Pennsylvania, 1996

Cold in Pennsylvania, February 4 to 6, 1996

February 4 to 6, 1996 · NWS PHI · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

The coldest air mass of the winter season moved in behind the snow storm of the 2nd and 3rd. Except for the local Philadelphia area, most low temperatures dipped below zero the mornings of the 5th and 6th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.

The coldest air mass of the winter season moved in behind the snow storm of the 2nd and 3rd. Except for the local Philadelphia area, most low temperatures dipped below zero the mornings of the 5th and 6th. A new record low of -6F was set the morning of the 5th at the Lehigh Valley International Airport (Allentown). The old record was 1F. Also on the morning of the 5th, the low temperature of 3F in Philadelphia swelled homeless shelters to capacity. Low temperatures the morning of the 5th included -12F in East Stroudsburg, -11F in Tobyhanna, -10F in Long Pond and Sellersville, -8F in Crum Creek, -6F in Jundale, and -3F in Doylestown. Low temperatures the morning of the sixth were a few degrees "warmer", except in Berks County where readings bottomed at -4F in Hamburg and -7F in Hopewell Furnace. No serious cold related injuries were reported.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Carbon

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Carbon forecast zone
Coordinates
40.918, -75.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Monroe

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Monroe forecast zone
Coordinates
41.058, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Berks

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Berks forecast zone
Coordinates
40.416, -75.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Lehigh

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Lehigh forecast zone
Coordinates
40.613, -75.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northampton

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Northampton forecast zone
Coordinates
40.754, -75.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Chester

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Chester forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Montgomery

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Bucks

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Bucks forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Delaware

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Delaware forecast zone
Coordinates
39.917, -75.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Philadelphia

When
February 4, 6:00 PM EST to February 6, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Philadelphia forecast zone
Coordinates
40.008, -75.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, February 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5551601, 5551602, 5551603, 5551604, 5551605, 5551606, 5551607, 5551608, 5551609, 5551610.