Ice Storm in Pennsylvania, January 1 to 2, 2003

Name: Ice Storm in Pennsylvania, January 1 to 2, 2003
Start: 2003-01-01T03:00
End: 2003-01-02T20:00
Location: Pennsylvania

January 1 to 2, 2003 · NWS CTP · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

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

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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: 10

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 1, 2:25 AM EST, 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 2:25 AM EST, 35 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 31, 4:56 PM EST, 10 hours 4 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, McKean

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM EST
Where: McKean forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.808, -78.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A low pressure system moved northeast along the mid Atlantic coast during Wednesday, January 1st, spreading a large swath of precipitation across Central Pennsylvania. The precipitation fell mainly in the form of rain south of Interstate 80, with a mixture of rain, freezing rain and sleet to the north. Across higher elevations of north central Pennsylvania, significant ice accretions of one quarter to locally one inch occurred, leading to numerous downed tree limbs and power lines, and resulting in widespread power outages. Elevations above 1800 feet were particularly hard hit.

Ice Storm, Cameron

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Cameron forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.437, -78.204 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Columbia

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.049, -76.405 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Elk

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Elk forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.425, -78.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Clinton

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Clinton forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.234, -77.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Lycoming

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Lycoming forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.343, -77.064 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Potter

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM 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, Southern Clinton

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Clinton forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.234, -77.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Lycoming

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Lycoming forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.343, -77.064 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Sullivan

When: January 1, 3:00 AM EST to January 2, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Sullivan forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.446, -76.512 (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 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, January 2003

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: 5339557, 5339641, 5339642, 5339643, 5339644, 5339645, 5340022, 5340023, 5340024, 5340025.