Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, December 13 to 14, 2000

A mix of sleet, freezing rain and snow spread across western Pennsylvania during the day on the 13th. By late afternoon on the 13th, the snow turned over to sleet in many areas, with several counties reporting sleet accumulations of up to one inch. Finally, by the evening hours of the 13th the precipitation had turned over to freezing rain across all of western Pennsylvania. Every county across the area reported ice accumulations of one-quarter to one-half inch by the late evening hours on the 13th. Numerous accidents were reported on area highways as the freezing rain coated roadways. Various stretches of heavily-traveled Route 30 were closed in Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties during the evening due to the accidents. Overnight, the freezing precipitation gradually turned over to rain. However, even by the early morning hours of the 14th a few pockets of freezing drizzle were still being reported as cold air remained trapped in some of the valleys.