Two Tornadoes Plus a Very Rare Waterspout in Huntingdon County

Two more tornadoes have been confirmed in Huntingdon County.  Both occurred with the same storm that pushed through on Friday afternoon, May 27th.  The storm spawned a tornado near Trough Creek in Huntingdon County around 5:10pm and then another tornado from the same storm touched down near Calvin around 5:30pm.

The storm tracked very close to Raystown Lake, and there was even a rare waterspout reported over the lake.  The type of waterspout that formed there is essentially a tornado over water that forms from a severe thunderstorm.  There is another type of waterspout that forms in fair weather, especially in more tropical places like South Florida.  If you are interested in reading more about waterspouts, the National Weather Service out of Miami has a great page on them:  http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mfl/?n=waterspouts

Waterspouts are extremely rare around here because we don't have many bodies of water, although they do occur occasionally across the Great Lakes.  Aside from the waterspouts that form along Lake Erie in northwestern PA, they are extremely rare in Pennsylvania.

Here are the reports from the tornadoes and a small write-up on the waterspout.

--Meteorologist Brian Thompson 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR TROUGH CREEK IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA...

LOCATION...TROUGH CREEK IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA
DATE...5/27/11
ESTIMATED TIME...510 PM EDT
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF1
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...100 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...300 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...3 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...TBD
ENDING LAT/LON...TBD
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.

...SUMMARY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS CONFIRMED A
TORNADO NEAR TROUGH CREEK IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA ON
5/27/11.

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED A TORNADO FROM
THE STORMS OF MAY 27 ALONG LITTLE VALLEY ROAD NEAR THE TROUGH
CREEK WILD AREA OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 1
MILE NORTH OF MIDDLETOWN JUST WEST OF LITTLE VALLEY ROAD... AND
TRACKED EAST NORTHEAST FOR ABOUT 3 MILES TO A FINAL LOCATION
AROUND 4 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF MIDDLETOWN...ALSO TO THE WEST OF
LITTLE VALLEY ROAD.

DAMAGE WAS LIMITED MAINLY TO TREES...WHILE A FEW CABINS SUSTAINED
MINOR DAMAGE TO DECKS DUE TO FALLEN TREES. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS
OF 95 TO 100 MPH RATE THIS AN EF1 TORNADO ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA
SCALE.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR CALVIN IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA...

LOCATION...CALVIN IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA
DATE...5/27/11
ESTIMATED TIME...530 PM EDT
MAXIMUM EF- SCALE RATING...EF1
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...95 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...100 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...2 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...TBD
ENDING LAT/LON...TBD
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.

...SUMMARY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS CONFIRMED A
TORNADO NEAR CALVIN IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA ON 5/27/11.

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED A TORNADO NEAR
CALVIN IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY FROM A STORM ON FRIDAY EVENING...MAY 27.
THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ONE MILE SOUTH OF CALVIN AROUND 530 PM EDT...
AND TRACKED NNE APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES BEFORE LIFTING ONE MILE
NORTH OF CALVIN. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH RAN PARALLEL TO STATE
ROUTE 829...AND CONSISTED MOSTLY OF TREE DAMAGE. 50 TREES WERE
EITHER SNAPPED OR UPROOTED...AND THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE DECK
OF ONE HOUSE.

----------------------------------------------------------------

...WATERSPOUT ON RAYSTOWN LAKE...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS CONFIRMED THAT A
WATERSPOUT OCCURRED ON RAYSTOWN LAKE AROUND 530 PM FRIDAY MAY 27TH.
WITNESSES SAY THE WATERSPOUT FORMED ON THE LAKE NEAR SEVEN POINTS
MARINA. THE WATERSPOUT DISSIPATED IMMEDIATELY AS IT CAME
ONSHORE...KNOCKING DOWN ONE TREE ONTO A CAMPER VEHICLE. THERE WERE
NO INJURIES.

