NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Avonmore, PA
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Avonmore, Pennsylvania since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 68 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 68
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Avonmore
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Avonmore; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1896, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 40 miles away. The record near Avonmore begins with an unnamed storm in 1876; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 4 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1870s, with 2 systems. Of the 10 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Avonmore. The strongest of the 68 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on June 3, 1980; its path came within 4 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 31, 1985, killed 9 people. Of the 68, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on March 16, 2025. Avonmore has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 62% of the 794 Pennsylvania cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 794 Pennsylvania cities, 59% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Avonmore.
Compare Avonmore's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Avonmore
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 30 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1955 | ConnieAug 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1928 | Unnamed 1928 stormSep 20 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1896 | Unnamed 1896 stormSep 30 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 13 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1876 | Unnamed 1876 stormSep 18 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Avonmore: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Avonmore
By decade
- 2020s17
- 2010s11
- 2000s4
- 1990s11
- 1980s11(2 EF3+)
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1980 | F4 | 4 mi | 11.8 mi | 0 / 140 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 19 mi | 39 mi | 9 / 120 |
| Jul 11, 1976 | F3 | 12 mi | 11.8 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF2 | 10 mi | 10.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2022 | EF2 | 22 mi | 8.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF2 | 18 mi | 8.96 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 14 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 15, 1997 | F2 | 16 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 22, 1983 | F2 | 8 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jul 26, 1981 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 1981 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | F2 | in town | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 68, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Avonmore
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Avonmore since 1974, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 4, 2025. The most recent report is from May 4, 2025. June and August have the most reports, 12 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Avonmore
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Salina 3 W, PA, 4 miles west of Avonmore at 1,109 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 20°F. June is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 45.8 inches over 97 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 54% of the year's precipitation (24.7 of 45.8 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 76°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 140 nights a year. Snowfall averages 28.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 45.8 inches is more than at 88 of the 148 Pennsylvania stations used on this site (59%). Saltsburg, 3 miles southeast, has its own station (Loyalhanna Lake, PA): 43.5 inches a year, 2.3 less than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 20 | 3.5 | 9 | 7.1 |
| Feb | 39 | 21 | 2.8 | 7 | 8.2 |
| Mar | 48 | 28 | 3.5 | 8 | 5.5 |
| Apr | 61 | 38 | 3.7 | 9 | 0.3 |
| May | 71 | 48 | 4.2 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 61 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 42 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 51 | 33 | 3.5 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Dec | 41 | 26 | 3.4 | 8 | 5.7 |
| Year | 61 | 40 | 45.8 | 97 | 28.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Salina 3 W, PA (1,109 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Avonmore
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 220 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Avonmore: 166 thunderstorm wind reports, 40 flash floods, 13 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 16, 2025. June has had the most flash floods, 15 of 40. Of the 788 Pennsylvania cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 479 have had fewer than Avonmore.
October 6, 2024: thunderstorm wind in Avonmore — $2.5 million damage.
NWS: “Nine trees were uprooted, but there was no structure damage.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Westmoreland County, which includes Avonmore, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 5 snowstorms, 3 hurricanes, 3 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 30, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Westmoreland County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $76.3 million a year, the 14th highest of 67 Pennsylvania counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $65.9 million (86%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Avonmore
- Saltsburg, PA3 mi
- Apollo, PA5 mi
- Vandergrift, PA7 mi
- New Alexandria, PA9 mi
- Delmont, PA10 mi
- Leechburg, PA10 mi
- Export, PA10 mi
- Murrysville, PA12 mi
- Shelocta, PA12 mi
- Blairsville, PA14 mi
- New Kensington, PA14 mi
- Natrona Heights, PA15 mi
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