Pennsylvania, 1998

Strong Wind in Pennsylvania, December 22, 1998

December 22, 1998 · NWS PHI · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

The large sea level pressure difference between a deepening low pressure system over the Canadian Maritimes and a large high pressure system over Kansas and Missouri produced peak wind gusts of around 40 mph in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos and in the lower 40s in Southeast Pennsylvania. The highest recorded wind gusts were 45 mph at the Northeast Philadelphia Airport and 43 mph at the…

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.

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  • Cold
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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.

The large sea level pressure difference between a deepening low pressure system over the Canadian Maritimes and a large high pressure system over Kansas and Missouri produced peak wind gusts of around 40 mph in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos and in the lower 40s in Southeast Pennsylvania. The highest recorded wind gusts were 45 mph at the Northeast Philadelphia Airport and 43 mph at the Philadelphia International Airport. Christmas trees and their stands were knocked over in Folsom (Delaware County).

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Berks

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Berks forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.416, -75.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Bucks

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Bucks forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Carbon

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Carbon forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.918, -75.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Chester

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Chester forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Delaware

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Delaware forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.917, -75.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Lehigh

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Lehigh forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.613, -75.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Monroe

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Monroe forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
41.058, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Montgomery

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind, Northampton

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Northampton forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.754, -75.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Philadelphia

When
December 22, 7:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Philadelphia forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.008, -75.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, December 1998

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: 5675447, 5675448, 5675449, 5675450, 5675451, 5675452, 5675453, 5675454, 5675455, 5675456.