Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, March 16, 2004

Name: Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, March 16, 2004
Start: 2004-03-16T12:00
End: 2004-03-16T21:00
Location: Pennsylvania

March 16, 2004 · NWS CTP · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

22 heavy snow, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 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: 22

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 Mar 16, 10:00 AM EST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 16, 10:00 AM EST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
10 AM EST TUE MAR 16 2004

.DISCUSSION...

SNOW PRETTY MUCH WIDESPREAD AT 10 AM FALLING AT VARYING RATES.
REGIONAL RADARS SHOW PRECIP CONTINUING TO FILL IN OVER THE LOCAL
AREA...BUT LACKING MUCH OF ANY BANDED LOOK TO IT. BEST BANDING
APPEARS JUST ALONG AND NORTH OF THE PA BORDER...APPARENTLY ASSOC
WITH BEST MID LEVEL FRONTOGENETIC FORCING AS PORTRAYED BY THE ETA
AND RUC PROGS.

WILL BE STICKING WITH CURRENT FCST ACCUMS...BUT AM GROWING
SUSPICIOUS THAT WE MAY NOT WILL ACHIEVE FULL POTENTIAL FROM THE
STORM DESPITE MODEL QPFS. BUFKIT CROSS SXNS SUGGEST WE WILL NOT BE
IN THE BEST REGION FOR THE DENDRITIC SNOW GROWTH AS THE STORM
EVOLVES...WITH BEST UPWARD VERT MOTIONS NOT COINCIDING WITH THE
SATURATED -12 TO -18C (OR SO) REGION ALOFT. LOOKS LIKE BEST VERT
MOTIONS ARE KEPT TOO HIGH IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD AS SYSTEM MOVES
THRU.

LOOKS LIKE A WIND DOWN TO SNOW SHOWERS LATER TONIGHT ALL AREAS AS
MAIN SFC LOW JUMPS TO THE COAST AND HEADS AWAY...LEAVING US TO DEAL
WITH UPPER SYSTEM TRAVERSING STATE. SO STEADIEST PRECIP LIKELY
THROUGH EARLY EVENING BEFORE THE TAPERING OFF PROCESS BEGINS. MORE
SHORTWAVE ENERGY HEADING OUT OF THE LAKES SHUD KEEP US UNSEASONABLY
COOL AND UNSETTLED INTO MID WEEK.

LA CORTE

.AVIATION...

NOT A GREAT DAY TO FLY IN PA. LOW CIG/VIS WILL BE THE RULE WITH SNOW
OF VARYING INTENSITY CAUSING ANYWHERE FROM VLIFR TO IFR ALL DAY.
EAST TO NORTHEAST SFC WINDS WILL QUICKLY BACK TO STRONG SSE ALOFT
CREATING THE POTENTIAL FOR SHEAR IN LOW LEVELS. HAVE LIMITED MENTION
IN TAFS AS IT MAY NOT QUITE BE CONFINED TO LOWEST 2000.
OVERALL...EXPECT VIS BETWEEN 1/4 AND 2 ON AVG...WITH CEILINGS MAINLY
BELOW 1000 FEET.

GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT TONIGHT BUT STILL WILL BE DEALING WITH AT LEAST
MVFR INTO WED WITH SCT SNOW SHOWERS ASSOC WITH UPPER LOW.

LA CORTE

.PREV DISCUSSION...

MOTHER NATURE
MAKING ME EAT MY WORDS...AS JUST A WEEK OR SO AGO I WROTE IN A FCST
DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THERE WEREN/T ANY BIG MARCH SNOW STORMS ON THE
HORIZON. MMMM...NOTHING LIKE SOME HUMBLE PIE ON A MIDNIGHT SHIFT.

