Pennsylvania, 2005

Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, March 8, 2005

March 8, 2005 · NWS PHI · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

The combination of a strong cold frontal passage during the morning of the 8th and a rapidly intensifying low pressure system off the Middle Atlantic and New England States brought snow and plunging temperatures during the day on the 8th. Precipitation started as rain before sunrise on the 8th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 happened

The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.

The combination of a strong cold frontal passage during the morning of the 8th and a rapidly intensifying low pressure system off the Middle Atlantic and New England States brought snow and plunging temperatures during the day on the 8th. Actual accumulations averaged an inch or two in most places, but the sharp drop in temperatures brought treacherous driving conditions on untreated roadways during the afternoon and evening and countless accidents occurred including two with fatalities in Chester County.Precipitation started as rain before sunrise on the 8th. The cold front moved through Eastern Pennsylvania between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST as a low pressure system on the front was intensifying. Temperatures dropped quickly behind this front both at the surface and aloft. The rain changed to snow between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST in the Poconos, around 9 a.m. EST in the Lehigh Valley and between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. EST across Berks County and the Philadelphia Metropolitan area. About an hour after the precipitation changed to snow, temperatures dropped below freezing as the snow continued to fall. The snow fell heavy at times around Noon EST in the Lehigh Valley. The snow ended during the mid-afternoon, but its lingering effects lasted well into the night as the wind blew the snow back on the road. Townships averaged about a dozen weather related accidents. In Bucks County, the 911 centers had about 700 more calls than usual. In Chester County, a 21-year-old woman died in Pocopson Township on northbound Pennsylvania State Route 52 after she could not negotiate a curve, struck a concrete bridge abutment, slid down an embankment and came to a stop in a small stream. In Thornbury Township, a 62-year-old woman died after she lost control of her vehicle and struck a tree. In Berks County, Interstate 78 was down to one lane in each direction for hours between Shartlesville and Lenhartsville because of a dozen minor accidents. The West Shore Bypass was closed in Reading for about an hour. Serious traffic accidents occurred in Cumru, Maxatawny, Robeson and Windsor Townships. In Bucks County, in Milford Township, a state trooper was injured after his vehicle was rear-ended on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In the Lehigh Valley, westbound Interstate 78 had 5 mile long delays through the evening rush. In the Philadelphia Metropolitan area, the snow and wind caused about 15 minute delays throughout its SEPTA regional rail lines. Many schools dismissed children early and cancelled after school activities. Specific snow accumulations included 2.4 inches in Blue Bell (Montgomery County), 2.2 inches at the Lehigh Valley International Airport and Glenmoore (Chester County), 1.8 inches in Furlong (Bucks County), 1.5 inches in Forks Township (Northampton County) and Boyertown (Berks County), 1.0 inch in Chadds Ford (Delaware County) and 0.5 inches at the Philadelphia International Airport.The snow was caused by the combination of the cold frontal passage and the rapidly intensifying low pressure system that developed on the front during the morning of the 8th. The low moved northeast and was an already intense 986 mb near Danville, Virginia at 7 a.m. EST on the 8th. From there it continued to move northeast and deepened to a 978 mb low just east of Long Beach Island, New Jersey at 1 p.m. EST on the 8th, to a 970 mb low over Nantucket Island, Massachusetts at 7 p.m. EST on the 8th to a 964 mb low just southwest of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia at 1 a.m. EST on the 9th.

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 Mar 8, 2:45 AM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 8, 2:45 AM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 8, 4:01 AM EST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
401 AM EST TUE MAR 8 2005

DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ001-007>010-012>027-PAZ054-055-
060>062-067>071-090901-
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
401 AM EST TUE MAR 8 2005

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...
A STRONG FRONT COLD WILL MOVE TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST AND RAPIDLY
INTENSIFY BY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEFORE MOVING WELL OUT TO SEA
TONIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE REGION WITH
GUSTS THAT WILL REACH BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH LATER TODAY INTO THE
EVENING HOURS. THE TEMPERATURES WILL DROP CONSIDERABLE COMPARED TO
MONDAY AND RAIN WILL FALL AT FIRST BEFORE THE COLD AIR ADVECTS INTO
THE REGION AND TURNS THE PRECIPITATION TURNS TO SNOW. A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR CARBON AND MONROE COUNTIES OF
PENNSYLVANIA AND SUSSEX COUNTY NEW JERSEY. ELSEWHERE SOME LIGHT
ACCUMULATIONS WILL OCCUR.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTERS ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FOR TODAYS WEATHER.

