESIDENCE OVER THE NORTHEAST BY MEMORIAL DAY. ENS DATA CONTINUES TO SHOW NEGATIVE THERMAL/MOISTURE ANOMS SUPPORTING AN UNSEASONABLY COOL AND DRY WEEKEND WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FROST IN THE NRN AND WRN MTNS SAT/SUN AM. THE GROWING SEASON IS UNDERWAY IN THIS AREA /AS OF MAY 20TH/ AND THEREFORE WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION FROST IN HWO. ELSEWHERE LOW TEMPS WILL BE CHILLY BY LATE-MAY STANDARDS...BUT NOT QUITE COLD ENOUGH FOR FROST. Q-STNRY/WARM FRONTAL ZONE INITIALLY CENTERED FROM IA-WV SHOULD SLOWLY RETURN NWD THROUGH THE OH VLY EARLY NEXT WEEK. GFS/EC DIFFS IN THE PATTERN EVOLUTION CONTINUE INTO THE END OF THE MEDIUM RANGE PARTICULARLY UPSTREAM. IN GENERAL...THERE SHOULD BE A GRADUAL EARLY-MID WEEK WARMING TREND WITH HTS RISING AS THE UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE NORTHEAST. && .AVIATION /21Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... BEEN UPDATING TAFS FOR CONVECTION AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. SEVERAL SPS ISSUED...FOR GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL...NOTHING SEVERE SO FAR. DECENT CAP...BEST DYNAMICS TO THE WEST...AND HIGHER DEWPOINTS TO THE SE...NOT QUITE IN PHASE TO FIRE UP STORMS YET...WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. EARLIER DISCUSSION BELOW. SCT SHRA/TSRA AND MVFR CIGS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM WEST TO EAST. ISOLD IFR CIGS/VSBY AND STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 40 KTS MAY BE POSSIBLE NEAR ANY THUNDERSTORMS INTO THIS EVENING. MVFR CIGS SHOULD PREVAIL FOR A GOOD PART OF THE OVERNIGHT AND SOME FOG IS POSSIBLE BETWEEN 10Z AND 13Z LOWER SUSQ. COOLER AND BREEZY FOR FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY...AS A STRONG COLD FRONT DROPS SE OF PA. .OUTLOOK... FRI...LOW CIGS ETC...WITH SHOWERS AND A FEW STORMS. SAT-MON...NO SIG WX EXPECTED. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...STEINBUGL NEAR TERM...DEVOIR/STEINBUGL SHORT TERM...DEVOIR/STEINBUGL LONG TERM...CERU AVIATION...DEVOIR/MARTIN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 229 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013 PAZ004>006-010-011-017-024-033-037-231830- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-CLEARFIELD-CAMBRIA-SOMERSET-TIOGA- 229 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 211 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON 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. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. A FEW STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON. AREAS OF FROST ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ012-018-019-025>028-034>036-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059- 063>066-231830- NORTHERN CLINTON-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON- MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN- SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 229 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. A FEW STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON. AREAS OF FROST ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DEVOIR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
447 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013
PAZ024-033-034-222115-
BEDFORD PA-CAMBRIA PA-SOMERSET PA-
447 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN SOMERSET...
NORTHWESTERN BEDFORD AND SOUTH CENTRAL CAMBRIA COUNTIES...
AT 443 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR CENTRAL CITY...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT WINDBER...OGLETOWN AND DUNLO.
OTHER NOTABLE LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL
AND UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - JOHNSTOWN.
THIS WILL IMPACT THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE NEAR MILE MARKER 128.
THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT ROUTE 30.
LAT...LON 4008 7899 4041 7873 4035 7861 4033 7862
4029 7851 4028 7849 3998 7879
FORECASTER: RXRSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
500 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013
PAZ005-010-222130-
ELK PA-MCKEAN PA-
500 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN ELK AND
SOUTHWESTERN MCKEAN COUNTIES...
