Ice Storm in Pennsylvania, March 14, 1997

Name: Ice Storm in Pennsylvania, March 14, 1997
Start: 1997-03-14T08:00
End: 1997-03-14T23:00
Location: Pennsylvania

March 14, 1997 · NWS CTP · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

1/4-inch of ice on top of 2 inches of snow and sleet brought trees and powerlines down. Thousands were without power for several hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 21

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.

1/4-inch of ice on top of 2 inches of snow and sleet brought trees and powerlines down. Thousands were without power for several hours.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

21 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Blair

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Blair forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.481, -78.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Cambria

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Cambria forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.495, -78.714 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Cameron

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Cameron forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.437, -78.204 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Centre

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Centre forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.919, -77.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Centre

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Centre forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.919, -77.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Clearfield

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Clearfield forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.000, -78.474 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Clinton

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Clinton forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.234, -77.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Clinton

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Clinton forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.234, -77.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Elk

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Elk forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.425, -78.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Huntingdon

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Huntingdon forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.417, -77.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Juniata

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Juniata forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.531, -77.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Lycoming

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Lycoming forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.343, -77.064 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Lycoming

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Lycoming forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.343, -77.064 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, McKean

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: McKean forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.808, -78.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Mifflin

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Mifflin forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.610, -77.617 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Potter

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Potter forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.745, -77.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Somerset

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Somerset forecast zone
Coordinates: 39.972, -79.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Sullivan

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Sullivan forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.446, -76.512 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Tioga

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Tioga forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.772, -77.254 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Union

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Union forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.963, -77.062 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Warren

When: March 14, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.815, -79.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, March 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: 5595222, 5595223, 5595224, 5595225, 5595226, 5595227, 5595228, 5595229, 5595230, 5595231, 5595232, 5595233, 5595234, 5595235, 5595236, 5595237, 5595238, 5595239, 5595240, 5595241, 5595242.