Pennsylvania, 2000

Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 13 to 14, 2000

February 13 to 14, 2000 · NWS PHI · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Freezing rain and drizzle developed across Berks County, the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos during the evening of the 13th. As warmer air moved in near the ground, the freezing rain changed to plain rain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
5

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.

Freezing rain and drizzle developed across Berks County, the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos during the evening of the 13th. As warmer air moved in near the ground, the freezing rain changed to plain rain. This occurred before a significant accumulation of ice occurrred in Berks County and the Lehigh Valley. But in the Poconos, around one-third of an inch of ice accrued on exposed surfaces. Driving on untreated roads were treacherous. In Berks County, weather related accidents occurred in at least five municipalities. Traffic on Pennsylvania State Route 183 in Bethel Township was severely backed up near the Schuylkill County border. Police were forced to close Pennsylvania State Route 73 between Friedensburg Road in Oley Township and Pricetown Road in Ruscombmanor Township because of several accidents. The cause of the freezing rain was a wedge of cold air that remained trapped in the valleys of Eastern Pennsylvania. A low pressure system developed in Oklahoma the morning of the 13th and moved northeast to near Pittsburgh during the early morning of the 14th. The westward location of the low permitted warmer air near the ground to move into the region from the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Precipitation began spreading northeast as freezing rain or drizzle around 6 p.m. EST on the 13th and the change to plain rain was completed by around 3 a.m. EST on the 14th. It occurred last in the valleys of the Poconos.

The radar

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

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Event by event

3 winter weather, 2 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Carbon

When
February 13, 6:00 PM EST to February 14, 3:00 AM 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)

Ice Storm, Monroe

When
February 13, 6:00 PM EST to February 14, 3:00 AM 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)

Winter Weather, Berks

When
February 13, 6:00 PM EST to February 14, 1:00 AM 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)

Winter Weather, Lehigh

When
February 13, 6:00 PM EST to February 14, 1:00 AM 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)

Winter Weather, Northampton

When
February 13, 6:00 PM EST to February 14, 1:00 AM 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)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, 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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, February 2000

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: 5133470, 5133471, 5133472, 5133473, 5133474.