Ice Storm in Pennsylvania, January 31, 2002

Name: Ice Storm in Pennsylvania, January 31, 2002
Start: 2002-01-31T00:01
End: 2002-01-31T10:00
Location: Pennsylvania

January 31, 2002 · NWS CTP · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

4 ice storm, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 4

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 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 State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 30, 10:20 PM EST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 30, 10:20 PM EST, 1 hour 41 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1020 PM EST WED JAN 30 2002

NO CHANGES TO WARNING/ADVISORY AREAS.  UPDATED WSW ALREADY SENT.

COLDER AIR SAGGING INTO NORTHERN AND EASTERN COUNTIES DROPPING TEMPS
TO NEAR FREEZING ALREADY.  IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHEAST
VERY LITTLE CHANGE IN TEMPS SO FAR...BUT EXPECT THESE TO DROP INTO
THE 30S AS COOLER/LOWER DEWPOINT AIR PUSHES INTO THE REGION AT LOWER
LEVELS.  SW COUNTIES WILL FIND IT TOUGHEST IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR
TEMPS TO GET BELOW FREEZING TONIGHT.

PRECIP CURRENTLY IN A MINIMUM ACROSS PA THIS EVENING. THE ACTIVITY
WILL PICK UP AGAIN SOON AS ISENTROPIC LIFT INCREASES DRAMATICALLY
OVER NORTHERN PA OVERNIGHT.  PRECIP SHIELD ALREADY EDGING FURTHER
EAST FROM IN/OH.  FREEZING RAIN/SLEET SHOULD BEGIN BY 2 AM IN THE
NORTH.  CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND MID SUSQ VALLEY WILL SEE THEIR CHANCE
FOR FREEZING RAIN CLOSER TO SUNRISE AS TEMPS SLOWLY COOL TOWARD
FREEZING.  BEST CHANCE IN THE ADVISORY AREA WILL BE IN THE MOUNTAINS
SOUTH OF KIPT WHERE NE/E WINDS BRINGING IN COLDEST AIR.  THE
QUESTION MARK THERE IS WHAT TIME WILL THE FREEZING TEMPS AND AREA OF
PRECIP COINCIDE.  LOOKS LIKE A LATE TONIGHT/THU MORNING EVENT THERE
FOR A COATING OF ICE.

ON THU...WARMER AIR PUSHES NORTHEASTWARD AHEAD OF THE LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM MOVING OUT OF THE W GULF COAST STATES.  THIS WILL ERODE THE
COLDER AIR IN LOWER LEVELS BY THU AFTERNOON NUDGING TEMPS BACK ABOVE
FREEZING.  STILL COULD BE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ICING EVENT IN THE
NORTHERN MOUNTAINS IF MODEL QPF VERIFIES AND PRECIP REMAINS
CONTINUOUS.

UPDATED ZONES OUT MOMENTARILY.  THANKS FOR COORD PBZ

.CTP...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR NORTHERN COUNTIES FOR FREEZING
RAIN/MIXED WINTER PRECIPITATION TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING RAIN FROM STATE COLLEGE EAST TONIGHT
INTO THURSDAY.

RXR

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Warren

When: January 31, 12:01 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.815, -79.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Low pressure over the Central Plains moved northeast across New York State and out through the St. Lawrence River Valley. As precipitation moved across the region, temperatures fell as cold air moved into the region from the north. Rain which fell on Wednesday, January 30th, changed to freezing rain by midnight of Thursday the 31st across the northern tier counties. Ice accumulated between one-quarter and one-half inches across the far northern tier counties. Farther south, into the central counties, lighter accumulations of freezing rain was noted. Most significant, ice accumulations in the WFO State College area of responsibility were noted in Potter County, where up to one-half inch of ice accumulated. Schools announced delayed openings. Precipitation tapered off before noon.

Ice Storm, McKean

When: January 31, 12:01 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: McKean forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.808, -78.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Potter

When: January 31, 12:01 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Potter forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.745, -77.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Tioga

When: January 31, 12:01 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Tioga forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.772, -77.254 (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.

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, January 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: 5278422, 5278423, 5278424, 5278425.