NOAA Issues 2011 Hurricane Forecast

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) put out their seasonal outlook for tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin.  They are forecasting an above-average season, which lasts from June 1st through November 30th.  The forecast is for:

• 12 to 18 named storms (normal is 11)
• 6 to 10 hurricanes (normal is 6)
• 3 to 6 major hurricanes (normal is 2)

* A major hurricane is a Category 3 or higher storm, meaning winds are greater than 111 MPH.

This may come as a surprise, but we are coming off of a very active hurricane season last year.  Here are the specifics from last year:

• 19 named storms
• 11 hurricanes
• 5 major hurricanes (Danielle, Earl, Igor, Julia and Karl)

The reason that it seemed like a quiet hurricane season is that the United States fared quite well given how many storms there were.  Despite there being 11 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes, none of them made landfall along the United States, although a couple of those 11 hurricanes did bring some high surf to parts of the U.S. coastline.  Only two tropical storms made landfall along the U.S. coast during the 2010 season.

Other areas were not as lucky, as parts of the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America saw a number of tropical storms and hurricanes make landfall.  Hurricane Karl was the most destructive tropical cyclone to impact the state of Veracruz in Mexico, causing over $5 billion in damage.  Hurricane Alex and Tropical Storm Matthew both caused over a billion dollars in damage across parts of Mexico and Central America.

Hurricane Igor also made headlines in September as it came close to making a direct hit on Bermuda.  Despite many fears, damage on the island was much less than expected.  The storm then raced northeastward and lost its tropical characteristics, but still packed a punch as some called it the worst to ever hit the Canadian province of Newfoundland, causing $200 million in damage.  Flooding from the storm even washed out a portion of the Trans-Canada Highway.

--Meteorologist Brian Thompson

NOAA National April Recap

NOAA: Weather, climate extremes punctuate warm, very wet April in U.S.

April U.S. temperature ranked 39th warmest, precipitation ranked 10th wettest

Historic flooding, a record-breaking tornado outbreak and devastating wildfire activity made April 2011 a month of historic climate extremes across much of the United States, according to scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Asheville, N.C.

The average U.S. temperature in April was 52.9 degrees F, which is 0.9 degrees F above the long-term (1901-2000) average. April precipitation was 0.7 inches above the long-term average, the 10th wettest April on record. This monthly analysis, based on records dating back to 1895, is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides.

U.S. Climate Highlights – April

· Fueled by record-setting precipitation totals, historic and near-historic flooding occurred throughout the Midwest and Ohio Valley, from the smallest streams to the largest rivers. The Ohio Valley region had its wettest April on record and it was the second wettest for the Northeast. Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania each had their wettest April since 1895. An average of 11.88 inches of precipitation fell across Kentucky, nearly three times its long-term average, breaking the previous record (7.61 inches in 1972) by more than four inches.

· Nationally, the overall drought footprint across the contiguous U.S. remained above average, but decreased slightly from the beginning of the month to approximately 22 percent. The area of the country affected by the two most intense drought categories (D3, Extreme and D4, Exceptional) has increased for 10 consecutive weeks. Much of this very intense drought is focused in the Southern Plains and Southern Rockies.

· In Texas, drought intensified making it the fifth driest April on record. The U.S. Drought Monitor classified 94 percent of the state as “Severe” (the D2 category) to “Exceptional” (D4, the most intense designation) drought.

· Prime wildfire conditions prevailed across portions of the Southern Plains and a record breaking 1.79 million acres burned across the country in April. Texas, where over 2.2 million acres have burned since January, again bore the brunt of the wildfire activity.

· Several violent tornado outbreaks impacted the country during April. According to data from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, the number of confirmed tornadoes for the month may approach the previous all time monthly record of 542 tornadoes which struck the U.S. in May 2003.

· Much of the southern and eastern U.S. experienced above-normal warmth in April. Based on preliminary data, Delaware had its warmest such month on record. It was the fourth warmest April for Virginia and the fifth warmest for Texas. Other states with much above normal warmth include: Florida and Louisiana (seventh warmest), New Mexico and West Virginia (eighth), New Jersey (ninth) and Maryland (10th).

