Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, February 1, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, February 1, 2002
Start: 2002-02-01T00:00
End: 2002-02-01T12:00
Location: Pennsylvania

February 1, 2002 · NWS BGM · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A strong intensifying storm in the lower Mississippi Valley moved slowly northeast to be in New York late on February 1st. The storm pumped abundant moisture north ahead of it.

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.

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: 7

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 BGM wrote it up.

A strong intensifying storm in the lower Mississippi Valley moved slowly northeast to be in New York late on February 1st. The storm pumped abundant moisture north ahead of it. The precipitation started as snow then changed over to sleet, freezing rain, then finally rain. Changes occurred from west to east. Most locations had two inches or less of snow. By 10 AM on January 31st, most locations had changed over to freezing rain. Steady freezing rain, at times moderate, fell during the daytime. By evening Wayne and Pike counties still had freezing rain but it had lessened in intensity. Across most of the remaining area it was just rain. The freezing rain lessened further in coverage and intensity overnight before finally ending late morning on the first. Ice accumulations were up to a quarter of an inch.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Binghamton, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 31, 9:25 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 9:25 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
925 PM EST THU JAN 31 2002

WILL DROP WARNINGS FROM ALL COUNTIES BUT ONEIDA/MADISON/ONONDAGA AND
SOUTHERN CAYUGA.

TEMPS HAVE WARMED INTO THE MID AND UPPER 30S ACROSS MUCH OF CWA THIS
EVENING EXCEPT OVR NRN ZONES WHERE PERSISTENT EASTERLY FLW CONTINUES
ALONG MOHAWK VLY. WITH MORE PRECIP HEADING FOR NRN REGIONS AS EVIDENT
ON LOCAL RADARS WILL CONTINUE WARNINGS OVERNIGHT. ANOTHER AREA OF
CONCERN IS WESTERN CATSKILLS WHERE MSV STILL REPORTING 28/27. PRECIP
OVR THIS REGION SPOTTY AND EXPECT IT TO REMAIN SO OVERNIGHT SO WILL
ONLY MENTION SPOTTY FZRA IN ZONES.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING LOOKS INTERESTING FOR WIND POTENTIAL
WITH STRONG RISE/FALL COUPLET AS SYSTEM PULLS OUT. DECENT SUBSIDENCE
AND WELL ALIGNED FLW FAVORS STRONG WIND SCENARIO BUT DONT EXPECT
WARNING CRITERIA WINDS. MIDSHIFT MAY WANT TO CONSIDER AN ADVISORY.

.BGM...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT NYZ009-017-018-036-037.

RRM

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Bradford

When: February 1, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Bradford forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.789, -76.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lackawanna

When: February 1, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Lackawanna forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.437, -75.609 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Luzerne

When: February 1, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Luzerne forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.177, -75.989 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pike

When: February 1, 12:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Pike forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.332, -75.034 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Susquehanna

When: February 1, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Susquehanna forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.821, -75.801 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wayne

When: February 1, 12:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.649, -75.303 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wyoming

When: February 1, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Wyoming forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.518, -76.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, February 2002

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: 5281133, 5281134, 5281135, 5281136, 5281137, 5281138, 5281139.