Hail and Lightning Strike in Pennsylvania, April 15, 2023

Name: Hail and Lightning Strike in Pennsylvania, April 15, 2023
Start: 2023-04-15T11:58
End: 2023-04-15T16:10
Location: Pennsylvania

April 15, 2023 · NWS PHI · 6 events in 4 counties and zones

A closed upper level low lifted north just to the west of our region, bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few severe storms produced damaging winds and small to medium sized hail.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.

A closed upper level low lifted north just to the west of our region, bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few severe storms produced damaging winds and small to medium sized hail.

What forecasters said that day

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 Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 14, 6:54 PM EST, 17 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 14, 6:54 PM EST, 17 hours 4 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 14, 3:50 PM EST, 20 hours 8 minutes before

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The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Northampton

When: April 15, 11:58 AM EST
Where: Northampton County, Bethlehem
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.630, -75.380

Trained Spotter reported nickel-sized hail.

Lightning, Chester

When: April 15, 2:09 PM EST
Where: Chester County, 2.14 mi SSW of Parkesburg
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 39.940, -75.910

Pennsylvania State police reported that lightning struck a tree, causing a large branch to fall on a vehicle on Limestone Road just north of Highland Road in Highland Township, PA. Time estimated via radar.

Hail, Bucks

When: April 15, 2:10 PM EST
Where: Bucks County, Lahaska
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.350, -75.030

Trained spotter reported dime-sized hail. Time estimated via radar.

Hail, Lehigh

When: April 15, 3:20 PM EST
Where: Lehigh County, 1.38 mi S of Breinigsville
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.510, -75.630

Report from Mping. Time given in report.

Hail, Lehigh

When: April 15, 3:43 PM EST
Where: Lehigh County, 0.87 mi SW of Alburtis
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.510, -75.610

Report from Mping. Time given in report.

Hail, Bucks

When: April 15, 4:10 PM EST
Where: Bucks County, Bon Air
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.200, -75.080

Trained spotter reported penny sized hail. Time given in report.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Lightning, Chester	2023-04-15			Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, April 2023

Sources

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: 1091142, 1091143, 1091144, 1091145, 1091146, 1091147.