WELL...AN UPR TROF PIVOTS NEGATIVELY AS IT SWINGS THRU THE REGION
TODAY...AND WILL PULL MOISTURE IN FROM THE EAST AND DRIVE SOME
COLDER AIR DOWN FROM THE NORTH.  TABLE WAS SET VERY WELL BY PREV
SHIFTS. THE SNOW AMOUNTS LOOK FINE AND WL NOT CHANGE MUCH...NOR
ADJUST ANY OF THE WWA AREAS/TIMES.

DENDRITIC SNOW GROWTH WILL NOT BE MAXIMIZED EXCEPT OVER THE NRN
TIER...WHERE THE UP MOTION LINES UP PRETTY WELL WITH THE SATURATED
-10C TO -15C LAYER FOR MOST OF THE DAY. 3-5SM -SN IS ALREADY FALLING
OV NRN OH...AND THIS AREA PROGGED TO BLOSSOM AS THE UPR LOW DEEPENS
AS IT NEARS...AND ERLY FLOW PERSISTS AND BRINGS IN MUCH MOISTURE.

WORRY NOW IS JUST HOW MUCH OF THIS STUFF WILL STICK ON THE ROADS -
ROAD SFC TEMPS ARE RUNNING 40-50 DEGS IN SRN SECTIONS OF OUR AREA.
DOUBTLESSLY...THE BEST ACCUMS WILL BE ON THE GRASSY AREAS AND METAL
THINGS.  THE LOWER SUSQ MAY AGAIN SEE LITTLE OF THIS STUFF STICK
ANYWHERE...AS MOST THINGS ARE WELL ABOVE FREEZING THERE. PRECIP TYPE
WILL ALSO CHANGE OVER TO A SLEET/RAIN MIX FOR THIS AFTN/EVENING IN
OUR SRN COUNTIES.

WL JUST TWEAK THE STATEMENT WORDING TO REFLECT THE THINKING THAT
ACCUMS WL BE ON THE COLDER SURFACES. THE ROADS MAY ACTUALLY STAY
JUST WET SOUTH OF I-80. CURR TEMPS IN THE 20S AND DWPTS IN THE TEENS
IN THE NORTHLANDS WILL LET THINGS START EARLIER AND IT WILL SNOW
VERY HARD AT TIMES...THIS SHOULD ALLOW THE SNOW TO COOL THE SURFACE
TEMPS (WHICH MAY BE ABV FZG AT FIRST) ENOUGH TO ALLOW EVERYTHING TO
STICK AFTER A FEW HOURS.

SNOW WILL TAPER OFF THIS EVENING...AS MOISTURE GETS VERY SHALLOW.
THERE COULD BE A SPOT OR TWO OF FZDZ THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT BUT WILL
LEAVE THE MENTION OUT FOR NOW. ADDTNL ACCUMS TONIGHT SNOULD ONL BE
AN INCH OR SO.

NOT MUCH TIME TO LOOK BEYOND THE FIRST FEW PERIODS...AND LITTLE
CHANGE IN THE EXTENDED WILL COME WITH THIS PKG.

DANGELO
&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
HARRISBURG     34  28  38  26 / 100  70  20  30
WILLIAMSPORT   31  27  38  23 / 100  80  30  50
BRADFORD       28  18  28  20 / 100  80  40  50
JOHNSTOWN      31  21  34  22 / 100  80  40  40
ALTOONA        31  22  36  23 / 100  80  30  40
STATE COLLEGE  32  23  36  22 / 100  80  30  40
SELINSGROVE    33  28  39  24 / 100  80  30  50
LANCASTER      35  27  38  26 / 100  70  20  30
YORK           34  28  38  27 / 100  70  20  30
&&

.CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PA...WINTER STORM WARNING THRU 7 PM FOR MOST OF CWFA.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THRU 7 PM FOR LOWER SUSQ AND SCENTL MTS.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 16, 4:51 AM EST, 7 hours 9 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
451 AM EST TUE MAR 16 2004

PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-161400-
ADAMS PA-BEDFORD PA-BLAIR PA-CAMBRIA PA-CAMERON PA-CLEARFIELD PA-
COLUMBIA PA-CUMBERLAND PA-DAUPHIN PA-ELK PA-FRANKLIN PA-FULTON PA-
HUNTINGDON PA-JUNIATA PA-LANCASTER PA-LEBANON PA-MCKEAN PA-
MIFFLIN PA-MONTOUR PA-NORTHERN CENTRE PA-NORTHERN CLINTON PA-
NORTHERN LYCOMING PA-NORTHUMBERLAND PA-PERRY PA-POTTER PA-
SCHUYLKILL PA-SNYDER PA-SOMERSET PA-SOUTHERN CENTRE PA-
SOUTHERN CLINTON PA-SOUTHERN LYCOMING PA-SULLIVAN PA-TIOGA PA-
UNION PA-WARREN PA-YORK PA-
451 AM EST TUE MAR 16 2004

A LATE SEASON WINTER STORM WILL PRODUCE MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW OVER
MUCH OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TODAY. THE HEAVIEST OF THE SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE OVER THE NORTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...IN PLACES
LIKE BRADFORD AND RIDGWAY. LIGHTER...BUT STILL MODERATE TO HEAVY
SNOW...IS EXPECTED IN THE LAUREL MOUNTAINS AND RIDGE AND VALLEY
REGION.

THE SNOW WILL MIX WITH AND CHANGE TO SLEET AND RAIN OVER THE
SOUTH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON.
THE SNOW WILL ALSO BE MELTING AS IT FALLS...ESPECIALLY IN AND AROUND
THE HARRISBURG...YORK AND LANCASTER AREAS...WHICH WILL KEEP TOTAL
ACCUMULATIONS DOWN. HOWEVER...THE MIX OF PRECIPITATION EXPECTED THERE
WILL MAKE SOME TRAVEL PROBLEMS.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS...PLEASE SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
(WWUS41 KCTP WSWCTP).

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY:

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY. SPOTTERS PLEASE CONTACT US WITH
SNOWFALL OF THREE INCHES OR MORE.

DANGELO

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Warren

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.815, -79.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A low pressure system developed across the central Plains on Monday, March 15th, and then tracked east into the lower Ohio Valley by Tuesday morning, March 16th. The low then continued moving east, off the northern Mid Atlantic coast by Tuesday evening. A swath of moderate to locally heavy snow spread across central Pennsylvania during the early morning hours of Tuesday, before tapering off to scattered snow showers by Tuesday evening. By the time the snow ended Tuesday night, snowfall accumulations generally ranged from 6 to 8 inches across a large portion of central Pennsylvania, with isolated higher amounts exceeding one foot across northern McKean County. The snow created locally hazardous travel conditions, and resulted in numerous school closures.

Heavy Snow, Cameron

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Cameron forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.437, -78.204 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Clearfield

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Clearfield forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.000, -78.474 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Columbia

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.049, -76.405 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Elk

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Elk forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.425, -78.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Juniata

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Juniata forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.531, -77.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, McKean

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: McKean forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.808, -78.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mifflin

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Mifflin forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.610, -77.617 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Montour

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Montour forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.028, -76.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Centre

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Northern Centre forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.919, -77.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Northern Clinton

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Northern Lycoming

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Northumberland

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Northumberland forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.852, -76.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Potter

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Potter forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.745, -77.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Schuylkill

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Schuylkill forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.706, -76.216 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Snyder

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Snyder forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.770, -77.070 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Centre

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Centre forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.919, -77.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Southern Clinton

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Southern Lycoming

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 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)

Heavy Snow, Sullivan

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Sullivan forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.446, -76.512 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Tioga

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Tioga forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.772, -77.254 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Union

When: March 16, 12:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.963, -77.062 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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, March 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5387113, 5387114, 5387115, 5387116, 5387117, 5387118, 5387226, 5387227, 5387228, 5387317, 5387318, 5387319, 5387320, 5387321, 5387322, 5387323, 5387324, 5387325, 5387326, 5387327, 5387328, 5387329.