EBERWINE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 8, 5:15 AM EST, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
515 AM EST TUE MAR 8 2005

NJZ007-008-PAZ060>062-082200-
BERKS PA-LEHIGH PA-MORRIS NJ-NORTHAMPTON PA-WARREN NJ-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALLENTOWN...BETHLEHEM AND READING
515 AM EST TUE MAR 8 2005

...WINTER IS COMING BACK...

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY WITH RAIN PRECEDING
IT AND TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING. HOWEVER, LOW PRESSURE WILL FORM
ON THE FRONT THIS MORNING THEN INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES TO THE DELAWARE
AND NEW JERSEY COASTS BY THIS AFTERNOON. AS IT INTENSIFIES, IT WILL
BRING MUCH COLDER AIR INTO THE REGION THAT WILL CHANGE THE RAIN OVER
TO SNOW BY THIS AFTERNOON.  THE CHANGEOVER WILL TAKE PLACE RATHER
QUICKLY AND THE SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE AROUND 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE
LEHIGH VALLEY AND ADJACENT AREAS OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY.

WHEN THE SNOW FIRST STARTS TO FALL THIS MORNING, IT WILL BE SLOW TO
ACCUMULATE COURTESY OF THE WARM GROUND FROM MONDAY/S 60 DEGREE
TEMPERATURES. FOR THE SAME REASON, SNOW WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO
ACCUMULATE ON AREA ROADWAYS DURING THE MORNING HOURS. HOWEVER, WITH
TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE UPPER 20S AND LOW 30S ON NORTHWEST
WINDS, THE ENVIRONMENT WILL COOL DOWN QUICKLY. BY NOON, SNOW WILL BE
ACCUMULATING.

THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO END LATE TODAY OR EARLY EVENING AS THE COLD
FRONT AND THE ASSOCIATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES AWAY FROM THE
AREA. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TONIGHT, BUT COLDER THAN NORMAL
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH A GOOD PORTION OF THE
WEEK.

NJZ009-010-012-015-PAZ067>069-082200-
BUCKS PA-CHESTER PA-HUNTERDON NJ-MERCER NJ-MIDDLESEX NJ-
MONTGOMERY PA-SOMERSET NJ-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NEW BRUNSWICK...PERTH AMBOY AND TRENTON
515 AM EST TUE MAR 8 2005

...WINTER IS COMING BACK...

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY WITH RAIN PRECEDING
IT AND TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING. HOWEVER, LOW PRESSURE WILL FORM
ON THE FRONT THIS MORNING THEN INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES TO THE DELAWARE
AND NEW JERSEY COASTS BY THIS AFTERNOON. AS IT INTENSIFIES, IT WILL
BRING MUCH COLDER AIR INTO THE REGION THAT WILL CHANGE THE RAIN OVER
TO SNOW BY THIS AFTERNOON.  THE CHANGEOVER WILL TAKE PLACE RATHER
QUICKLY AND THE SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE AROUND 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE
NORTHERN DELAWARE VALLEY AND ACROSS THE RIVER INTO CENTRAL NEW
JERSEY.

WHEN THE SNOW FIRST STARTS TO FALL THIS MORNING, IT WILL BE SLOW TO
ACCUMULATE COURTESY OF THE WARM GROUND FROM MONDAY/S 60 DEGREE
TEMPERATURES. FOR THE SAME REASON, SNOW WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO
ACCUMULATE ON AREA ROADWAYS DURING THE MORNING HOURS. HOWEVER, WITH
TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE UPPER 20S AND LOW 30S ON NORTHWEST
WINDS, THE ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE WILL COOL DOWN QUICKLY. BY
NOON, SNOW WILL BE ACCUMULATING.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO END LATE TODAY OR EARLY EVENING AS THE COLD
FRONT AND THE ASSOCIATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES AWAY FROM THE
AREA. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TONIGHT, BUT COLDER THAN NORMAL
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH A GOOD PORTION OF THE
WEEK.

DEZ001>003-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ013-016>023-027-PAZ070-071-
082200-
ATLANTIC NJ-CAMDEN NJ-CAPE MAY NJ-CAROLINE MD-CECIL MD-CUMBERLAND NJ-
DELAWARE PA-GLOUCESTER NJ-INLAND SUSSEX DE-KENT MD-KENT DE-
NEW CASTLE DE-NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON NJ-OCEAN NJ-PHILADELPHIA PA-
QUEEN ANNES MD-SALEM NJ-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON NJ-TALBOT MD-
WESTERN MONMOUTH NJ-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CAMDEN...DOVER...NEWARK...PHILADELPHIA...
VINELAND AND WILMINGTON
515 AM EST TUE MAR 8 2005

...WINTER IS COMING BACK...

