Strong to severe storms could bring heavy rain, frequent lightning, low risk of tornado
MAKE THOSE CALLS TO YOU. THAT’S TONIGHT ON NEWS EIGHT AT SIX. LET’S TURN TO OUR FORECAST BECAUSE IT IS AN IMPACT DAY TODAY. THE WEATHER WILL BE CHANGING, MIKE. YEAH, IT DEFINITELY WILL. MATT AND CAITLIN, WE WILL BE WATCHING IT GO OUT WITH SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LATER ON TODAY. THAT’S WHY THERE’S A SLIGHT RISK HERE FROM THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER ACROSS THE ENTIRE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. AND WE WILL BE WATCHING FOR SOME STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATER ON TODAY. ONE THING WE’RE ALSO WATCHING FOR IS THIS LITTLE BLOB OF RAIN THAT YOU SEE OVER EASTERN OHIO. THAT ROUND MAY COME THROUGH THIS MORNING, AND IF IT DOES. IT CAN HELP LIMIT OUR MAIN LINE THAT YOU SEE OFF TO THE WEST THERE BY SAINT LOUIS AND CHICAGO. THAT IS THE ONE THAT WE NEED TO WATCH FOR SEVERE WEATHER. BUT IF WE CAN GET THE RAIN IN THE MORNING AND THE CLOUD COVER, IT ACTUALLY PUTS KIND OF A LID ON THE ATMOSPHERE. SO SOMETHING WE’LL BE WATCHING FOR TODAY IN THE AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY WILL BE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPERATURES I DO EXPECT TO BE A WIDE RANGE. SOME OF YOU COULD GET UP TO 80 DEGREES AGAIN TODAY. OTHERS WILL BE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR WESTERN COMMUNITIES WHERE YOUR STORMS ARE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER WILL BE IN THE MID 70S. TONIGHT WE GET STORMS EARLY, THEN SHOWERS LATER ON. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE LOW 40S. IT’S GOING TO BE WINDY AS WELL AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY AND TOMORROW. AS WE GO INTO YOUR THURSDAY. STARTING OFF WITH SOME SHOWERS IN THE MORNING, TEMPERATURES DROP THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FOLKS. YOUR HIGH IS GOING TO BE IN THE MORNING TOMORROW, SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND. IT’S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE COLDER IN THE AFTERNOON THAN IT WILL BE IN THE MORNING. SO HERE’S A LOOK AT THE TIMING FOR TODAY AS WE GO THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS A COUPLE ISOLATED SHOWERS. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION, BUT THIS IS AROUND 2:00. NOW WE’RE STARTING TO SEE THAT LINE APPROACH FROM THE WEST HERE. THIS IS WHEN WE NEED TO START WATCHING FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. I DO THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE SOME SORT OF WATCH ISSUE LATER ON TODAY. AS WE GO THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THOSE ON AND OFF. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS THE SUN SETS. AND THEN ONCE WE GET TOWARDS 9:00 HERE, WE STILL HAVE SOME RAIN AROUND, BUT WE LOSE THE SEVERE INTENSITY. THIS RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO BE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND INTO EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT HERE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. TODAY AGAIN, IS NOT ONLY WITH THE SEVERE WEATHER, BUT WE WANT TO WATCH OUT FOR DAMAGING WINDS. THAT’S GOING TO BE OUR PRIMARY CONCERN, ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN, LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE’LL HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO LATER ON TODAY. BUT AS YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR RIGHT NOW IN LANCASTER, IT’S NICE AND QUIET. WE’RE STARTING TO SEE SOME CLOUDS INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION, 50 DEGREES IN HARRISBURG. IT’S 51 IN LANCASTER, AS WELL AS YORK, 55 IN CARLISLE AND 52 IN LEBANON. LOW 60S FOR FRANKLIN AND ADAMS COUNTY. ONCE THAT FRONT COMES THROUGH TOMORROW, THOUGH, THE WINDS PICK UP HERE. AND AS WE GO INTO TOMORROW, I DO THINK WE’LL SEE SOME SNOW JUST TO THE SOUTHEAST OF US. I DO NOT THINK IT’S GOING TO BE HERE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. THIS MODEL MAY BE A LITTLE TOO AGGRESSIVE WITH THAT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. SO TOMORROW WE ARE NOT EXPECTING SNOW HERE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. AS WE GO INTO YOUR FRIDAY, WE ARE GOING TO BE WATCHING ANOTHER LITTLE SYSTEM THAT WILL PASS BY JUST TO THE NORTH. HERE, NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA GETS A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHT SNOW SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT TOO FAR TO THE SOUTH WITH THAT ONE AS IT COMES ON THROUGH. BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE SEEING THAT PATTERN CHANGE. