A warm front lifted northeast across NY/PA/VA just ahead of a line of convection. Dewpoints in the mid-60s to near 70F spread eastward with time and increased in coverage.
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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 warm front lifted northeast across NY/PA/VA just ahead of a line of convection. Dewpoints in the mid-60s to near 70F spread eastward with time and increased in coverage. Strong heating and destabilization occurred in concert with strong deep layer west/southwestly flow. Low-level lapse rates steepened, and southwest wind of 30 to 40 knots was present at the top of the mixed boundary layer, suggested strong damaging winds. Vertical shear supported rotating updrafts for a few supercell structures.
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 May 25, 12:45 PM EST, 30 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 145 PM EDT Sat May 25 2019 .SYNOPSIS... Warm and wet weather will persist through the weekend. Strong to severe storms are possible on both today and Sunday. A cold front will move through by Sunday night, making for a brief break in rain. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening with sufficient instability and increasing upper support. Convection will be scattered at first before becoming more organized late this afternoon and into the evening as a well-defined shortwave (which can be seen in WV imagery and was picked by 12z runs) begins to move in from the west. Convective allowing models (CAMs) have been fairly consistent showing organization into a MCS early this evening. This morning's sounding depicted a favorable sheared environment for all modes of severe weather with support for large hail, damaging downburst winds with high DCAPE values due to a substantial amount of drier air in mid-levels, and potential for tornadic supercells with discreet convection. The tornado threat will increase later in the afternoon as low level hodograph profiles and storm motion becomes more favorable for the ingestion of streamwise vorticity. However...instability may become a limiting factor IF cloud cover from convection earlier this afternoon limits buoyancy later in the day. At this time, it appears as though we should get at least a couple more hours of sun as cloud cover from current activity over SW PA / nrn WV advects moves east. Convection will exit the region to the east by midnight with the trough passage. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Models suggest a weak boundary will stall across the northern portion of the CWA by sunday morning, which may act as an initial focus Sunday afternoon before the arrival of a cold front. Another weak shortwave, embedded in quasi-zonal flow on the northern periphery of southeast CONUS high pressure, will progress through the region late Sunday afternoon. Convection will initiate by mid afternoon as the atmosphere undergoes diurnal destabilization under modest mid-level lapse rates. The frontal boundary will gradually progress southward through the afternoon and evening. Sufficient deep layer shear and lift should promote loosely organized storms moving close to parallel that of the W-E oriented cold front boundary. With such motion, localized heavy rain and flash flooding is certainly possible and will have to be monitored. By late evening, convection will have diminished as ridging and subsidence builds in wake of the shortwave trough. The region will be in a bit of a saddle point in terms of low level flow. With little or no wind and a likely saturated boundary layer, dense fog formation is certainly possible Monday morning. This will be highly dependent on the antecedent convection. Temperatures will fall into the 50s to low 60s by dawn Monday. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Strong southeast CONUS ridging will continue to influence our sensible weather. Warm conditions will continue through the forecast with daily rain chances with each passing shortwave trough on the northern periphery of this high. Models do suggest a longwave pattern change by next weekend. However, the area will likely remain in quasi-zonal flow aloft, with several transient shortwave troughs, and thus, periodic rain chances. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Discrete boundaries and ongoing convection will be the primary lifting mechanisms for thunderstorms this afternoon as heating destabilizes the environment. These isolated thunderstorms could produce brief visibility restrictions due to heavier rain and gusty/erratic winds as dry air aloft helps to create downburst winds. Tonight, a weak shortwave trough will cross the region and provide a more focused lifting mechanism for thunderstorm development. This will result in a line of storms developing around Lake Erie and moving southeast, potentially impacting terminals along and north of I-70. The trough will help cool the temperature profile aloft, making for steeper lapse rates and higher CAPE values ahead of the line, resulting an increased potential for wind gusts in excess of 40kts and significant visibility restrictions in downpours. Storms will advance east southeast with the trough and exit the region by early Sunday morning. MVFR to IFR cig restrictions are expected to develop Sunday morning as moisture advection gets trapped underneath a low level inversion set up by a stationary boundary. Daytime heating will slowly lift the cigs, but additional storms ahead of an advancing cold front may cause restrictions to persist longer. .Outlook... Periodic restrictions due to storms are possible Sunday with conditions improving through Monday. Additional rounds of precipitation is expected after Tuesday. