Heavy Snow, Schuylkill
- When
- March 31, 12:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Schuylkill forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.706, -76.216 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, March 31, 1997
Schuylkill, Sullivan and Lancaster Counties were on the western border of a major east coast storm that was unusually severe for the time of year. Heavy snow was confined to eastern sections of the counties with up to 18 inches reported at Christiana in eastern Lancaster County, up to 10 inches across eastern Schuylkill County, and 6 inches to a foot across the higher elevations of Sullivan…
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- 3
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.
Schuylkill, Sullivan and Lancaster Counties were on the western border of a major east coast storm that was unusually severe for the time of year. Heavy snow was confined to eastern sections of the counties with up to 18 inches reported at Christiana in eastern Lancaster County, up to 10 inches across eastern Schuylkill County, and 6 inches to a foot across the higher elevations of Sullivan County. There were many accidents due to whiteouts and I-81 was closed for 5 hours east of Harrisburg. It was noteworthy that the border of the heavy snow was so sharp that western parts of the hard hit counties had little accumulation.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Sullivan
- When
- March 31, 12:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Sullivan forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.446, -76.512 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Lancaster
- When
- March 31, 12:00 PM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Lancaster forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.042, -76.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Utah, March 31, 1997
- Coastal Flood in New York, March 31, 1997
- Coastal Flood in Connecticut, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in New York, March 31, 1997
- Strong Wind in Virginia, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Vermont, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Massachusetts, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Connecticut, March 31, 1997
- Strong Wind in Maryland, March 31, 1997
- Winter Storm in Vermont, March 31, 1997
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Massachusetts, March 31, 1997
- Strong Wind in West Virginia, March 31, 1997
More
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5595246, 5595247, 5595248.