Pulse storms produced isolated wind damage across portions of south-central 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.
Pulse storms produced isolated wind damage across portions of south-central 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 State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 16, 2:30 PM EST, 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 330 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2015 .SYNOPSIS... A STALLED FRONTAL ZONE WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR PERIODS OF UNSETTLED WEATHER THIS WEEKEND. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN ON SUNDAY. A RELATIVELY STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...USHERING IN ANOTHER COOL...DRY AIRMASS FOR LATE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 1 AM SUNDAY MORNING/... PWATS JUST ABOUT AS HIGH AS THEY HAVE BEEN SINCE LAST SUMMER...WITH 1.75 INCHES OVER THE SRN HALF OF THE AREA. THE WIND FIELD THROUGH THE COLUMN IS FAIRLY LIGHT. SLOWLY MOVING STORMS ARE SLIDING TO THE EAST THIS AFTERNOON. HEAVY RAIN REPORT IN SOMERSET OF ALMOST 3 INCHES. BASED ON RADAR THIS MAY BE A LITTLE HIGH...BUT WITH PWATS SO HIGH...IT IS PLAUSIBLE. THE REST OF THE SRN TIER SHOULD ALSO EXPECT SOME HEAVY RAIN FROM THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE TO THE EAST. CAPES ARE HIGHER IN THE SERN FEW COS WHERE IT HAS BEEN SUNNY ALL DAY AND DEPOINTS IN THE M60S. NAM AND HI RES ARW ARE VERY MUCH IN AGREEMENT THAT THIS SHORT WAVE AND ASSOCD PRECIP WILL CLEAR THE EASTERN COS ABOUT 6 OR 7 PM. THE NRN TIER HAS BEEN ROBBED OF BEST MSTR...AND ALSO SUFFERING A LACK OF SUN AND THEREFORE CAPE TODAY. THUS...WITH THE S/WV AXIS MOVING OVERHEAD AND LITTLE ELSE IN STORE FOR THE NEXT FEW HRS...WILL MAKE IT MAINLY DRY THERE. BETTER WIND FIELD ALONG THE NY BORDER COULD CREATE SOME GUSTY WINDS IF A ROGUE TSRA CAN FORM THERE. MORE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE WRN COS THIS EVENING...AS NEXT AREA OF FORCING SLIDES IN FROM OH. WILL COUNT ON LESS OF A WORRY FOR GUSTY WINDS WITH LOSS OF CAPE. BUT THE THREAT OF SLOW-MOVING STORMS/HEAVY RAIN IS STILL THERE. THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT A SMALL-AREA FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR THE SW. WILL COLLAB WITH NEIGHBORS TO SEE THEIR THOUGHTS. && .SHORT TERM /1 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY/... SHOWERS HOULD DECREASE AFTER MIDNIGHT...BUT MOISTURE RUNS HIGH ALL NIGHT. SHOULD BECOME A LITTLE MURKY WHERE IT DOES RAIN THIS EVENING. WILL MENTION PATCHY FOG ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT MAY GET WORSE THAN THAT WITH LITTLE WIND TO MOVE THINGS AROUND. THE THICK CLOUDS WILL KEEP TEMPS VERY MILD AS WELL. JUST THE SLIGHTEST INCREASE IN THE WSW FLOW IN LOWER/MID LEVELS WILL ENHANCE THE POTENTIAL FOR RAIN/STORMS IN THE SWRN COS AGAIN BY THE END OF THE NIGHT. AGAIN...FLOOD WATCH POSSIBLE. SUNDAY LOOKS LIKE THE CLOUDY START WILL HINDER THUNDER...SO WILL KEEP MENTIONS MAINLY TO THE AFTN. DRIER AIR TRIES TO MOVE DOWN FROM THE NE ON SUNDAY AND MAY ALLOW THEM TO BREAK OUT OF THE CLOUDS...BUT AMBIENT MSTR VERY HIGH. POPS WILL BE HIGHEST OVER THE SW BUT CANNOT TAKE THEM OUT OF ANYWHERE DUE TO WEAK FORCING AND HIGH MSTR. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... LEAD SHORTWAVE ENERGY CLIMBING THE WESTERN-SIDE OF ANOMALOUS 500MB RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN US...ALONG WITH ABOVE NORMAL PWATS AND DIURNAL INSTABILITY WILL HELP PROMOTE SCATTERED CONVECTION ON SUNDAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG/SOUTH OF THE QUASI-STNRY/WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY PIVOTING OVER THE AREA. USED A BLEND FOR POPS/QPF WHICH FAVORED THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS AND SOUTH-CENTRAL MTNS ON DAY 3. GIVEN LACK OF FORCING AND LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING...CUT BACK POPS TO THE MID-CHC RANGE SUNDAY NIGHT /40 PERCENT WEST TO 30 PERCENT EAST/. THE VIGOROUS/DEEP CLOSED LOW EJECTING OUT OF THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S. SHOULD REACH THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY 00Z MON...WHERE THE MODELS SHOW IT SLOWING DOWN AND EVENTUALLY BECOMING ABSORBED INTO AN UPPER TROUGH CROSSING HUDSON BAY. THIS HAS APPEARED TO SLOW THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF ITS TRAILING COLD FRONT BY 12HRS OR SO...NOW PROGGED TO CROSS THE AREA DURING THE DAYTIME ON TUESDAY (PREVIOUSLY MONDAY NIGHT/AM TUESDAY). THIS SLOWER TREND WAS EVIDENT IN THE