AT 457 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF
SIGEL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT JAMES CITY.
THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 6...ROUTE 219...
STATE ROAD 66.
LAT...LON 4164 7855 4134 7893 4137 7897 4135 7902
4134 7910 4142 7910 4143 7907 4145 7907
4146 7906 4146 7898 4145 7897 4174 7895
FORECASTER: RXRSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
502 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013
PAZ024-222145-
CAMBRIA PA-
502 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL CAMBRIA COUNTY...
AT 500 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR EAST CONEMAUGH...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT VINCO...NANTY-GLO...EBENSBURG...LILLY AND
LORETTO.
OTHER NOTABLE LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD NATIONAL
MEMORIAL HISTORIC SITE...SAINT FRANCIS UNIVERSITY AND MT. ALOYSIUS
COLLEGE.
THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...THE JOHNSTOWN
EXPRESSWAY...ROUTE 22...ROUTE 219...ROUTE 422...STATE ROAD 56.
LAT...LON 4046 7894 4050 7892 4064 7880 4051 7854
4044 7857 4039 7868 4031 7886 4032 7897
4040 7898
FORECASTER: EVANEGOSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 517 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013 PAZ024-025-033-034-222200- BEDFORD PA-BLAIR PA-CAMBRIA PA-SOMERSET PA- 517 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT BLAIR...NORTH CENTRAL BEDFORD... NORTHEASTERN SOMERSET AND SOUTHEASTERN CAMBRIA COUNTIES... AT 515 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR BLUE KNOB SKI RESORT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT HORSESHOE CURVE...ALTOONA AND BELLWOOD. OTHER NOTABLE LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE LAKEMONT PARK AND ISLAND WATERPARK...PEOPLES NATURAL GAS FIELD...ALLEGHENY PORTAGE RAILROAD NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE...BLUE KNOB SKI RESORT...MT. ALOYSIUS COLLEGE...UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - JOHNSTOWN AND PENN STATE ALTOONA. THIS WILL IMPACT I-99 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 18 AND 40. THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 22...ROUTE 220. LAT...LON 4015 7866 4024 7889 4067 7844 4049 7815 FORECASTER: RXR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 528 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013 PAZ035-036-222215- FRANKLIN PA-FULTON PA- 528 PM EDT WED MAY 22 2013 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN FULTON AND SOUTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES... AT 525 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR HANCOCK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND PENNY SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT COVE MILLS...NEEDMORE AND HARRISSONVILLE. THIS WILL IMPACT I-70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 164 AND 170. THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...ROUTE 30...ROUTE 522. LAT...LON 4001 7817 3994 7787 3971 7805 3972 7826 FORECASTER: RXR
The State College radar (KCCX), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:47 UTC.
23 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down numerous trees and utility wires across northern Cambria County.
Nickel size hail (0.88 inch) was reported south of Big Cove Tannery.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down numerous trees and utility wires across southeastern Clearfield County.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees near Madera.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires near Rixford.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires near Neff.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees in Clearfield.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down utility wires in Shinglehouse.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees in Kylertown, Lanse and Winburne.
A peak thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph was measured atop the Walker Building on the PSU campus.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees in Benner Township.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees near the Shiloh Road exit along I-99 near the Benner Pike.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and wires in Milroy.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires around Lock Haven.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires around New Bloomfield.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees in Gamble Township near Calvert.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires near English Mills.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees across West Juniata Parkway near Newport.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and wires near Cammal.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and wires near Trout Run.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and utility wires in Sunbury.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down trees and wires near Picture Rocks.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down wires near Herndon.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down a few trees in Selinsgrove.
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, May 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: 443709, 443708, 443711, 443712, 443713, 443714, 443715, 443716, 443718, 443725, 443717, 443719, 443726, 443720, 443723, 443721, 443727, 443722, 443728, 443729, 443724, 443730, 443731, 443732.