Scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a weak frontal boundary, some of which were severe.
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 thunderstorms developed ahead of a weak frontal boundary, some of which were severe.
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 Aug 13, 3:50 PM EST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 450 PM EDT SAT AUG 13 2016 .SYNOPSIS... Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected for the rest of the weekend as a weakening cold front slowly approaches. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY MORNING/... 500 pm update...made some minor adjustments to PoPs and cloud cover and also updated overnight temperatures. Previous discussion... Scattered showers and thunderstorms should continue through the evening with diurnally fueled instability. A period of more numerous storms are expected north of I 80 as shortwave support briefly increases across NW PA. The activity is expected to slowly decrease with waning instability late this evening, though low chances for showers/storms should continue overnight as another shortwave approaches in southwest flow. Temperatures should continue to run 10 to 15 degrees above the seasonal averages. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY/... More cloud cover is expected as more moisture is transported into the area in southwest flow on Sunday. With weak shortwave support, and a weakening surface boundary crossing the region, expect scattered showers and storms to persist on Sunday. The operational NAM appears to be an outlier with more widespread rain Sunday. Looking at water vapor and upper air analysis, the GFS seems to have a better handle on the approaching shortwave, and therefore went with scattered wording in the forecast. The surface boundary is progged to eventually dissipate by Monday as weak ridging builds over the region. This should keep unmentionable slight to low chance pops across the region. Increasing moisture and shortwave support in southwest flow should result in increasing shower and storm chances again by Tuesday. Temperatures should return to reading closer to, but still above, seasonal averages. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... Upper trough should maintain shower and thunderstorm chances through mid week before weak ridging builds across the Northeastern CONUS late in the week and the beginning of the weekend, returning mainly dry weather to the forecast. Temperatures should average a few degrees above the seasonal averages. && .AVIATION /21Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... General VFR with scattered to isolated showers or thunderstorms late afternoon and evening. A front is now nearly stationary across the lower Great Lakes, and looks to move little into Sunday. Early morning stratus in moist low levels may bring a period of MVFR. Winds will be southwest generally under 10 KTs. .OUTLOOK /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... Some restrictions possible Sunday afternoon and evening as a front slowly sags south. Otherwise general VFR with isolated to scattered diurnal showers and thunderstorms. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. OH...None. PA...None. WV...None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 422 AM EDT SAT AUG 13 2016 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021-509>514-140830- GARRETT-TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON-JEFFERSON- MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-MERCER-VENANGO-FOREST- LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY-ARMSTRONG-INDIANA- WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND-WESTMORELAND RIDGES-FAYETTE- FAYETTE RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION-MONONGALIA- RIDGES OF EASTERN MONONGALIA AND NORTHWESTERN PRESTON-PRESTON- EASTERN PRESTON-WESTERN TUCKER-EASTERN TUCKER- 422 AM EDT SAT AUG 13 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IN THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING THROUGH THIS EVENING MAINLY IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE IN THUNDERSTORMS THIS WEEKEND...WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The State College radar (KCCX), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:35 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter reported multiple large trees down.
The Fire Department reported trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down around Summerville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, August 2016
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: 647951, 647952, 647953.