Blizzard, Somerset
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Somerset forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.972, -79.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Pennsylvania, January 7 to 8, 1996
On January 7th, more than 2 feet of snow fell across much of the lower Susquehanna Valley with 12 to 18 inches falling across the central mountains from Johnstown and State College east to Wilkes-Barre. Parts southern York County had in excess of 3 feet of new snow.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 28 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 28
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 CTP wrote it up.
On January 7th, more than 2 feet of snow fell across much of the lower Susquehanna Valley with 12 to 18 inches falling across the central mountains from Johnstown and State College east to Wilkes-Barre. Parts southern York County had in excess of 3 feet of new snow. The storm was appropriately termed the Blizzard of '96. Snow began falling during the morning of January 7th and continued into the early morning of the 8th. Transportation and commerce came to a halt as cities of south central Pennsylvania were buried under the heavy snow. New snow of 38 inches was reported in southern York County at Glenville. Two feet or more was reported near Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York. The storm had a major impact on commerce across south central PA, and was to set the stage for the Great Flood on the 19th. Details of the economic impact are included with the summary of the flood.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
28 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Cambria
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Cambria forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.495, -78.714 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Blair
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Blair forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.481, -78.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Bedford
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Bedford forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.007, -78.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Fulton
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Fulton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.925, -78.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Huntingdon
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Huntingdon forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.417, -77.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Northern Centre
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Northern Centre forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.919, -77.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Southern Centre
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern Centre forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.919, -77.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Southern Clinton
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern Clinton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.234, -77.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Southern Lycoming
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Southern Lycoming forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.343, -77.064 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Sullivan
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Sullivan forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.446, -76.512 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Columbia
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Columbia forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.049, -76.405 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Montour
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Montour forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.028, -76.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Northumberland
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Northumberland forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.852, -76.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Snyder
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Snyder forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.770, -77.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Union
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Union forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.963, -77.062 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Mifflin
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Mifflin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.610, -77.617 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Juniata
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Juniata forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.531, -77.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Perry
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Perry forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.398, -77.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Dauphin
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Dauphin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.415, -76.779 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Schuylkill
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Schuylkill forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.706, -76.216 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Lebanon
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Lebanon forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.367, -76.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Cumberland
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Cumberland forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.164, -77.266 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Franklin
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.927, -77.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Adams
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Adams forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.872, -77.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, York
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- York forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.920, -76.726 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Lancaster
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Lancaster forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.042, -76.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Northern Clinton
- When
- January 7, 8:00 AM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Northern Clinton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.234, -77.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Blizzard
- Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Blizzard in Maryland, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Blizzard in Pennsylvania, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Blizzard in New Jersey, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Winter Storm in New Jersey, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Cold in Georgia, January 7, 1996
- Coastal Flood in New Jersey, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Ohio, January 7, 1996
- Coastal Flood in Delaware, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Blizzard in Delaware, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 7 to 8, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 7 to 8, 1996
More
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5570049, 5570050, 5570200, 5570201, 5570202, 5570203, 5570204, 5570205, 5570206, 5570207, 5570208, 5570209, 5570210, 5570211, 5570212, 5570213, 5570214, 5570215, 5570216, 5570217, 5570218, 5570219, 5570220, 5570221, 5570222, 5570223, 5570224, 5570225.