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State College, PA

Weather Forecast Office

June 9th, 2006 Pulse Severe Thunderstorms

Weather.gov > State College, PA > June 9th, 2006 Pulse Severe Thunderstorms

Overview

June 9th turned out to be a very busy day - with early reports totalling more than 10 severe events (and many sub- severe hail and wind events) occurring from late morning to the evening.

The wet-bulb zero level of around 6-7kft AGL and freezing level near 8kft (over the higher ground of Central PA vs. KPIT) helped many cells to produce hail early and throughout their lifetimes. The storms were aided by a strong wind profile at all levels - much stronger than the severe pulse storms of May 30th and 31st.

This wind profile eventually lead to more organization to the cells, but as with the events two weeks before, the thunderstorms started out as mainly pulse thunderstorms with short durations/life-spans, fired up by the (modest) heating of the day.

 Image
KCCX 0.5° Reflectivity from 1751z (151PM EDT) with warning box plots and Spotter Storm Reports overlaid. Later in the afternoon, the storms had evolved from scattered cells into a bit of linear/mini-bow-echo organization thanks to the strong NW winds aloft. Many storms produced wind damage and large hail. See two of the reports we received from spotters and law enforcement officials plotted in black (one near Williamsport - A=Hail 0.88=diameter in inches - and another report west of Harrisburg). Current warnings (outlines) are also seen in pink on this picture.
Image Image Image
Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT) morning (12z) SkewT Balloon Sounding Note the strong winds aloft (reaching 55kts by 20kft, and as high as 99kts around 35kft). The Convective Temperature (temperature at which cumulus clouds will start to grow) of 74°F was reched very early in the day. Modest/respectable CAPEs of 600 to 700 J/kg were possible, and were most likely realized by late that morning. Visible Satellite Pic from 1715z (115 PM EDT) with past 15 minutes of Cloud to Ground Lightning Strikes (CGs) overlaid. Note the widespread thunderstorm activity by 1 PM! They started early and lasted into the early evening. KCCX Reflectivity Cross Section from 2044z (444PM EDT) from storm near Williamsport. Note the storm reached up to 28kft or so...with a strong reflectivity core held aloft (strong updraft) in an excellent place for hail generation/growth (above the wet-bulb zero and freezing levels all the way to the top of the storm cell). The storm was also apparently able to tap the 50+kt winds at the top of the storm cell (see SkewT above), and bring them down to the surface, as it blew a couple of trees down in western Lycoming County.

Storm Reports

NWUS51 KCTP 100014 CCA
LSRCTP

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
812 PM EDT FRI JUN 09 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1140 AM     HAIL             MECHANICSBURG           40.21N 77.01W
06/09/2006  E0.88 INCH       CUMBERLAND         PA   PUBLIC

1140 AM     HAIL             NEW CUMBERLAND          40.23N 76.88W
06/09/2006  E0.75 INCH       CUMBERLAND         PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PENNY SIZE HAIL WITH HEAVY RAIN

1200 PM     HAIL             HANOVER                 39.81N 76.98W
06/09/2006  E1.00 INCH       YORK               PA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ATTRIBUTED TO STORM.

1240 PM     HAIL             DILLSBURG               40.11N 77.03W
06/09/2006  E0.25 INCH       YORK               PA   PUBLIC

1245 PM     HAIL             ELIZABETHVILLE          40.55N 76.82W
06/09/2006  E0.50 INCH       DAUPHIN            PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

1250 PM     HAIL             ELIZABETHVILLE          40.55N 76.82W
06/09/2006  M0.88 INCH       DAUPHIN            PA   PUBLIC

0102 PM     HAIL             AUSTIN                  41.64N 78.09W
06/09/2006  E0.25 INCH       POTTER             PA   PUBLIC

0105 PM     HAIL             DOVER                   40.00N 76.85W
06/09/2006  E0.25 INCH       YORK               PA   PUBLIC

            NUMEROUS PEA SIZE HAIL ACCOMPANIED BY WINDS GUSTING TO 50
            MPH.

0115 PM     HAIL             MIDDLEBURG              40.79N 77.05W
06/09/2006  E0.25 INCH       SNYDER             PA   EMERGENCY MNGR

0130 PM     HAIL             MEISERVILLE             40.67N 76.95W
06/09/2006  E0.88 INCH       SNYDER             PA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0135 PM     HAIL             WILLIAMSPORT            41.24N 77.02W
06/09/2006  E0.25 INCH       LYCOMING           PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0140 PM     HAIL             WILLIAMSPORT            41.24N 77.02W
06/09/2006  E0.88 INCH       LYCOMING           PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0149 PM     HAIL             SHIREMANSTOWN           40.22N 76.96W
06/09/2006  E0.50 INCH       CUMBERLAND         PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0152 PM     HAIL             MONTOURSVILLE           41.25N 76.92W
06/09/2006  E0.88 INCH       LYCOMING           PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            HEAVY RAIN OF 3/4 INCH PER HOUR ALSO WINDS GUSTING 35-40
            MPH.

0158 PM     HAIL             MOUNT GRETNA            40.25N 76.47W
06/09/2006  E0.50 INCH       LEBANON            PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0158 PM     HAIL             WEST FAIRVIEW           40.28N 76.92W
06/09/2006  E0.25 INCH       CUMBERLAND         PA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0159 PM     TSTM WND GST     SHIREMANSTOWN           40.22N 76.96W
06/09/2006  E53.00 MPH       CUMBERLAND         PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0200 PM     HAIL             MONTOURSVILLE           41.25N 76.92W
06/09/2006  M0.75 INCH       LYCOMING           PA   PUBLIC

0200 PM     HAIL             JACOBUS                 39.88N 76.71W
06/09/2006  M0.75 INCH       YORK               PA   PUBLIC

0215 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MILLERSBURG             40.54N 76.96W
06/09/2006                   DAUPHIN            PA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TWO TREES KNOCKED DOWN BY STORM.

0230 PM     HAIL             ELIZABETHVILLE          40.55N 76.82W
06/09/2006  E0.75 INCH       DAUPHIN            PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

0244 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MOUNT JOY               40.11N 76.51W
06/09/2006                   LANCASTER          PA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TWO TREES AND WIRES DOWN.

0245 PM     HAIL             YORK                    39.96N 76.73W
06/09/2006  E0.25 INCH       YORK               PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            ALSO HIGH WIND GUSTS BLOWING OVER TRAFFIC BARRICADES

0501 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 E JERSEY SHORE        41.20N 77.17W
06/09/2006                   LYCOMING           PA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE DOWN.

0508 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 SE SALLADASBURG       41.23N 77.16W
06/09/2006                   LYCOMING           PA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREE DOWN.


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KSL
 

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