Pittsburgh Area Sets Tornado Record: National Weather Service

PITTSBURGH, PA —A tornado that briefly touched down in Armstrong County on Sunday proved to be historic - but not for the damage it caused.

When the National Weather Service's Pittsburgh office confirmed the tornado on Wednesday, meteorologists there said it set a record for the most number of twisters in its county warning area in a year.

The area encompasses 35 counties in Western Pennsylvania, East-Central Ohio and Northern West Virginia.

"This is the 30th tornado in our county warning area this year, and with that, we have now surpassed the total of 29 in 2024 for the most on record in a single year," a weather service post on social media stated.

The record-setting twister occurred near the Armstrong County community of Orchard Hills. It was classified as an EF-0, with estimated peak winds of 85 mph.

The tornado had a maximum width of 50 yards and traveled slightly over a half-mile during its minute on the ground. No injuries were reported.