Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued for Schuylkill County; Strong Storms Expected This Afternoon

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Schuylkill County and much of eastern and central Pennsylvania until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday.
The watch includes Schuylkill County along with 27 other Pennsylvania counties.

Forecasters expect the strongest storms to move through Schuylkill County between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., bringing the potential for dangerous weather conditions during the afternoon commute.

While a severe thunderstorm watch does not mean severe weather is occurring, it indicates that atmospheric conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms.

Residents should be prepared for storms capable of producing:

• Damaging wind gusts capable of downing trees and power lines.
• Large hail.
• Frequent cloud-to-ground lightning.
• Torrential downpours that could lead to localized flooding, especially in areas that have already received heavy rainfall.

The watch comes as an already moisture-rich atmosphere continues to fuel rounds of showers and thunderstorms across the region.

Anyone with outdoor plans this afternoon should closely monitor the weather and be prepared to seek shelter quickly if warnings are issued. The safest place during a severe thunderstorm is inside a sturdy building and away from windows.

Skook News will continue to monitor the storms and provide updates if severe thunderstorm warnings or other weather alerts are issued for Schuylkill County.

This Severe Thunderstorm Watch includes the following counties:

• Adams
• Berks
• Bucks
• Carbon
• Chester
• Columbia
• Cumberland
• Dauphin
• Delaware
• Franklin
• Fulton
• Huntingdon
• Juniata
• Lancaster
• Lebanon
• Lehigh
• Mifflin
• Monroe
• Montgomery
• Montour
• Northampton
• Northumberland
• Perry
• Philadelphia
• Schuylkill
• Snyder
• Union
• York