High Wind in Pennsylvania, January 19, 1996

Name: High Wind in Pennsylvania, January 19, 1996
Start: 1996-01-19T07:00
End: 1996-01-19T15:00
Location: Pennsylvania

January 19, 1996 · NWS PHI · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Strong south winds preceding and west winds accompanying a cold front caused wind damage throughout Southeast Pennsylvania. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 7

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.

Strong south winds preceding and west winds accompanying a cold front caused wind damage throughout Southeast Pennsylvania. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down. Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) reported 87,000 customers lost power during the daytime hours, 17,500 within Montgomery County. Power was restored to two-thirds of the customers by 6 p.m.. In Bucks County, the wind peeled the roof from a mobile home. In the Lehigh Valley, about 1,250 homes lost power. Highest reported winds included 58 mph at Philadelphia International Airport, 61 mph at the Lehigh Valley International Airport, 62 mph in Souderton and 67 mph within Philadelphia.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Lehigh

When: January 19, 7:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Lehigh forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Coordinates: 40.613, -75.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Northampton

When: January 19, 8:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Northampton forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.754, -75.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Chester

When: January 19, 8:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where: Chester forecast zone

High Wind, Montgomery

When: January 19, 9:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)

High Wind, Bucks

When: January 19, 9:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Bucks forecast zone

High Wind, Delaware

When: January 19, 10:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Delaware forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.917, -75.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Philadelphia

When: January 19, 10:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where: Philadelphia forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Coordinates: 40.008, -75.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, January 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: 5543031, 5543032, 5543033, 5543034, 5543035, 5543036, 5543037.