Pennsylvania, 2002

Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, March 22, 2002

March 22, 2002 · NWS PBZ · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A late-season storm spread between 1 and 3 inches of snow across the majority of Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. However, along the higher ridges over the far eastern sections of the counties, snow accumulations reached 4 to 6 inches.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 PBZ wrote it up.

A late-season storm spread between 1 and 3 inches of snow across the majority of Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. However, along the higher ridges over the far eastern sections of the counties, snow accumulations reached 4 to 6 inches.

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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 21, 5:30 PM EST, 11 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 21, 5:30 PM EST, 11 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
530 PM EST THU MAR 21 2002

GETTING ACCUMULATING SNOW NOW AND LAKE EFFECT JUST ABOUT TO GET
UNDERWAY. 85H WIND TO STAY NORTHWEST MUCH OF NIGHT THEN TURN
WESTERLY TOWARD MORNING. MAIN ACCUMS ALONG NRN TIER COUNTIES AND
HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO EAST AND SOUTHEAST.

PIT   16  27  20  44 /  40  30  10   0
HLG   17  29  19  42 /  40  30  10   0
MGW   18  28  18  40 /  40  30  10   0
ZZV   17  29  19  40 /  40  30  10   0
PHD   16  28  19  39 /  40  30  10   0
FKL   14  22  15  35 /  60  50  30   0
DUJ   14  22  15  35 /  60  50  30   0
LBE   18  27  17  39 /  50  50  30   0
BTP   14  22  15  35 /  60  50  30   0
IDI   18  27  17  38 /  50  50  30   0
ODM   13  25  14  33 /  50  50  30   0

.PBZ...
MD...WIND ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY NIGHT FOR ZONE MDZ001.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THROUGH 10 AM FRIDAY FOR MDZ01
OH...NONE.
PA...WIND ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY NIGHT FOR ZONES PAZ023...PAZ030...
PAZ032.

LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY THROUGH 10 AM FRIDAY FOR ZONES PAZ007>009.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THROUGH 10 AM FRIDAY FOR ZONES
PAZ030/023/032/015/016

WV...WIND ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY NIGHT FOR ZONES WVZ023...WVZ041.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WVZ023-041 THROUGH 10 AM FRIDAY.

Event by event

2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Fayette

When
March 22, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Fayette forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm, Westmoreland

When
March 22, 5:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Westmoreland forecast zone
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT

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

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, March 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: 5286905, 5286906.