Thunderstorm Wind in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

The ASOS at the Lancaster Airport measured a maximum wind gust of 66 mph as a line of severe thunderstorms moved through.

A cold front stationed across western Pennsylvania during the morning hours allowed for thunderstorm development to form across the Shenandoah Valley during the late morning hours of March 16, 2026 that began to surge towards southern Pennsylvania. Severe thunderstorms in a favorable unstable and highly sheared environment across Virginia and Maryland began to shift into the a more stable and less sheared environment; however, momentum from these thunderstorms allowed for isolated instances of tree damage during the afternoon hours. As the cold front continued to track eastward, slightly more instability was available across eastern Lancaster County during the evening hours, with more readily available lift and moisture, allowing for more robust winds that caused more significant wind damage in eastern Lancaster County. The most notable wind damage came in the form of significant roof damage in New Holland along with significant damage to a barn and a nearby residence near Terre Hill. Multiple trees were also knocked down near Terre Hill and near Gap.