Lancaster County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Lancaster County, PA right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 1,134 alerts that included Lancaster County, roughly 113 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (250 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on August 28, 2026. 39 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Lancaster County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Lebanon County, Chester County, Cecil County, Berks County.
Lancaster County alert history
Alert events that included Lancaster County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 250 | 47 | November 12, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 158 | 0 | September 22, 2024 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 107 | 17 | October 16, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 84 | 7 | September 3, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 73 | 3 | March 3, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 64 | 3 | March 16, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 57 | 7 | November 6, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 51 | 17 | September 3, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 44 | 6 | August 28, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 42 | 3 | October 19, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 39 | 5 | September 3, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 24 | 5 | October 24, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 21 | 2 | February 22, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 20 | 2 | February 22, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 19 | 3 | July 21, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 18 | 5 | October 24, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 10 | 4 | August 28, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 9 | 0 | November 8, 2024 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 8 | 1 | July 1, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 8 | 0 | November 16, 2024 |
| High Wind Warning | 7 | 0 | February 16, 2025 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 7 | 9 | February 9, 2026 |
| Snow Squall Warning | 5 | 1 | January 1, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 4 | 1 | July 1, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 4 | 0 | February 16, 2025 |
| Blizzard Warning | 1 | 0 | January 23, 2016 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 0 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 0 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
Tornado history in Lancaster County
39 tornadoes have been recorded in Lancaster County since 1950, injuring 41 people. That ranks 2 of 67 counties in Pennsylvania. The most recent was on September 4, 2025 (rated EF0).
Strongest tornadoes in Lancaster County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 1950 | F3 | Lancaster County | 15.9 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 1 |
| July 29, 1961 | F2 | York County | 22.2 mi | 500 yd | 0 | 2 |
| October 11, 1975 | F2 | Lebanon County | 17.5 mi | 33 yd | 0 | 0 |
| March 27, 1963 | F2 | York County | 17 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 15, 1989 | F2 | York County | 16 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 6 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 4, 2025 | EF0 | Lancaster County | 0.2 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 4, 2025 | EF0 | Lancaster County | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 7, 2023 | EF0 | Lancaster County | 0.5 mi | 40 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 27, 2022 | EF1 | Lancaster County | 3.1 mi | 130 yd | 0 | 3 |
| May 28, 2019 | EF2 | Lancaster County | 3.1 mi | 400 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Lancaster County
- Population: 563,293 (2024 estimate)
- State: Pennsylvania
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 042071 (how to use it)