F1 Tornado — Dauphin, Pennsylvania

2006-12-01 · near Halifax, Dauphin, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

A thunderstorm spawned an F1 tornado south of the town of Halifax in Dauphin county, as determined by a National Weather Service storm survey team. The tornado was embedded within a much larger area of downburst wind damage.

The tornado touched down near Route 147 about 1.3 miles south of Halifax. The tornado traveled northeast about 1.5 miles, before dissipating in a wooded area. Major damage was sustained by 4 businesses and 1 home. Moderate damage was sustained by 4 additional residences. Minor damage occurred to several dozen homes. Top winds were estimated between 100 and 110 mph, categorizing the storm as an F1.

Damages from the tornado were estimated at nearly 2 million dollars. There was one fatality caused by a tree falling onto a car.

Wider weather episode

A strong cold front crossed central Pennsylvania during the afternoon of December 1st, 2006. Short lines of convection developed ahead of the main front, initiating much of the severe weather. A number of severe thunderstorms were spawned, as very strong winds aloft were mixed down to the surface. The pre-frontal convection also spawned one tornado.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (40.4526, -76.9295)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 6358. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.