GUIDANCE AND HAVE ADJUSTED TEMPS AND POPS ACCORDINGLY. THE PARENT SHORTWAVE WILL LOSE MUCH OF ITS AMPLITUDE AS IT TRACKS THROUGH THE UPPER GREAT LAKES AND FOR NOW DOES NOT APPEAR TO POSE A SIGNIFICANT SVR WX RISK FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE...A RESPECTABLE ANTICYCLONE WILL EXTEND SEWD FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST WITH COOLER AND NOTICEABLY DRIER AIR FILTERING INTO THE REGION FOR THE MID TO LATE WEEK PERIOD. THIS PATTERN SHOULD SUPPRESS THE PCPN RISK TO THE SOUTH OF CENTRAL PA WITH GENERALLY FAIR WEATHER AND SEASONABLY COOL TO MODERATING TEMPERATURES PREVAILING AT DAYS 6-8. ALSO OF NOTE IS THE RISK FOR PATCHY FROST ON MAY 21ST/THURSDAY MORNING MAINLY OVER THE NORTH-CENTRAL ZONES WHERE ECENS/GFS ENSEMBLE MOS GUIDANCE IS SHOWING MID 30S AT BFD...JUST IN TIME FOR THE START OF THE GROWING SEASON. && .AVIATION /19Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... LARGE CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS MOVING EAST SLOWLY OVER THE SRN TIER...AND RIGHT TOWARD MDT/LNS. HAVE PLAYED UP TSRA WITH BEST TIMING BETWEEN 20 AND 23Z. FORCING FROM THE S/WV OVERHEAD WILL BE OFF TO THE EAST BY 23Z OR 00Z. EXPECT A RENEWAL OF STORM FROM THE WEST INTO JST/BFD IN A FEW HRS WATCHING TRENDS OVER OH AND GENERAL FLOW FROM THE WSW. UNV/IPT WILL LIKELY BE THE DRIEST LOCATIONS THRU THE NIGHT BUT FOG AND LOW CLOUDS COULD STILL BRING THEM INTO IFR. DRIER AIR TRIES TO MOVE DOWN FROM THE NE LATER TONIGHT/SUNDAY...BUT WILL KEEP IT SOUPY THRU AT LEAST 14Z MOST LOCATIONS. OUTLOOK... MON-TUES...LOW CLOUDS/IFR PSBL...SHRA LIKELY. WIDESPREAD FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS LIKELY. CFROPA TUES. WED-THURS...NSW. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DEVOIR NEAR TERM...DANGELO SHORT TERM...DANGELO LONG TERM...STEINBUGL AVIATION...DANGELO
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 346 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2015 PAZ024>026-033>036-172000- CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN- 346 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2015 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON... 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. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS...PLEASE REPORT ANY HEAVY RAINFALL OR FLOODING. PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-027-028-037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-172000- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD- NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-TIOGA- NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION- SNYDER-MONTOUR-NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL- LEBANON-CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 346 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY CREATE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
144 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2015
PAZ033-161830-
SOMERSET PA-
144 PM EDT SAT MAY 16 2015
...HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL IS EXPECTED IN SOMERSET COUNTY...
AT 142 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER ALMOST ALL OF SOMERSET COUNTY. RAINFALL OF
UP TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE BY 3 PM. THIS WILL LIKELY CAUSE MINOR
FLOODING PROBLEMS. THE STORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. PEA SIZE
HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SOMERSET...WINDBER...MEYERSDALE...BERLIN...FRIEDENS...BOSWELL...
DAVIDSVILLE...CENTRAL CITY...JEROME...ACOSTA...URSINA...NEW
CENTERVILLE...TIRE HILL...OGLETOWN...MOUNT DAVIS...ROCKWOOD...
CONFLUENCE...SALISBURY...JENNERSTOWN AND HOOVERSVILLE.
THIS INCLUDES THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE FROM MILE MARKERS 100 TO 129.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
INTENSE RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM...AND MAY
LEAD TO FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.
&&
LAT...LON 3972 7939 3973 7941 3977 7938 3978 7939
3978 7935 3982 7937 3985 7942 3990 7940
4009 7926 4012 7922 4012 7917 4016 7916
4029 7906 4028 7893 4024 7888 4024 7866
4008 7873 4006 7876 3982 7876 3972 7881
TIME...MOT...LOC 1742Z 239DEG 48KT 4006 7905
DANGELOThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down wires on a house in Shippensburg.
Thunderstorm winds estimated near 60 mph knocked down large limbs and the top of a chimney.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, May 2015
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: 571346, 571347.