A cold front dropped across Pennsylvania during the afternoon hours of October 4th. 5 inches of rain across urban portions of Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties in a short period of time.
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.
A cold front dropped across Pennsylvania during the afternoon hours of October 4th. A line of thunderstorms accompanied the front, dropping 1.0 to 1.5 inches of rain across urban portions of Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties in a short period of time. Given the already wet conditions and ideal setup for runoff, several reports of flash flooding were received, including several water rescues.
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 Oct 4, 2:52 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 352 PM EDT Thu Oct 4 2018 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will cross this evening though the risk for scattered showers or a storm will continue into Saturday. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/... Line of showers associated with the cold front will continue to sag southward through the evening. Marginal instability is present and as a result, with weak upper level support, no lightning is being observed. This may change as cells get south of I-70 but overall expecting a period of rain area wide with some gusty wind. Boundary will be south of the region tonight, though some cloud cover will likely linger especially across the southern half of the region. As a result, temperatures tonight will range near to slightly above average. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY/... The old front will be forced northward on Friday, as the SE ridge builds and a weak shortwave trough rides overtop of the ridge. As a result, a few showers may develop, but upper level support remains weak. Will continue to keep highest PoPs over the terrain where some orographic enhancement may be enough to generate a storm or two. Otherwise, will maintain negligible PoPs elsewhere. SE Ridge will remain in place through the weekend. With our region on the western periphery of this ridge, some showers and storms will be possible both days as shortwave energy rides overtop. In addition, cold front will try to approach the region late Saturday, but with rising heights it may be stalled to our northwest. Will maintain the highest probabilities for precip over these areas. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... The extended forecast will be predicated on the position and strength of the anomalous 500h ridge that is expected to strengthen over the eastern US through the beginning of the week. This should lend to mainly dry conditions through midweek, with warmer than average temperatures expected. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MVFR with occasional IFR ceilings will continue through this evening ahead of an advancing cold front. Showers and thunderstorms are expected with cold front passage, with higher confidence in thunderstorms south of KPIT. Outlook... The next chance for restrictions will come with a series of weekend disturbances. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. OH...None. PA...None. WV...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 425 AM EDT Thu Oct 4 2018 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021-509>514-050830- 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- 425 AM EDT Thu Oct 4 2018 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... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1133 AM EDT THU OCT 04 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0615 PM TSTM WND DMG SALEM 40.90N 80.85W
10/02/2018 COLUMBIANA OH DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
MULTIPLE TREES DOWN
&&
CORRECTED LOCATION...SOURCE
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1803600
MFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
400 PM EDT THU OCT 04 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0741 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 SE KEELER GLADE 39.60N 79.45W
10/02/2018 GARRETT MD SOCIAL MEDIA
TREES DOWN AND A SMALL BUILDING DESTROYED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1803608
AMILLERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
404 PM EDT THU OCT 04 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0710 PM TSTM WND DMG CHANDLERSVILLE 39.90N 81.83W
10/02/2018 MUSKINGUM OH TRAINED SPOTTER
10 LARGE TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1803609
AMILLERSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 434 PM EDT THU OCT 4 2018 PAZ021-029-073-042130- Westmoreland-Washington-Allegheny- 434 PM EDT THU OCT 4 2018 ...A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN WILL AFFECT CENTRAL WASHINGTON...ALLEGHENY AND NORTHWESTERN WESTMORELAND COUNTIES... At 432 PM EDT, radar indicated showers and thunderstorms along a line extending from near Fox Chapel to Sturgeon-Noblestown. Movement was southeast at 20 mph. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this line and may cause localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Expect a rapid 0.75 to 1.00 inch of rain. Locations impacted include... Pittsburgh... Penn Hills... Mount Lebanon... Bethel Park... Ross Township... Monroeville... McMurray... McKeesport... Jeannette... Canonsburg... Gastonville... Shaler Township... This includes the following highways... Interstate 70 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 26 and 30. Pennsylvania Turnpike between mile markers 42 and 67. Interstate 79 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 45 and 64. Interstate 376 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 59 and 84. LAT...LON 4041 7945 4013 8009 4040 8033 4062 7985 TIME...MOT...LOC 2032Z 314DEG 17KT 4055 7988 4041 8020
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 21 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:05 UTC.
9 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
County 911 officials reported flash flooding and ongoing water rescues in the South Hills section of Allegheny County.
County 911 officials reported that a person was rescued from a car trapped by flood waters at the intersection of Streets Run and Brentwood Roads.
County 911 officials reported a person stuck in a vehicle in a parking lot near Sawmill Run.
The county emergency manager received a report of flooding on Herold Drive.
County 911 officials reported that several roads were flooded in Hempfield Township.
The county emergency manager reported that a vehicle was stranded in high water at the intersection of Glass Run Road and Baldwin Road.
The county emergency manager reported flooding on Front Street.
County 911 officials reported a large landslide on Glass Run Road near the 8th Avenue ramp.
County 911 officials reported that several roads were flooded in Rostraver Township.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, October 2018
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 788753, 788754, 788758, 788760, 788764, 788769, 788777, 788791, 788794.