Severe (D2) drought conditions continued through the month of September 2024 across portions of south-central Pennsylvania, including Somerset County, far southern Cambria County, and southwestern Bedford County.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 CTP wrote it up.
Severe (D2) drought conditions continued through the month of September 2024 across portions of south-central Pennsylvania, including Somerset County, far southern Cambria County, and southwestern Bedford County.
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 Aug 31, 10:15 PM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 1115 PM EDT Sat Aug 31 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A slow moving cold front will sag south across the region late tonight into part of Sunday. A second cold front will sweep south across the areas Sunday evening. High pressure will then build over the state, drying out the weather for most of next week. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY MORNING/... 03Z surface analysis places a slow-moving cold front from Elk to Tioga County. The parent shortwave and best large scale forcing will be passing well north of the region tonight and a cooling/stabilizing boundary layer should result in continued dwindling of remaining convection overnight in both intensity and coverage. The best chance of an additional shower overnight based on upstream radar returns will be over the Laurel Highlands. Across the rest of the forecast area, can't rule out a late night shower, as the front sags slowly into Southern PA by dawn, but POPs are <30pct. Wet ground, light wind and partial clearing behind the front should result in fairly widespread valley fog later tonight across the N Mtns. Further south, any fog should be patchy, due to lingering cloud cover associated with the front. Anomalous PWATs and cloud cover ahead of the front will translate to another warm and muggy night for much of the region with lows in the mid to upper 60s. Better radiational cooling behind the front should allow temps to bottom out in the upper 50s near the NY border. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY/... The cold front is progged to effectively stall out over Southern PA Sunday morning, then slide south of the region late in the day ahead of a deepening upstream trough. Widely scattered convection may fire along the front as convective temps are reached around midday, mainly south and east of I-81. Deep layer shear is progged to be fairly weak, but 12Z HREF indicates enough instability to support the potential of a strong to severe storm in a few locations during early to mid afternoon. Much drier air arriving behind the exiting front should result in mostly sunny skies over the bulk of Central PA by Sunday afternoon. GEFS 2m temp anomalies support high temps a bit above average, with max readings ranging from the upper 70s over the highest terrain of the Alleghenies, to the mid 80s in the Susq Valley. A secondary cold front associated with the upstream trough is progged to push into the NW Mtns Sunday evening, perhaps accompanied by a brief shower. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... All medium range guidance supports fair and cool weather for the first half of next week, as high pressure builds over PA. Calm wind and clear skies under the high should result in efficient radiational cooling and min temps a bit below NBM guidance, along with AM valley fog in the deep river/stream valleys of the Alleghenies. Moderating temps are expected the second half of the week, as the high slips off of the East Coast and a return southerly flow develops. A cold front will push into the region late Friday or Saturday, accompanied by our next chance of showers or tstorms. && .AVIATION /03Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Convection is waning as we move into the mid evening hours with lingering stratiform rain across the southern half of Pennsylvania. Flight categories range from VFR across the north to MVFR across the southern third. Short range, high resolution models decrease the precipitation overnight with a medium confidence (50-70%) of LIFR or IFR conditions in FG where it rained, or IFR ceilings where little rain fell this afternoon. A cold front will push to the PA/MD border by sunrise with a secondary push of cooler air later Sunday. This may result in -SHRA/VCTS across the far southern areas later in the day. Outlook... Mon-Wed...VFR w/ no sig wx expected. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SYNOPSIS...Dangelo NEAR TERM...Fitzgerald SHORT TERM...Fitzgerald LONG TERM...Fitzgerald AVIATION...Tyburski
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service State College PA 1130 PM EDT Sat Aug 31 2024 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024-025-033-037-041-042-045-046-020330- Warren-McKean-Potter-Elk-Cameron-Northern Clinton-Clearfield- Northern Centre-Southern Centre-Cambria-Blair-Somerset-Tioga- Northern Lycoming-Sullivan-Southern Clinton-Southern Lycoming- 1130 PM EDT Sat Aug 31 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. PAZ026>028-034>036-049>053-056>059-063>066-020330- Huntingdon-Mifflin-Juniata-Bedford-Fulton-Franklin-Union-Snyder- Montour-Northumberland-Columbia-Perry-Dauphin-Schuylkill-Lebanon- Cumberland-Adams-York-Lancaster- 1130 PM EDT Sat Aug 31 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Strong to severe thunderstorms with gusty winds and small hail are possible in a few spots Sunday afternoon, mainly southeast of Interstate 81. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) drought conditions continued across southwestern Bedford County through the month of September 2024.
Severe (D2) drought conditions continued across far southern Cambria County through the month of September 2024.
Severe (D2) drought conditions continued across Somerset County through the month of September 2024.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, September 2024
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: 1215949, 1215950, 1215951.