Pennsylvania, 2005

Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, January 22 to 23, 2005

January 22 to 23, 2005 · NWS CLE · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

An area of low pressure over the Northern Great Lakes moved southeast across northern Ohio and into western Pennsylvania early on January 22nd. Heavy snow associated with this low spread into Northwest Pennsylvania just before daybreak.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
$650,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 CLE wrote it up.

An area of low pressure over the Northern Great Lakes moved southeast across northern Ohio and into western Pennsylvania early on January 22nd. Heavy snow associated with this low spread into Northwest Pennsylvania just before daybreak. Visibilities during the morning hours were reduced to near zero at times. The snow diminished for several hours during the afternoon. However, cold air blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop late in the day. The lake effect activity then persisted into the early morning hours of the 23rd. Northerly winds gusting to as high as 35 mph caused much blowing and drifting of snow. Accumulations during this event ranged from 8 to locally as much as 15 inches across inland Erie and northern Crawford counties. Officially, 12.5 inches of snow was measured at Erie Airport (Erie County). Treacherous driving conditions were reported along with dozens of accidents.

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 Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 22, 3:40 AM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 22, 3:40 AM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 22, 4:23 AM EST, 1 hour 37 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

3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Crawford

When
January 22, 6:00 AM EST to January 23, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Crawford forecast zone
Property damage
$150,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.685, -80.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Northern Erie

When
January 22, 6:00 AM EST to January 23, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Erie forecast zone
Property damage
$300,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.118, -80.098 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Southern Erie

When
January 22, 6:00 AM EST to January 23, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Southern Erie forecast zone
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.118, -80.098 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, January 2005

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: 5435166, 5435167, 5435168.