A Large upper level system moving through the Mid Atlantic resulted in a 3 day rain event that caused multiple flash floods through Central PA.
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 Large upper level system moving through the Mid Atlantic resulted in a 3 day rain event that caused multiple flash floods through Central PA.
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 Jul 4, 7:02 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 802 PM EDT Thu Jul 4 2019 .SYNOPSIS... A large upper level ridge will keep the region warm and humid for the rest of the week. Expect a chance of afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms right into the weekend, with the potential for locally heavy rain. A drier air mass will move down from central Canada late this weekend. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/... Diurnal maximum of slow moving scattered showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rain was reached late this afternoon, and cells continue to decrease in coverage and intensity. Heaviest activity currently resides over the NW Mountains and the mid Susquehanna River Valley. Earlier Flash Flood Watch for the Laurel Highlands was cancelled as the air mass has been worked over and only light stratiform rain lingers from earlier convection over southeast Bedford County. The majority of central PA will be dry by 9 pm for fireworks displays, but some activity will linger through late evening, most likely in the aforementioned areas (NW Mountains and portions of the mid Susq River Valley). The light wind will probably keep smoke dispersion poor. Safety notes: Please remember to not be outside (lawn chairs, blankets, boats) when a thunderstorm is visible and even if you can only hear the thunder from a distant storm. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles from where it is raining. A hard-topped vehicle is a good option if you can't get inside a building. Expect fog and low clouds to impact the region overnight as very humid airmass keeps temps very mild. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM FRIDAY/... Friday will be a near repeat, as we remain in a similar airmass. Patchy fog should burn off fairly quickly Friday morning, but it will remain muggy with scattered showers and storms redeveloping in the heat of the day. Temperatures will be seasonably warm, with highs in the low to mid 80s for most locations. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... Saturday will be yet another very warm and muggy day. Heat index values are expected to peak in the mid to upper 90s in the Lower Susquehanna Valley, which is just below heat advisory criteria (100+). Scattered showers and storms will redevelop and, with PWATs remaining near 2", locally heavy downpours are expected. A cold front will push southward across central PA on Sunday, bringing some temporary relief from the very muggy weather. Expect a drying trend early next week, as PWATs actually dip a little below normal for Monday and Tuesday. The humidity will gradually return, however, along with the potential for diurnal convection later next week. && .AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... 00Z TAFS sent. Convection fired up earlier this afternoon with weak south to southeast flow and a very humid airmass in place. It is rather warm aloft, so storms falling apart now. Most of the widespread activity will be across the northeast and northwest part of central PA for another hour or so. Expect fog and lower clouds later tonight. Based timing on trends from last night. For Friday, still looking at a pattern like today. Based convection on timing we had today. For Saturday, the large scale flow opens up more. Thus expect showers and storms to move along more. Earlier discussion below. Model guidance suggests a larger area of MVFR to IFR cigs will develop late tonight into early Friday morning particularly along and east of the Alleghenies. Then numerous showers/tstms return on Fri with similar impacts to today. .Outlook... Sat...AM fog/low cigs. Sct-nmrs PM t-storm impacts. Sun...PM t-storm psbl srn 1/3. Mon...AM fog psbl nrn 1/2. PM t-storm psbl srn 1/4. Tue...No sig wx. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SYNOPSIS...RXR NEAR TERM...DeVoir/RXR SHORT TERM...Evanego LONG TERM...Evanego AVIATION...Martin/RXR
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service State College PA 652 PM EDT Thu Jul 4 2019 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-026>028-035>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-052300- Warren-McKean-Potter-Elk-Cameron-Northern Clinton-Clearfield- Northern Centre-Southern Centre-Huntingdon-Mifflin-Juniata-Fulton- Franklin-Tioga-Northern Lycoming-Sullivan-Southern Clinton- Southern Lycoming-Union-Snyder-Montour-Northumberland-Columbia-Perry- Dauphin-Schuylkill-Lebanon-Cumberland-Adams-York-Lancaster- 652 PM EDT Thu Jul 4 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Scattered thunderstorms with heavy downpours are possible both Friday and again on Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather. PAZ024-025-033-034-052300- Cambria-Blair-Somerset-Bedford- 652 PM EDT Thu Jul 4 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Scattered thunderstorms with heavy downpours are possible both Friday and again on Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service State College PA 410 PM EDT Thu Jul 4 2019 PAZ026-042100- Huntingdon PA- 410 PM EDT Thu Jul 4 2019 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PARTS OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY UNTIL 500 PM EDT... At 409 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated a strong thunderstorm near Rockhill Furnace. This storm was nearly stationary and was producing heavy rainfall. In addition to the heavy rainfall, a wind gust between to 40 mph is possible. Locations impacted include... Three Springs, Saltillo and Shirleysburg. LAT...LON 4024 7807 4032 7799 4031 7786 4018 7795 TIME...MOT...LOC 2009Z 306DEG 3KT 4025 7797 DeVoir
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:25 UTC.
11 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
State Route 62 Flooded North of Tidioute.
Piersol road flooded south of Listie.
Swift water rescue team activated for stranded residents in a Mobile Home Park 1 mile south of Friedens.
Water flowing over multiple roads just south of Littlestown.
Water running over College Mud Road. 4 inches of rainfall estimated.
Stream out of banks and water running over Hulings road.
Significant flooding along small creek near Jones Avenue.
Flooding along William Penn Avenue.
Water Rescue on Cottage Lane along Paint Creek.
Water rushing across Seanor Road between Windber and Hollsopple.
Jackson avenue Flooded and closed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, July 2019
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: 840684, 840716, 840725, 840726, 840739, 847475, 840778, 840779, 840789, 840790, 840808.