Pennsylvania, 1997

Cold in Pennsylvania, January 17 to 18, 1997

January 17 to 18, 1997 · NWS BGM · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A bitterly cold arctic air mass invaded northeast Pennsylvania during the evening hours of the 16th and remained over the area through the 18th. Air temperatures dropped to near zero degrees over much of the region by early morning of the 17th.

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
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 BGM wrote it up.

A bitterly cold arctic air mass invaded northeast Pennsylvania during the evening hours of the 16th and remained over the area through the 18th. Air temperatures dropped to near zero degrees over much of the region by early morning of the 17th. During the day, readings only managed to reach the single digits and lower teens. That night, temperatures from 5 to 15 below zero were observed in many areas. Perhaps the biggest problem, though, was the strong winds accompanying this cold snap. Wind chills of 35 to 55 below zero were common over the northern tier of Pennsylvania on the morning of the 17th. This prompted many school districts to cancel classes that day.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Cold/Wind Chill, Bradford

When
January 17, 4:00 AM EST to January 18, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Bradford forecast zone
Coordinates
41.789, -76.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Susquehanna

When
January 17, 4:00 AM EST to January 18, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Susquehanna forecast zone
Coordinates
41.821, -75.801 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Wayne

When
January 17, 4:00 AM EST to January 18, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Northern Wayne forecast zone
Coordinates
41.649, -75.303 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Wyoming

When
January 17, 4:00 AM EST to January 18, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Wyoming forecast zone
Coordinates
41.518, -76.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Lackawanna

When
January 17, 4:00 AM EST to January 18, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Lackawanna forecast zone
Coordinates
41.437, -75.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Luzerne

When
January 17, 4:00 AM EST to January 18, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Luzerne forecast zone
Coordinates
41.177, -75.989 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Pike

When
January 17, 4:00 AM EST to January 18, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Pike forecast zone
Coordinates
41.332, -75.034 (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 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, January 1997

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: 5590644, 5590645, 5590646, 5590647, 5590648, 5590649, 5590650.