Central PA Spring 2026 Discussion/Obs Thread

[Itstrainingtime]

Schools dismissing early in Adams/York counties will have students out and about in the middle of this first line I'm afraid. 

[Yardstickgozinya]

22 minutes ago, Itstrainingtime said:

Line of storms with a history of TOR warnings is racing into the SW portion of our area now and moving quickly 

There is some surface Cape (3cape) of 50kjg out ahead of it, but luckily still no surface velocity. 50kjg 3 cape isn't much, but it is enough to spin up something small, especially if there's some enhanced surface velocity present. The carolinas are starting to show some week overlapping, 

[WmsptWx]

First round just went overhead here. A little beneficial rain. Yawn. 

[canderson]

For watch specifically mentions widespread gusts of 80+ mph. 

Have our safe space ready. 

[Mount Joy Snowman]

2 minutes ago, Itstrainingtime said:

Schools dismissing early in Adams/York counties will have students out and about in the middle of this first line I'm afraid. 

Yeah, I'm not quite sure what the logic is there, and the main gust front isn't until much later in the evening.  It's all pretty random as to timing/location of discrete cells this afternoon so just run the school day as normal.  I'm also a bit of a hardliner with school closings/dismissals and think we've gotten way too liberal with how often they are handed out.  The virtual learning days are an absolute joke as well.  Just one man's opinion.

[Yardstickgozinya]

3 minutes ago, canderson said:

For watch specifically mentions widespread gusts of 80+ mph. 

Have our safe space ready. 

We definitely had some enhanced downdraft cape build since I last checked this morning. 

[TheDreamTraveler]

This shit is so funny to me. Tornado Watch issued here's a safety guide to help you! No sorry bub gotta pay up first lol

[MAG5035]

Pretty solid couplet in the newer tornado warning to the northeast of Frederick. The business end of this line with imbedded QLCS looks to be headed for York/Lancaster. 

[Voyager]

That complex in MD looks intriguing. If it can hold together, the current motion and trajectory looks as if it could run right up I-81 into the Skook. Guess we'll see.

But I didn't bring my video cameras with me. I'm feeling like crap and running a bit of a fever, and didn't feel like dealing with setting up the cameras and lugging my equipment around.

[Itstrainingtime]

5 minutes ago, MAG5035 said:

Pretty solid couplet in the newer tornado warning to the northeast of Frederick. The business end of this line with imbedded QLCS looks to be headed for York/Lancaster. 

I hate this with a passion. Ugh.

Thanks for the update, though. 

[MAG5035]

Back this way, I think if the weather rapture were to claim me today it’s going to by the snow and wind that is looking more and more likely this evening behind the front. 

[canderson]

lol the state is closing offices at 1 - right in the middle of storms. 

[canderson]

4 minutes ago, MAG5035 said:

Back this way, I think if the weather rapture were to claim me today it’s going to by the snow and wind that is looking more and more likely this evening behind the front. 

How delayed is that line now? Seems less likely to be a full QLCS later this evening. 

[canderson]

You can see the dynamics change right at the PA/MD border. Oddly we see more straighter wind than them but they have the spinning much more. 

[Mount Joy Snowman]

Just now, canderson said:

lol the state is closing offices at 1 - right in the middle of storms. 

Again, I don't get this at all.  Also, aren't these buildings (i.e. schools, government buildings, etc.) supposed to be the safest places to be during events like this??  Kids are going to be exiting busses in the middle of this potentially.  They could have just let the day play out and it's likely there will be a nice little gap in the action later this afternoon.  

[Jns2183]

We are getting barely any lightning with these.

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[canderson]

Just now, Jns2183 said:

We are getting barely any lightning with these.

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Good thunder though. The dynamics here aren’t great for lighting. 

[MAG5035]

7 minutes ago, canderson said:

How delayed is that line now? Seems less likely to be a full QLCS later this evening. 

I think the bulk of the overall severe threat is happening right now with that line coming into the Sus Valley from MD and also the other part of the line further up northeast of State College. This was the time of the day the high res models have been surging the CAPE up and matching with the shear. The line with the frontal passage (now east of Pittsburgh) might not have much CAPE to work with. 

[Jns2183]

Outside a tropical system the only times around here I've experienced true severe has been when we have a stong NW flow, dewpoint in upper 60's+. Temperature right around 80, and a clear almost bright skies under a solid cap till late afternoon when a huge jet stream slams into us causing upper air divergence and extremely rapid storm development 30-50 miles to my northwest. Outside of those very particular circumstances it's meh

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[Jns2183]

I think the bulk of the overall severe threat is happening right now with that line coming into the Sus Valley from MD and also the other part of the line further up northeast of State College. This was the time of the day the high res models have been surging the CAPE up and matching with the shear. The line with the frontal passage (now east of Pittsburgh) might not have much CAPE to work with. 

Very rarely do we eat get severe to work out in May and June this time of day let alone March

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[canderson]

As these storms climb N into the valley they’re hitting a wall related to anything severe 

[Yardstickgozinya]

2 minutes ago, Jns2183 said:

Outside a tropical system the only times around here I've experienced true severe has been when we have a stong NW flow, dewpoint in upper 60's+. Temperature right around 80, and a clear almost bright skies under a solid cap till late afternoon when a huge jet stream slams into us causing upper air divergence and extremely rapid storm development 30-50 miles to my northwest. Outside of those very particular circumstances it's meh

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I was just thinking about this myself last night. Not all but some of the best thunderstorms i've experienced have came on days and nights when they're not even calling for for anythings due to lack of forcing mechanisms. Those are the days we bake and build cape under a weak cap until the afternoon. We actually also seem to be very prone to collapsing thunderstorms, in this general area and those can actually be fun. Lol

[TheDreamTraveler]

It's raining here but nothing severe at all. Just a normal rain. I do have a severe thunderstorm warning but seems like a run of the mill rainstorm so far.

[Itstrainingtime]

8 minutes ago, Jns2183 said:

Very rarely do we eat get severe to work out in May and June this time of day let alone March

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We had a TOR in York County in February several years ago. I was directly in the path but it lifted crossing the river. Outside of that, this seems VERY early for this stuff. 

[canderson]

Holy shit that lighting and thunder

[TheDreamTraveler]

Okay getting some really good thunder at least now. Was super quiet but just heard a really loud boom that shook the house.

[Storm Clouds]

Why is this severe warned? It is your average run-of-the-mill thunderstorm. Zero wind. 

[Itstrainingtime]

2 minutes ago, Storm Clouds said:

Why is this severe warned? It is your average run-of-the-mill thunderstorm. Zero wind. 

Because it was much, much stronger when it entered York county out of Maryland than it is now. It was a severe thunderstorm 100% when it was issued.

[canderson]

No wind at all with the passage. Not even heavy rain. 

Some thunder and one super local single lighting strike. 

Wind is picking up now it’s moving out. 

[Yardstickgozinya]

As I believe I mentioned earlier, fellows, there was some extra dynamics down there around Hagerstown MD area. They also now have  an  some vorticity but still pretty meager parameters at best.  Some low 3 cape numbers are also still rising into Pennsylvania. I apologized, I said velocity earlier I ment vorticity.