A surface cold front across eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania in an environment with ample low-level shear and sufficient instability continued tracking into portions of west-central Pennsylvania during the late afternoon and early evening hours of March 7, 2026. A couple of isolated cells on the northern and southern portions of the line continued to push near-severe limits within the…
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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 CTP wrote it up.
A surface cold front across eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania in an environment with ample low-level shear and sufficient instability continued tracking into portions of west-central Pennsylvania during the late afternoon and early evening hours of March 7, 2026. A couple of isolated cells on the northern and southern portions of the line continued to push near-severe limits within the remaining favorable environment before moving into the more stable air of central and eastern Pennsylvania near sunset with the line rapidly falling apart east of the Interstate 99 corridor. This line of thunderstorms produced multiple instances of tree damage in Clearfield 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 Mar 7, 1:32 PM EST, 3 hours 58 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 132 PM EST Sat Mar 7 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... * Tornado Watch in effect until 8PM tonight for western PA. * Updated timing details for line of strong to severe storms. * Additional details about next chance for severe weather & gusty winds on Wednesday of next week. && .KEY MESSAGES... 1) 1st severe thunderstorm risk of 2026 focused over western Pennsylvania later this afternoon/evening 2) Significant early springtime warm-up expected into Wednesday followed by late week cooling trend && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1: 1st severe thunderstorm risk of 2026 focused over western Pennsylvania later this afternoon/evening The first severe T-storm risk that includes a portion of CPA in 2026 remains on track for later this afternoon and evening. The primary threat area and greatest categorical risk (level 2 out of 5) will be focused from the Upper Ohio Valley into western PA with the eastern extent reaching the I-99 corridor. A Tornado Watch is in effect until 8PM for locations west of I-99 and along US-219. While it's possible that storms could extend farther to the east, the odds of them reaching severe limits drops off substantially given the anticipated low level stability associated with the persistent cool wedge that has been in place over east-central PA for the past few days. As of 130PM, the conditions vary considerably from west to east with temperatures in the 70s and dewpoints in the 50s west of I-99 and only in the 40s (temps) and 30s (dewpoints) along and east of the US-15 corridor. The kinematic/wind shear profiles forecast over western PA (west of US-219) later today are quite strong for this time of year. In particular, the low level shear accentuated near or along a warm front could support a few supercells with attendant tornado risk in advance of a cold front reaching northwest OH by 00Z. SPC made a noteworthy and incrementally higher adjustment to the tornado probability (2% to 5%) and included a newly rolled-out conditional intensity level hatching within the 5% tor prob. For tornadoes, this essentially translates to IF a tornado occurs, it has greater-than-climo potential to reach EF2+ intensity. This helps to contextualize a reasonable max tornado intensity based on the environment and storm mode. Otherwise, a linear convective mode is favored with a potential line of strong to severe storms ahead of the aforementioned cold front capable of damaging winds. Storms will get into northwest PA between 3PM and 5PM and then move eastward into the evening. They will be along the I-99 corridor between 6 and 8PM and then weaken as they approach the Lower Susquehanna Valley into the evening. KEY MESSAGE 2: Significant early springtime warm-up expected into Wednesday followed by late week cooling trend Cool wedge pattern finally breaks down and allows for a significant springtime warming from Sunday into the middle of next week. Frontal showers exit the area Sunday morning with rain-free conditions likely holding into Tuesday. Dry and breezy conditions on Monday could lead to the first elevated risk of rapid wildfire spread for the year, especially across southeast PA where less rain is expected over the next 36 hours. Southwest flow builds by Tuesday, with a surge in temperatures and dewpoints anticipated. April to May- like max/min temps fcst +20-30 degrees above the historical average will challenge daily records in some areas Tue/Wed. A cold front will sweep through on Wednesday and Thursday as an upper trough becomes negatively tilted. This will bring a threat for severe weather on Wednesday, with a Slight Risk of severe weather highlighted by SPC across northwest PA. As the base of the trough swings through, a sharp temperature drop in the wake of a cold front will result in a changeover to snow overnight into Thursday. Gusty winds will also accompany the system, with gusty southwest winds ahead of it and brisk northwest winds behind it. Then, we'll see a late week cooling trend back to near/slightly below normal climo. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Skies trying to clear at the office here, but most of the area east of the far western areas like BFD and JST still low CIGS. Timing of showers and storms still similar to what the 12Z TAF package had. Far eastern areas not real likely to have thunder, thus will keep out of the fcst for now. Better conditions setting in for Sunday, as high pressure builds into the area. Earlier information below. The cold frontal boundary will barge its way across the state through the afternoon and evening hours. Strong thunderstorms over western Pennsylvania early in the afternoon will diminish as they ride over top of the aforementioned low level cold air still generally trapped in the valleys over the central and east. Outlook... Mon...A dry day with mainly VFR conditions. Tue...Mainly dry again, with showers possible later in the day. Wed...Restrictions likely in showers. Thu...Windy and colder. Rain and snow showers. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... A Tornado Watch is in effect for Western PA until 8PM Saturday. && WHAT HAS CHANGED...Banghoff KEY MESSAGES...Steinbugl/Banghoff DISCUSSION...Steinbugl/Banghoff AVIATION...Martin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service State College PA 144 PM EST Sat Mar 7 2026 PAZ027-028-035>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059-063>066-081845- 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- 144 PM EST Sat Mar 7 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Strong thunderstorms with gusty winds are possible this evening into early tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather. PAZ012-018-019-025-026-034-081845- Northern Clinton-Northern Centre-Southern Centre-Blair-Huntingdon- Bedford- 144 PM EST Sat Mar 7 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Strong to severe thunderstorms with damaging winds are possible later this afternoon into the evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather. PAZ005-006-010-011-017-024-033-081845- McKean-Potter-Elk-Cameron-Clearfield-Cambria-Somerset- 144 PM EST Sat Mar 7 2026 ...TORNADO WATCH 25 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov/StateCollege on the internet for more information about the following hazards. Tornado Watch. Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds are possible this afternoon into the early evening. An isolated tornado is also possible and if one occurs, it could be strong. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Severe thunderstorms are possible again on Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather. PAZ004-081845- Warren- 144 PM EST Sat Mar 7 2026 ...TORNADO WATCH 25 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov/StateCollege on the internet for more information about the following hazards. Tornado Watch. Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds are possible this afternoon into the early evening. An isolated tornado is also possible and if one occurs, it could be strong. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Severe thunderstorms are possible again on Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant hazardous weather.
The State College radar (KCCX), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:30 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked down multiple trees between Luthersburg and Rockton.
A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked down multiple trees between Burnside Borough and Lumber City.
A line of severe thunderstorms producing wind gusts estimated at 60 mph knocked multiple trees down across Jordan Township.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, March 2026
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: 1317455, 1317456, 1317457.