The combination of diurnal heating, strong subsidence, and a strong vertical wind profile with a crossing trough created strong wind gusts across the region on the afternoon of February 21st.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
The combination of diurnal heating, strong subsidence, and a strong vertical wind profile with a crossing trough created strong wind gusts across the region on the afternoon of February 21st.
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 Feb 21, 12:52 PM EST, 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 1252 PM EST Tue Feb 21 2023 .SYNOPSIS... Periods of rain and windy conditions are expected through the week with passing areas of low pressure, with the bulk of the rain falling Wednesday. Strong warming starting Wednesday afternoon will create high probabilities for record high temperature Thursday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... A broken line of showers will shift east of the region ahead of a passing cold front and upper shortwave trough, as dry advection and subsidence foster dry conditions. Gusty to strong wind is expected through the early evening given steep lapse rates and rapid pressure rises post frontal passage. Gusts out of the west will reach 30 to 40 mph for most areas with up to 50 mph possible in the higher terrain of the Laurel Highlands into WV. A Wind Advisory remains in effect for these terrain locations through 7pm. Sfc decoupling and easing of pressure gradients is expected to diminish gusty conditions tonight. Brief clearing plus weak cold advection will be somewhat offset by increasing cloud cover amid moist advection ahead of the next low pressure system. Resultant low temperature will be around 5 degrees above seasonal averages. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... One of two expected low pressure systems will track from the Central Plains northeast toward the western Great Lakes Wednesday under a broad trough. An exiting shortwave associated with this sfc low will promote lifting of a warm front Wednesday morning, with each aiding in promoting precipitation production ahead of the sfc boundary. Strong warm advection associated with this feature and later morning timing should result in precipitation type being all rain. However, a very brief period of mix precipitation (most likely in the form of freezing rain) can't be ruled out until the warm air heats sfc temperature above freezing. Impacts are likely minimal given short duration of an potential wintry mix, lack of prior cold air mass (warm road temps), and lack of feature to reinforce sfc cold air. Temperature is expected to continue to rise or hold steady Wednesday night as the region sits within the warm sector of the low. The weather system will undergo a change in forcing as a second sfc low and upper shortwave lift northeast overnight in a similar path to the first low. This may promote a brief period of showers may develop overnight into Thursday with a weak sfc trough passage and vort advection. Otherwise, the focus will turn to a dry, warm, and gusty wind day Thursday. As the low remains to the northwest, the Upper Ohio River Valley will experience a tightening sfc gradient and deep mixing fostered by strong sfc warm advection. Given low level jet strength, gusts approaching or exceeding Wind Advisory criteria will be possible, with high confidence of exceedance in the higher terrain. This mixing and warm advection will also combine with enough sunshine to create likely high record temperature across the region. See climate section below for details on current forecasts compared to climate site records. The mostly precipitation free cold front will cross the region Thursday night as the second low and shortwave trough move from the western Great Lakes to the northeast U.S. Expect rapidly falling temperature and continuation of westerly gusty winds. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... High pressure will build in from the west Friday underneath quasi-zonal flow aloft. Remnant sfc pressure gradient will continue gusty winds, though to lesser speeds than Thursday. Cold advection will drop area temperature below seasonal averages on Friday. Ensembles suggest potential for weak shortwaves to cross the region within the zonal flow that could promote periods of light precipitation. Some temperature moderation should raise temperature back to near if slightly above normal heading into the next week. There appears to be high confidence in another Colorado-low track early next week, lifting towards the Great Lakes. The Upper Ohio River Valley will likely be within the southeast sector of the low, meaning rain and above normal temperature until the cold front passes. && .AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Predominant VFR today. Wind gusts from the SW will veer to the West this afternoon, gusting to 30 mph. Wind will subside when the sun sets. Rain and MVFR will move in by mid-morning on Wednesday. .OUTLOOK... Widespread restrictions are likely again on Wednesday with steady rain and low clouds associated with the passage of a warm front. Elevated wind gusts are expected Thursday. && .CLIMATE... Record or near record high temperatures are expected Thursday. Below are the records for Feb 23rd, and the forecast highs. Station...Record/Year...Forecast High PIT 70/1922 72 ZZV 71/2017 73 MGW 76/1922 72 DUJ 63/2017 66 HLG 69/2017 72 PHD 69/2017 71 && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...Wind Advisory until 7 PM EST this evening for PAZ074-076. OH...None. WV...Wind Advisory until 7 PM EST this evening for WVZ510>514. && SYNOPSIS...50 NEAR TERM...50 SHORT TERM...50 LONG TERM...50 AVIATION...89 CLIMATE...
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 332 AM EST Tue Feb 21 2023 PAZ074-076-WVZ510>514-220845- Higher Elevations of Westmoreland-Higher Elevations of Fayette- Ridges of Eastern Monongalia and Northwestern Preston-Preston- Eastern Preston-Western Tucker-Eastern Tucker- 332 AM EST Tue Feb 21 2023 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Wind Advisory. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Wind gusts from 40 to 50 mph are possible again Thursday. A Wind Advisory may be needed. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-029- 031-073-075-WVZ001>004-012-021-509-220845- Tuscarawas-Carroll-Columbiana-Coshocton-Harrison-Jefferson OH- Muskingum-Guernsey-Belmont-Noble-Monroe-Mercer-Venango-Forest- Lawrence-Butler-Clarion-Jefferson PA-Beaver-Allegheny-Armstrong- Indiana-Washington-Greene-Westmoreland-Fayette-Hancock-Brooke-Ohio- Marshall-Wetzel-Marion-Monongalia- 332 AM EST Tue Feb 21 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Wind gusts from 35 to 45 mph are expected this afternoon. Brief, locally higher gusts are possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Wind gusts from 40 to 50 mph are possible Thursday. A Wind Advisory may be needed. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. WM
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong wind gusts, between 50 and 55mph, were measured at the Allegheny County Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport the afternoon of February 21st.
A 47mph wind gust was measured at Beaver Falls Airport on the afternoon of February 21st.
A 49mph wind gust was measured at the Butler County Airport on the afternoon of February 21st.
A strong wind gust of 46mph was measured at the DuBois Airport on the afternoon of February 21st.
A strong wind gust of 47mph was measured at the Washington County Airport on the afternoon of February 21st.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, February 2023
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: 1082070, 1082071, 1082072, 1082073, 1082075.