Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 19, 2004

Name: Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, December 19, 2004
Start: 2004-12-19T15:00
End: 2004-12-19T22:00
Location: Pennsylvania

December 19, 2004 · NWS PHI · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A strong cold front moved through Eastern Pennsylvania during the afternoon of the 19th. Precipitation started as light snow in the Poconos, but light rain elsewhere.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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.

A strong cold front moved through Eastern Pennsylvania during the afternoon of the 19th. Precipitation started as light snow in the Poconos, but light rain elsewhere. As colder air moved into the area, the rain changed to light snow during the mid and late afternoon. Snowfall accumulations were less than an inch, but temperatures fell quickly below freezing and caused untreated roads to become quite slippery by the early evening. Scores of accidents occurred from the Poconos through the northwestern Philadelphia suburbs. The worst reported accidents were in Bucks and Berks Counties. In Bucks County, a multi-vehicle crash closed Interstate 95 in Bristol Township. Slippery roads also caused a multi-vehicle pileup on Limekiln Pike in Hilltown Township. In Berks County, there were numerous accidents along the Interstate 78 corridor which included jackknifed tractor-trailers. Three entrances to the interstate were closed because of accidents. Roads were also closed in Longswamp and Maxatawny Townships.

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 Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 19, 11:55 AM EST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 19, 11:55 AM EST, 3 hours 5 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 19, 5:08 AM EST, 9 hours 52 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
508 AM EST SUN DEC 19 2004

DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055-
060>062-067>071-201200-
ATLANTIC NJ-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY NJ-BERKS PA-BUCKS PA-CAMDEN NJ-
CAPE MAY NJ-CARBON PA-CAROLINE MD-CECIL MD-CHESTER PA-
COASTAL ATLANTIC NJ-COASTAL OCEAN NJ-CUMBERLAND NJ-DELAWARE PA-
DELAWARE BEACHES DE-EASTERN MONMOUTH NJ-GLOUCESTER NJ-HUNTERDON NJ-
INLAND SUSSEX DE-KENT MD-KENT DE-LEHIGH PA-MERCER NJ-MIDDLESEX NJ-
MONROE PA-MONTGOMERY PA-MORRIS NJ-NEW CASTLE DE-NORTHAMPTON PA-
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON NJ-OCEAN NJ-PHILADELPHIA PA-QUEEN ANNES MD-
SALEM NJ-SOMERSET NJ-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON NJ-SUSSEX NJ-TALBOT MD-
WARREN NJ-WESTERN MONMOUTH NJ-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALLENTOWN...ATLANTIC CITY...BETHLEHEM...
CAMDEN...DOVER...NEW BRUNSWICK...NEWARK...PERTH AMBOY...
PHILADELPHIA...READING...TRENTON...VINELAND AND WILMINGTON
508 AM EST SUN DEC 19 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, THE NORTHERN MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE AND NEW
JERSEY, EXCLUDING THE FIVE NORTHEAST COUNTIES.

.DAY ONE...

AN ARCTIC OUTBREAK IS STILL EXPECTED FOR TONIGHT. INCREASING WINDS
AND FALLING TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL CAUSE WIND CHILLS AROUND THE
REGION TO RANGE FROM LESS THAN 10 BELOW ZERO OVER THE SOUTHERN
POCONOS TO THE SINGLE DIGITS AROUND THE COASTAL PLAIN. GALE FORCE
WINDS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE COASTS OF NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE BY
LATE TONIGHT. THERE LIKELY WILL BE SOME LIGHT SNOW WITH THE OUTBREAK,
BUT AT PRESENT ACCUMULATIONS ARE GENERALLY NOT EXPECTED TO EXCEED AN
INCH OR SO.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG, TEMPERATURES COLD AND WIND CHILL VALUES
SIMILAR TO LATE SUNDAY NIGHT VALUES ON MONDAY. WINDS AND WIND CHILLS
ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO MODERATE MONDAY NIGHT. DRIVING CONDITIONS ON
MONDAY MAY BE HAZARDOUS DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD
TEMPERATURES AND LIGHT PRECIPITATION THAT FELL SUNDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

MPD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 19, 2:51 PM EST, 9 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
251 PM EST SUN DEC 19 2004

DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055-
060>062-067>071-200400-
ATLANTIC NJ-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY NJ-BERKS PA-BUCKS PA-CAMDEN NJ-
CAPE MAY NJ-CARBON PA-CAROLINE MD-CECIL MD-CHESTER PA-
COASTAL ATLANTIC NJ-COASTAL OCEAN NJ-CUMBERLAND NJ-DELAWARE PA-
DELAWARE BEACHES DE-EASTERN MONMOUTH NJ-GLOUCESTER NJ-HUNTERDON NJ-
INLAND SUSSEX DE-KENT MD-KENT DE-LEHIGH PA-MERCER NJ-MIDDLESEX NJ-
MONROE PA-MONTGOMERY PA-MORRIS NJ-NEW CASTLE DE-NORTHAMPTON PA-
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON NJ-OCEAN NJ-PHILADELPHIA PA-QUEEN ANNES MD-
SALEM NJ-SOMERSET NJ-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON NJ-SUSSEX NJ-TALBOT MD-
WARREN NJ-WESTERN MONMOUTH NJ-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALLENTOWN...ATLANTIC CITY...BETHLEHEM...
CAMDEN...DOVER...NEW BRUNSWICK...NEWARK...PERTH AMBOY...
PHILADELPHIA...READING...TRENTON...VINELAND AND WILMINGTON
251 PM EST SUN DEC 19 2004

...WINDY AND VERY COLD WEATHER ARE EXPECTED WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW...
...SLIPPERY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ON ROADS TONIGHT AND MONDAY
MORNING...

A BRIEF BUT POWERFUL ARCTIC OUTBREAK IS EXPECTED FOR TONIGHT
AND MONDAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA EARLY THIS
EVENING AND USHER IN THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON.

OCCASIONAL RAIN WILL CHANGE TO LIGHT SNOW THIS EVENING AS
TEMPERATURES DROP THROUGH THE 30S AND INTO THE 20S. THE LIGHT SNOW
COULD ACCUMULATE 1 TO 2 INCHES IN NORTHWESTERN NEW JERSEY AND
NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND AN INCH ELSEWHERE...BEFORE TAPERING OFF
TO FLURRIES LATE TONIGHT.

WITH THE RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES...ANY LIQUID THAT REMAINS ON
ROAD SURFACES WILL FREEZE OVERNIGHT AND SLICK SPOTS OF BLACK ICE ARE
POSSIBLE FROM THE CHANGEOVER THIS EVENING AND CONTINUING INTO THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS OF MONDAY. PEOPLE ON THEIR WAY TO AND FROM WORK
MAY WANT TO ALLOW EXTRA TIME.

ON MONDAY, TEMPERATURES WILL BE 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL...RUNNING
FROM THE SINGLE DIGITS IN THE POCONOS AND NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY TO
NEAR 20 ALONG THE NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE COASTS. WIND CHILL VALUES
LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY ARE EXPECTED TO RUN FROM ZERO TO 10 BELOW
ZERO FOR MUCH OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN NEW JERSEY. IN
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE,
AND NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND THE WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ZERO TO
10 ABOVE ZERO.

WINDS PEAKING AT 25 TO 35 MPH AND VERY COLD AIR COULD COMBINE WITH
SLIPPERY CONDITIONS TO WILL MAKE THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE
DIFFICULT. PEOPLE WHO VENTURE OUTSIDE, INCLUDING CHILDREN ON THEIR
WAY TO SCHOOL, SHOULD DRESS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE ELEMENTS.

HATS, GLOVES AND LAYERS OF CLOTHING ARE IMPORTANT IN THIS TYPE OF
WEATHER.  ALSO...PEOPLE SHOULD MAKE SURE THEIR PETS ARE PROTECTED
FROM THE WEATHER.

SINCE OUR AREA HAS THUS FAR BEEN SPARED FROM ANY EXTREME WINTER
CONDITIONS, PLEASE PREPARE FOR THE WINDS, THE PLUNGING TEMPERATURES,
LOW WIND CHILLS AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS LATE
TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR
FURTHER UPDATES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, VISIT US ON THE
INTERNET AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/ER/PHI.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Monroe

When: December 19, 3:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.058, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Berks

When: December 19, 4:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Berks forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.416, -75.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Carbon

When: December 19, 4:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Carbon forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.918, -75.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lehigh

When: December 19, 4:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Lehigh forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.613, -75.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northampton

When: December 19, 4:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Northampton forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.754, -75.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Bucks

When: December 19, 5:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Bucks forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Winter Weather, Chester

When: December 19, 5:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Chester forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Winter Weather, Montgomery

When: December 19, 5:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

What these are

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

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, December 2004

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5430115, 5429947, 5430019, 5430021, 5430117, 5430018, 5430020, 5430116.