· The Northwest was much cooler than normal during April. Washington State (second coolest, five degrees F below their long-term average), Oregon (fifth coolest) and Idaho (10th coolest) were all much cooler than normal.

U.S. Climate Highlights

February – April

· The Northeast and Ohio Valley regions had its wettest February-April period on record. Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania set precipitation records. Other states with much-above-average precipitation for the period were: West Virginia (second wettest), Illinois and Vermont (third), Michigan (fifth), Missouri (sixth), and Washington (ninth).

· Exceptionally dry conditions have parched the soil and vegetation in Texas, which has recorded precipitation of just 1.68 inches on average across the state since Feb. 1. This is the driest February-April period on record for Texas, nearly an inch less than the previous record (2.56 inches, February-April 1996). Also much drier than normal were New Mexico (seventh driest) and Louisiana (eighth driest).

· Temperatures during the February-April period, when averaged across the nation, were near the 20th century average. However, the Northwest was cooler than normal, while the South and East coasts were above- to much-above normal.

· According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, La Niña conditions continued through April 2011 and are expected to transition to neutral conditions by early summer. The February-April U.S. temperature and precipitation patterns were largely consistent with those commonly associated with an early spring La Niña episode.

Previous 12 months

· The rolling 12-month (May 2010-April 2011) period shows record wetness for Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin which has contributed to flooding along rivers and streams in that region. The Great Lakes region had its wettest such period and it was much above normal in the Northeast, Central, Upper Great Plains, Northern Rockies and Northwest.

· Above average warmth has occupied much of the nation during the 12-month period. Only the Northwest has experienced average temperatures that were below the 20th century average.

Year-to-Date Period

· The year-to-date January-April period average precipitation has been above- to much-above normal across the northern tier of the country. Record precipitation averages in New York and Pennsylvania contrasted with the third driest such periods in Texas and New Mexico.

Huntingdon County Tornado One of Six in the State

The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in the early morning hours Thursday near Broad Top City, here is the full report from the National Weather Service.

Location...Broad Top City, Huntingdon County

Date...Thursday, April 28, 2011

Estimated time...2:30 am

Maximum EF-scale rating...EF1

Estimated maximum wind speed...90 MPH

Maximum path width...50 yards

Path length...4 miles

Fatalities...0

Injuries...0

The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event(s) and publication in NWS storm data.

Summary:

The National Weather Service in State College has confirmed that a tornado occurred in and near Broad Top City in southern Huntingdon County during the early morning hours of April 28^th, 2011.

The weak tornado first produced damage in Broad Top City, including a tree that fell on a house. The tornado skipped along An eastward path toward the intersection of State Route 3019 and

Route 994. Many pine trees were uprooted along the path of the tornado, and two houses sustained minor damage. Eyewitnesses were able to place the time of the tornado between 2:30am and 2:35am on the 28th.

The damage that was observed was consistent with a maximum wind speed of 85 to 90 mph.  Therefore,the tornado has been classified in the lower-end of the EF1 rating on the Enhanced

Fujita scale.

For reference...the enhanced fujita scale classifies tornadoes into

The following categories:

EF0...Wind speeds 65 to 85 mph.

EF1...Wind speeds 86 to 110 mph.

EF2...Wind speeds 111 to 135 mph.

EF3...Wind speeds 136 to 165 mph.

EF4...Wind speeds 166 to 200 mph.

EF5...Wind speeds greater than 200 mph

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The Huntingdon County tornado was one of six that touched down Thursday morning in the state.  While that is a far cry from what happened down across the south, it was a pretty impressive outbreak by PA standards.  In addition to the tornado in Huntingdon County, an EF0 tornado touched down in Juniata County.  Two EF2 twisters touched down in York and Lebanon counties (south and east of Harrisburg), causing damage at the Roundtop Ski Area in York County.  Another EF1 touched down in Lebanon County and there was a confirmed EF0 tornado in Susquehanna County in far Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Two EF2 twisters in Pennsylvania during the same outbreak is impressive, but probably the most impressive thing about this outbreak was the time the storms occurred.  All of the tornadoes occurred between 2:00am and 8:00am, which is one of the most stable times of the day when very few tornadoes occur.  We had the perfect combination of warm, humid air at the surface (even at 2 or 3 in the morning) and wind shear, which is the changing of wind direction with height.  That shear helps the stronger storms rotate.  When storms rotate, tornadoes can form.