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF THE 70S. THEN THAT FRONT COMES THROUGH TONIGHT AND DROPS US BACK DOWN TO WHERE WE SHOULD BE THIS TIME OF YEAR, WHICH IS RIGHT AROUND 50 DEGREES. THAT WILL BE THE CASE TOMORROW. BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT 48 IS IN THE MORNING. YOU WILL DROP THROUGHOUT THE DAY 50 DEGREES ON FRIDAY AND SAME THING SATURDAY AS WE GO INTO SUNDAY. 5452 FOR YOUR MONDAY. AND THEN GUYS CHECK OUT TUESDAY AND
Strong to severe storms could bring heavy rain, frequent lightning, low risk of tornado
Updated: 6:11 AM EDT Mar 11, 2026
A strong cold front could spark strong to severe thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening across South-Central Pennsylvania, with the greatest threat from about 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.TimingWednesday morning: more clouds and scattered showers possible.Late Wednesday afternoon into evening (main window): cold front arrives; highest severe threat roughly 1 p.m.–9 p.m.Evening rush (late afternoon–9 p.m.): better chance for scattered storms with embedded strong to severe cells.Overnight into early Thursday: showers and a few thunderstorms continue.ThreatsPrimary hazards: heavy rain, frequent lightning, strong, gusty winds.Lesser but possible hazards: hail and isolated tornadoes.Risk area and impactSPC has placed the Susquehanna Valley in a slight (level 2/5) risk for strong storms.Wednesday is an official Impact Day for South-Central Pennsylvania due to the severe potential.What could change the forecast?Morning cloud cover and shower activity will control instability: more clouds/rain likely reduce severe potential; more sunshine would increase it.Bottom linePlan for a wet, potentially stormy Wednesday in South-Central Pennsylvania, with the most significant threat from mid afternoon through the evening commute.SOUTH-CENTRAL PA WEATHER RESOURCES: INTERACTIVE RADAR | ACTIVE WEATHER ALERTS | CURRENT CONDITIONS | HOURLY FORECAST | 10-DAY FORECAST | WEEKEND FORECAST | MAP ROOM | DOWNLOAD THE APP | WEATHER EMAILS
A strong cold front could spark strong to severe thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening across South-Central Pennsylvania, with the greatest threat from about 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
TimingWednesday morning: more clouds and scattered showers possible.Late Wednesday afternoon into evening (main window): cold front arrives; highest severe threat roughly 1 p.m.–9 p.m.Evening rush (late afternoon–9 p.m.): better chance for scattered storms with embedded strong to severe cells.Overnight into early Thursday: showers and a few thunderstorms continue.
ThreatsPrimary hazards: heavy rain, frequent lightning, strong, gusty winds.Lesser but possible hazards: hail and isolated tornadoes.
Risk area and impactSPC has placed the Susquehanna Valley in a slight (level 2/5) risk for strong storms.Wednesday is an official Impact Day for South-Central Pennsylvania due to the severe potential.What could change the forecast?Morning cloud cover and shower activity will control instability: more clouds/rain likely reduce severe potential; more sunshine would increase it.
Bottom linePlan for a wet, potentially stormy Wednesday in South-Central Pennsylvania, with the most significant threat from mid afternoon through the evening commute.
SOUTH-CENTRAL PA WEATHER RESOURCES: INTERACTIVE RADAR | ACTIVE WEATHER ALERTS | CURRENT CONDITIONS | HOURLY FORECAST | 10-DAY FORECAST | WEEKEND FORECAST | MAP ROOM | DOWNLOAD THE APP | WEATHER EMAILS