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY WITH RAIN PRECEDING
IT AND TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING. HOWEVER, LOW PRESSURE WILL FORM
ON THE FRONT THIS MORNING THEN INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES TO THE DELAWARE
AND NEW JERSEY COASTS BY THIS AFTERNOON. AS IT INTENSIFIES, IT WILL
BRING MUCH COLDER AIR INTO THE REGION THAT WILL CHANGE THE RAIN OVER
TO SNOW BY THIS AFTERNOON.

LATE TUESDAY MORNING, IT WILL BE SLOW TO ACCUMULATE COURTESY OF THE
WARM GROUND FROM MONDAY/S 60 DEGREE TEMPERATURES. FOR THE SAME
REASON, SNOW WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO ACCUMULATE ON AREA ROADWAYS.
HOWEVER, WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE LOW 30S ON NORTHWEST
WINDS, THE ENVIRONMENT WILL COOL DOWN QUICKLY. BY EARLY AFTERNOON, A
SLUSHY SNOW ACCUMULATION CAN BE EXPECTED. WITH THE COMBINATION OF
STRONG WINDS AND COLD TEMPERATURES, WIND CHILL VALUES ARE EXPECTED
TO DIP INTO THE TEENS THIS AFTERNOON, THEN INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS
TONIGHT.

SNOW IS FORECAST TO END LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING AS
THE COLD FRONT AND THE ASSOCIATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES AWAY
FROM THE AREA. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TONIGHT, BUT COLDER THAN
NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH A GOOD PORTION
OF THE WEEK.

DEZ004-NJZ014-024>026-082200-
ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY NJ-COASTAL ATLANTIC NJ-COASTAL OCEAN NJ-
DELAWARE BEACHES DE-EASTERN MONMOUTH NJ-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATLANTIC CITY
515 AM EST TUE MAR 8 2005

...WINTER IS COMING BACK...

OUR BRIEF RESPITE FROM WINTER WEATHER WILL END ABRUPTLY AS A VIGOROUS
COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION FROM WEST TO EAST TUESDAY MORNING. RAIN
AND RAIN SHOWERS AHEAD OF THIS FRONT WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA DURING
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. A CHANGEOVER FROM RAIN TO SNOW WILL OCCUR
QUICKLY AS COLD AIR RUSHES IN BEHIND THIS FRONT EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON. A RUMBLE OF THUNDER IS ALSO POSSIBLE. BY THE TIME
PRECIPITATION COMES TO AN END LATE THIS AFTERNOON, 1 OR 2 INCHES OF
SNOW ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE COAST.

WHEN THE SNOW FIRST STARTS TO FALL EARLY THIS AFTERNOON, IT WILL BE
SLOW TO ACCUMULATE COURTESY OF THE WARM GROUND FROM MONDAY/S 60
DEGREE TEMPERATURES. FOR THE SAME REASON, SNOW WILL BE HARD PRESSED
TO ACCUMULATE ON AREA ROADWAYS. HOWEVER, WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING
INTO THE LOW 30S ON NORTHWEST WINDS, THE ENVIRONMENT WILL COOL DOWN
QUICKLY. BY MID AFTERNOON, A SLUSHY SNOW COVER IS EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP. WITH THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND COLD TEMPERATURES,
WIND CHILL VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO DIP INTO THE TEENS THIS AFTERNOON,
THEN INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS TONIGHT.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO END LATE TODAY OR EARLY THIS EVENING AS THE COLD
FRONT AND THE ASSOCIATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES AWAY FROM THE
AREA. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TONIGHT, BUT COLDER THAN NORMAL
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH A GOOD PORTION OF THE
WEEK.

EBERWINE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Carbon

When
March 8, 6:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Carbon forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.918, -75.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Monroe

When
March 8, 6:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Monroe forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
41.058, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lehigh

When
March 8, 8:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Lehigh forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.613, -75.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northampton

When
March 8, 8:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Northampton forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.754, -75.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Berks

When
March 8, 9:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Berks forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.416, -75.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Bucks

When
March 8, 9:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Bucks forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather, Chester

When
March 8, 9:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Chester forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather, Montgomery

When
March 8, 9:00 AM EST to 2:00 PM EST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather, Delaware

When
March 8, 10:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Delaware forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.917, -75.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Philadelphia

When
March 8, 10:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Philadelphia forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.008, -75.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, March 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: 5439415, 5439419, 5439418, 5439421, 5439413, 5439414, 5439416, 5439420, 5439417, 5439422.