FULL LIST | Threat of severe storms prompts closings, early dismissals in south-central Pennsylvania
THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY HAVE SOME TIMING FOR US TO LOOK FOR AS WELL. MARY ELLEN YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A WIDESPREAD EVENT ALL ACROSS THE EAST COAST. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS AREAS AS FAR NORTH AS NEW YORK AND AS FAR SOUTH AS THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE, UNDER A RISK OF SOME KIND OF SEVERE THREAT. TODAY, STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE IN MARYLAND, DC AND VIRGINIA. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WILL BE COMMUTING TO THE SOUTH, IT’S VERY RARE TO SEE A MODERATE RISK ISSUED FOR THIS AREA. IT’S NOT TYPICAL FOR THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. FOR US HERE LOCALLY, WE ARE IN AN ENHANCED RISK AND THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE STORMS. SOME OF THEM COULD BE ON THE INTENSE SIDE. SO THE TIMING FOR THESE STORMS ANYTIME AFTER 11 A.M. TO 9 P.M., THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING BETWEEN 1 AND 9 STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS, SOME INTENSE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70MPH COULD BE POSSIBLE. THAT’S AS STRONG AS A WEAK TORNADO. A FEW TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE. HEAVY RAINFALL AND HAIL IS ALSO A THREAT, AND WE ALSO, IN ADDITION TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THESE STRONG WINDS WITH THUNDERSTORMS, WINDS THEMSELVES, ESPECIALLY IN OUR EASTERN COUNTIES, WILL BE QUITE ELEVATED. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON UNTIL 11 P.M. FOR DAUPHIN, LEBANON, LANCASTER AND YORK. AND THIS IS WHERE YOU’LL SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF SUSTAINED WINDS 20 TO 30MPH OUT OF THE SOUTH, WITH GUSTS UP TO 50MPH. SO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR OUTDOOR ITEMS ARE SECURE BECAUSE THEY WILL DEFINITELY END UP SOMEWHERE ELSE IF YOU DON’T. BECAUSE OF THESE STRONG WINDS. STILL GOING TO BE PRETTY GUSTY AS WE HEAD INTO THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD, BUT THE WIND GUSTS WILL TAPER JUST A BIT. SO YOUR NEWS EIGHT STORM TEAM FORECAST TODAY. TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 50S LATER THIS MORNING. STILL SOME SPOTTY SHOWERS OUT THERE. WE GET A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK BEFORE THAT LINE STARTS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. THIS EVENING STORMS STILL LINGERING IN OUR EASTERN COUNTIES. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SHOWERS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE BUT COULD START TO MIX OR CHANGE TO SNOW IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS AS TEMPERATURES REALLY START TO DIVE. THEN THAT RAIN SNOW ENDS DECREASING CLOUDS. THE WINDS WILL STAY. GUSTY. TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET INTO THE UPPER 20S AND TOMORROW IT IS GOING TO BE A BLUSTERY, COLD DAY FOR SAINT PATRICK’S DAY. TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 30S. RIGHT NOW WE’RE IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LEWISTOWN. AND THERE YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THAT SHOWER ACTIVITY MAKING ITS WAY FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. BUT YOU’LL NOTICE JUST OFF TO THE WEST, STARTING TO GET TO SEE THE CLOUDS THINNING OUT HERE. IF WE GET SUNSHINE TODAY, THAT’S ONLY GOING TO ENHANCE THIS THREAT. THE CLOUDS STAY IN PLACE. THAT WILL WEAKEN OR LOWER THE THREAT. SO WE’LL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THAT FOR SURE. NOW LOOK OFF TO THE WEST. THIS IS WHERE THE COLD FRONT IS. THIS LINE OF INTENSE STORMS. THERE ARE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS. EVEN TORNADO WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AT THIS HOUR. SO IT’S A VERY ACTIVE SYSTEM THAT’S GOING TO BE APPROACHING LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THE WARM FRONT IS GOING TO LIFT THROUGH THIS MORNING. AND THEN WE’LL WATCH FOR THAT COLD FRONT. NOW AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT THERE’S THE POSSIBILITY OF THESE DISCRETE CELLS WHERE THEY’RE VERY ISOLATED. THOSE ARE THE CELLS THAT COULD PRODUCE A QUICK SPIN UP ALONG THE FRONT. WE COULD HAVE EMBEDDED CELLS PLUS THOSE DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE. YOU CAN SEE THAT HERE. HEAVY DOWNPOURS INDICATED