We're entering the month of May, which is one of the peak months for tornadoes in Pennsylvania.  Remember that we're Your Weather Authority for severe weather on-air and online throughout the severe weather season.

--Meteorologist Brian Thompson

Tornado Moves Right Over St. Louis Airport

While I was sitting here at work Friday night, I was watching some of the live coverage of severe weather going on from our CBS affiliate in St. Louis.  I never anticipated seeing and hearing the kind of damage that occurred.  Not long after 8:00pm, the tower observer at Lambert Airport just outside of St. Louis put a funnel cloud in his observations.  I have only seen a funnel cloud reported in airport obs a couple of times, so this was pretty remarkable.  Here are the obs from 7-10pm - notice the +FC in the middle.  That indicates that the observer is seeing a funnel cloud.

The storm passed, but it wasn't until a few minutes later that the scope of the damage at the airport was realized.  One of the first photos to come out of the airport showed this shuttle van dangling off of the edge of the parking garage:

And then today, we saw surveillance camera images during the storm.  Here is what it looked like when the tornado hit in one part of the airport.  This is from KMOV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis:


Amazingly, no one died as a result of the tornadoes in Missouri.  That is a tribute to the ample warning time given for the storms and everyone's efforts to get in a safe location as the storm passed.  This is why we always say to get into a basement or interior room away from windows when a tornado warning is issued.  Pennsylvania is not a place that sees a lot of tornadoes, but you always need to take a warning issued for your area seriously.  Just ask the people in Missouri who stayed safe from the tornadoes because they did heed the warnings.

It is worth mentioning that we are heading into peak tornado season in Pennsylvania, which runs from May through July.

--Meteorologist Brian Thompson

Enjoying the Ride Yet?

It's funny how spring works in Central Pennsylvania.  It truly feels like the transition season, even more than fall does.  I think it's because many are looking forward to the warmer weather and we're constantly getting teased by some sunny, warm afternoons...followed by snow a few days later.  Take this week - we started out near 70 degrees on Monday then some thunderstorms knocked us back down and we've had a chilly few days with even some snow across the higher terrain.  Today is just a miserable day with clouds and a cool rain, but April showers bring May flowers after all, don't they?  And I suspect some of you will venture out into the garden Sunday and Monday, as temperatures top out in the 70s and even the 80s in some spots on Monday. 

Even the best spring seasons can be rough at times.  Take last year, which really wasn't bad at all.  As Joe blogged about earlier in the week, we had some plenty of warm days, including record highs of 85 and 84 on April 6th and 7th.  We didn't see many harsh cold shots or much snow in March or April, which is rare around here.  The surprise?  It didn't come until May 11th, when many areas picked up snowflakes and some places even saw a coating of snow. 

--Meteorologist Brian Thompson

The Good Ol' Days of Spring 2010

If you think that this March and early April is a lot colder than last year; it's not you. A quick comparison between highlight days (temps reaching above 60) shows that there is a big difference between the two years.

March through today March through April 5, 2010

Days reaching above 60 5 14

Days reaching above 70 1 6


So which one is the abnormality? We would love to think that it is this year. But the truth is that last year was the more rare event. This spring temperatures are averaging less than a degree below the long term average. Last year we were over 4 degrees above average through this date. It truly was one of the more memorable springs that I can remember. Makes you long for the good old days of the spring of 2010.

Japan Nuclear Crisis

Have you wondered about the environmental effects of the Japan Nuclear reactor damage?  I certainly have.  Here's a link from an interesting article I found from National Geographic.  Any thoughts on the subject??
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110331-japan-radiation-health-mutations-nuclear-animals-ocean-science-world/

Regina Miller