Slow moving mid level trough, moving into a region of weak instability and shear, brought support for marginal severe thunderstorms late on the 14th.
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.
Slow moving mid level trough, moving into a region of weak instability and shear, brought support for marginal severe thunderstorms late on the 14th.
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 14, 3:49 PM EST, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 449 PM EDT THU JUL 14 2016 .SYNOPSIS... Shower and thunderstorm chances will continue this evening as a weak front crosses the region. Seasonable temperatures and less humid conditions are expected for the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... Update focused on slowing down PoP increase based on current radar trends. CAPE should be sufficient to support convective development, especially from PIT on south, but the trigger for lift will come from the slowly advancing midlevel trough. Still agree with SPC marginal risk designation, as overall instability and shear are borderline. There is sufficient DCAPE to merit a risk of downbursts though. Minor modifications to sky and temperature grids otherwise. Previous discussion... Hi-res models generate showers and thunderstorms through southern Ohio, reaching our eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia zones later this evening. This seems prudent given the timing and placement of the best forcing and instability. The 12z update to the SPC Day 1 outlook reflects this as well, as the slight risk was expanded north into southern Ohio and southern West Virginia, but our area remains firmly planted in the Marginal risk. After the wave departs tonight, moisture will continue to dry up in the mid and upper-levels. This will cease any remaining shower activity west to east across the forecast area by day break. With the front lagging way behind, no real relief from the warm and humid air through at least Friday. The front could generate a few showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon, but with limited moisture to work with, coverage should be fairly sparse. tax && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... Broad troughing will remain over the area into the weekend with the main upper jet streak on the downstream side of the trough gradually sagging through the area on Saturday. This may allow for a few showers and thunderstorms in the southeastern portions of the area on Saturday as diurnal instability increases and the frontal boundary over the area slowly clears the area during the late afternoon and evening. Some cooler air works into the area behind the front with modestly lower dewpoints across much of the area, however heights already look to start to build toward the latter half of the weekend. Temperatures at 850 mb also look poised to jump toward 19C as well. This means the respite from heat/humidity will be short with really only Saturday as the day with a possibility of slightly below normal temperatures. However, drier conditions should return by the end of the weekend everywhere as the jet axis lifts to the north of the area, really eliminating and lifting mechanism from the area. Fries && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... A strong mid and upper level ridge will build over the central states early next week helping to develop a trough across New England. A fairly strong shortwave will move across the region Monday with likely showers and thunderstorms. Surface high pressure again dries the region out for the middle of the week. Temperatures will be largely above average, as despite a mean trough aloft, heights and thickness will be a bit elevated. A modified superblend was used for the extended period. && .AVIATION /21Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Scattered cu field over the northern portion of the forecast area should continue to lift, but should offer no additional restrictions. Another disturbance moving up the Ohio Valley will generate some scattered showers and thunderstorms this evening. This activity should stay mainly south of KPIT, but could even have a tough time making it that far north. With nothing currently on radar, have maintained a VCTS mention in the tafs for now until timing/coverage confidence increases. This activity should diminish as instability does later this evening, with VFR conditions expected. The possibility of brief MVFR/IFR ceilings exist Friday morning as low-level moisture increases. Opted to stay on the optimistic side with only a scattered cloud deck in the pre-dawn hours. .OUTLOOK /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... Restrictions are possible Saturday south of PIT with a crossing upper trough, and areawide with a Monday cold front. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. OH...None. PA...None. WV...None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 314 AM EDT THU JUL 14 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>514-150715- 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- 314 AM EDT THU JUL 14 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. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .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 703 PM EDT THU JUL 14 2016 OHZ050-059-PAZ029-WVZ002-003-142330- JEFFERSON-BELMONT-WASHINGTON-BROOKE-OHIO- 703 PM EDT THU JUL 14 2016 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN BELMONT... SOUTHEASTERN JEFFERSON...NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON...NORTHERN OHIO AND BROOKE COUNTIES... AT 702 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER TILTONSVILLE... OR NEAR CLEARVIEW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WHEELING...WEIRTON...STEUBENVILLE...MARTINS FERRY...WARWOOD... WELLSBURG...WEST LIBERTY...AVELLA...CLEARVIEW...MINGO JUNCTION... FOLLANSBEE...WOLFDALE...HOOVERSON HEIGHTS...TILTONSVILLE... BRIDGEPORT...BURGETTSTOWN...YORKVILLE...BETHANY... SMITHFIELD AND FRANKLIN. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 79 IN PENNSYLVANIA NEAR MILE MARKER 39. LAT...LON 4007 8076 4023 8086 4045 8040 4021 8024 TIME...MOT...LOC 2302Z 244DEG 30KT 4019 8072 34
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:33 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency manager reported several trees down and 8 to 10 power poles down.
Local 911 reported two trees down near West View.
Local 911 center reported two utility poles and wires down.
State official reported trees down.
Report of a tree down on Albany Road from social media.
Local 911 reported trees down near Connellsville.
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, July 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: 648257, 648259, 648260, 648261, 648262, 648263.