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. OH...None. PA...None. WV...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 447 AM EDT Sat May 25 2019 OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ013-014-020>023-029-031- 073>076-WVZ001>004-260900- Tuscarawas-Carroll-Columbiana-Coshocton-Harrison-Jefferson OH- Muskingum-Guernsey-Belmont-Noble-Monroe-Lawrence-Butler-Beaver- Allegheny-Armstrong-Indiana-Washington-Greene-Westmoreland- Westmoreland Ridges-Fayette-Fayette Ridges-Hancock-Brooke-Ohio- Marshall- 447 AM EDT Sat May 25 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Ohio, southwest Pennsylvania, west central Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and northern panhandle of West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Strong to severe storms are possible this afternoon and evening. Strong and damaging wind gusts, large hail, and tornadoes are all possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Strong to severe storms are possible once again Sunday afternoon. Damaging wind gusts and isolated large hail are possible. Additionally, there is an increased risk of flash flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. MDZ001-WVZ012-021-509>514-260900- Garrett-Wetzel-Marion-Monongalia- Ridges of Eastern Monongalia and Northwestern Preston-Preston- Eastern Preston-Western Tucker-Eastern Tucker- 447 AM EDT Sat May 25 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for western Maryland and northern West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible late Saturday afternoon and evening. This primary threats with the strongest of storms are damaging wind gusts and large hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Strong to severe storms are possible once again Sunday afternoon. Damaging wind gusts and isolated large hail are possible. Additionally, there is an increased risk of flash flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. PAZ007>009-015-016-260900- Mercer-Venango-Forest-Clarion-Jefferson PA- 447 AM EDT Sat May 25 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Pennsylvania and west central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Strong to severe storms are possible this afternoon and evening. Strong and damaging wind gusts, large hail, and tornadoes are all possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Hazardous weather is not expected. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures.
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:13 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A 911 Call Center reported a telephone pole and power lines had been knocked down.
A 911 Call Center reported trees and power lines down.
A 911 Call Center reported wires down, with sparks from the lines igniting a brush fire.
The local fire department reported trees uprooted, and one of the trees fell on a vehicle.
A 911 Call Center reported multiple trees down throughout Beaver County.
The public reported 1 inch hail in this vicinity.
A 911 Call Center reported that trees had been blown down.
A trained spotter reported that trees had been blown down.
A 911 Call Center reported that trees were down in Townsend Park.
A 911 Call Center reported that trees were blown down.
The NWS confirmed an EF1 tornado with winds around 90mph north of Blairsville.
A EF1 tornado started in a open field east of State Route 217|before tearing less than 20% of a roof off a house at the|intersection of State Route 217 and High Rise Road. Several bricks|from a single family home were lodged loose and scattered about |the property. As the tornado tracked east along High Rise road at |least 20 hardwood trees were either snapped, uprooted, or large |branches were taken down. Ontop of that, at least 10 softwood |trees had similar damage of being uprooted, snapped halfway up, or|missing large branches. At the time of the survey, it did not |appear any of the trees landed along nearby homes that flank both|sides of High Point Road. The storm lifted just as it crossed |Lear Road, but not before more tree damage was observed.
An emergency manager reported multiple trees down on roadways and homes.
The Carmichaels Fire Department reported several trees down, which were blocking the roads around the area.
The NWS confirmed an EF0 tornado with winds around 70mph. The tornado touched down near the intersection of Goral Road and Coal Road where three softwood trees were uprooted. The storm continued east and either knocked down large branches off |hardwood trees or uproot dead softwood trees. At least ten trees sustained damage.
A local citizen reported that trees had been blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Pennsylvania, 2019Warnings in Pennsylvania, May 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: 824276, 824277, 824270, 824282, 824269, 824268, 824271, 824272, 824273, 824274, 824280, 824278, 824275, 824281, 824279.