BY THE DARK REDS AND THE PINKS. THIS LINE IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH BY EIGHT 9:00. IT’S IN OUR EASTERN COUNTIES. AND LOOK THIS IS INDICATING THAT CHANGE TO A MIX. EVEN SOME SNOW. ANY ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE LIGHT. AND MAINLY ON THE GRASSY AREAS. IT WILL BE QUICK HITTING. TOMORROW WE’RE LOOKING AT BLUSTERY COLDER CONDITIONS AS I MENTIONED FOR OUR TUESDAY. NOW HERE’S A LOOK AT THE RAINFALL POTENTIAL. WE COULD GET A QUICK INCH IN MANY LOCATIONS, IF NOT EVEN MORE THAN THAT. FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE AN ISSUE EXCEPT FOR MAYBE SOME PONDING ON ROADWAYS AND SOME LOW LYING AREAS COULD SEE SOME ELEVATED WATER LEVELS. TEN DAY FORECAST SHOWS TEMPERATURES STAYING BELOW AVERAGE. WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY WE GET CLOSER TO AVERAGE ON FRIDAY. IT IS DRY THE REST OF THE WEEK. AFTER TODAY. LITTLE SYSTEM FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY COULD SPIT A SHOWER OUT EARLY FOR SATURDAY MORN
FULL LIST | Threat of severe storms prompts closings, early dismissals in south-central Pennsylvania
Updated: 9:27 AM EDT Mar 16, 2026
The threat of strong to severe thunderstorms has prompted some schools across the Susquehanna Valley to announce early dismissals on Monday. FULL LIST | We have a complete, alphabetized list of closings and early dismissals for the entire Susquehanna Valley here. Important Notice: School/business closing submissions for (WGAL).If you’re trying to submit a closing, you should already have a WGAL user code and passcode.All closing entries are submitted online through WGAL’s secure system.You should have already received the instructions and access details needed to complete your online submission.For security reasons, we do not post the submission link publicly.Forecast infoA line of strong to severe thunderstorms is expected to move through south-central Pennsylvania on Monday, bringing the potential for damaging winds, a few tornadoes, and locally heavy rain. The WGAL News 8 Storm Team has declared an Alert Day, and the National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. The entire Susquehanna Valley is under an Enhanced Risk (level 3 of 5) for scattered to numerous severe storms—an outlook that typically occurs only about five times per year. The main storm window is 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the highest threat from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Damaging straight-line winds over 70 mph are the primary concern, with brief heavy rainfall likely, a low to moderate tornado chance and a lower hail and flooding risk. Outside of storms, south winds of 20–30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph could down limbs and cause isolated outages.
The threat of strong to severe thunderstorms has prompted some schools across the Susquehanna Valley to announce early dismissals on Monday.
FULL LIST | We have a complete, alphabetized list of closings and early dismissals for the entire Susquehanna Valley here.
Important Notice: School/business closing submissions for (WGAL).If you’re trying to submit a closing, you should already have a WGAL user code and passcode.All closing entries are submitted online through WGAL’s secure system.You should have already received the instructions and access details needed to complete your online submission.For security reasons, we do not post the submission link publicly.Forecast info
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms is expected to move through south-central Pennsylvania on Monday, bringing the potential for damaging winds, a few tornadoes, and locally heavy rain. The WGAL News 8 Storm Team has declared an Alert Day, and the National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. The entire Susquehanna Valley is under an Enhanced Risk (level 3 of 5) for scattered to numerous severe storms—an outlook that typically occurs only about five times per year.
The main storm window is 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the highest threat from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Damaging straight-line winds over 70 mph are the primary concern, with brief heavy rainfall likely, a low to moderate tornado chance and a lower hail and flooding risk. Outside of storms, south winds of 20–30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph could down limbs and cause isolated outages.
