Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, January 19 to 20, 2007

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, January 19 to 20, 2007
Start: 2007-01-19T02:00
End: 2007-01-20T03:00
Location: Pennsylvania

January 19 to 20, 2007 · NWS CLE · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A cold front moved southeast over Lake Erie during the early morning hours of the 19th. Strong northwest flow behind the cold front allowed for lake effect snow to develop across northwest Pennsylvania during the early morning hours of the 19th, and continue through the day.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: $50,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

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 19, 12:05 AM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 12:05 AM EST, 1 hour 55 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 18, 5:11 AM EST, 20 hours 49 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
511 AM EST THU JAN 18 2007

OHZ011>014-023-089-PAZ001>003-191015-
CUYAHOGA-LAKE-GEAUGA-ASHTABULA INLAND-TRUMBULL-
ASHTABULA LAKESHORE-NORTHERN ERIE-SOUTHERN ERIE-CRAWFORD PA-
511 AM EST THU JAN 18 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST OHIO
AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

A GENERAL SNOWFALL WILL BRING AN INCH OR SO OF SNOWFALL TO THE
AREA LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY. THEN LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS
ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO
SATURDAY. THERE IS POSSIBILITY THAT LOCALLY 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW
COULD FALL DURING THIS PERIOD IN THE SNOWBELT AREAS OF NORTHEAST
OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

LEZ142>149-162>169-OHZ003-006>010-017>022-027>033-036>038-047-
191015-
MAUMEE BAY TO RENO BEACH OH-RENO BEACH TO THE ISLANDS OH-
THE ISLANDS TO VERMILION OH-VERMILION TO AVON POINT OH-
AVON POINT TO WILLOWICK OH-WILLOWICK TO GENEVA-ON-THE LAKE OH-
GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE TO CONNEAUT OH-CONNEAUT OH TO RIPLEY NY-
MAUMEE BAY OH TO RENO BEACH OH BEYOND 5 NM OF SHORE-
RENO BEACH TO THE ISLANDS OH BEYOND 5 NM OF SHORE-
THE ISLANDS TO VERMILION OH BEYOND 5 NM OF SHORE-
VERMILION TO AVON POINT OH BEYOND 5 NM OF SHORE-
AVON POINT TO WILLOWICK OH BEYOND 5 NM OF SHORE-
WILLOWICK TO GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE OH BEYOND 5 NM OF SHORE-GENEVA-ON-
THE-LAKE TO CONNEAUT OH BEYOND 5 NM OF SHORE-
CONNEAUT OH TO RIPLEY NY BEYOND 5 NM OF SHORE-LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-
SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-LORAIN-HANCOCK-SENECA-HURON-MEDINA-SUMMIT-
PORTAGE-WYANDOT-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-ASHLAND-WAYNE-STARK-MAHONING-
MARION-MORROW-HOLMES-KNOX-
511 AM EST THU JAN 18 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE ERIE...
NORTH CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHWEST OHIO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 18, 8:49 PM EST, 5 hours 11 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jan 18, 11:41 PM EST, 2 hours 19 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
1141 PM EST THU JAN 18 2007

OHZ010>014-020>023-029>033-037-038-047-089-PAZ001>003-190645-
LORAIN-CUYAHOGA-LAKE-GEAUGA-ASHTABULA INLAND-MEDINA-SUMMIT-
PORTAGE-TRUMBULL-RICHLAND-ASHLAND-WAYNE-STARK-MAHONING-MORROW-
HOLMES-KNOX-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE-NORTHERN ERIE-SOUTHERN ERIE-
CRAWFORD PA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LORAIN...CLEVELAND...MENTOR...CHARDON...
JEFFERSON...MEDINA...AKRON...RAVENNA...WARREN...MANSFIELD...
ASHLAND...WOOSTER...CANTON...YOUNGSTOWN...MOUNT GILEAD...
MILLERSBURG...MOUNT VERNON...ASHTABULA...ERIE...EDINBORO...
MEADVILLE
1141 PM EST THU JAN 18 2007

DRIZZLE OR LIGHT SNOW ACROSS THE AREA MAY CHANGE TO PERIOD OF
FREEZING DRIZZLE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THIS COULD
CREATE SLICK SPOTS ON UNTREATED ROADS...BRIDGES AND SIDEWALKS.
COLDER AIR WILL MOVE IN OVERNIGHT AND TURN THE MIXTURE TO ALL
SNOW.

MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION AS THEY TRAVEL THROUGH THE AREA
OVERNIGHT.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Erie

When: January 19, 2:00 AM EST to January 20, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Erie forecast zone
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.118, -80.098 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake effect snow began during the early morning hours of the 19th. By daybreak, 2 to 4 inches of snow had been reported across interior Erie County. Snow continued through the morning and afternoon hours, and by evening an additional 3 to 6 inches fell. During the day on the 19th, McKean picked up 6.2 inches, and for the event received 9.3 inches.

Lake-Effect Snow, Crawford

When: January 19, 2:00 AM EST to January 20, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.685, -80.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake effect snow began during the early morning hours of the 19th, and continued through the day. The snow tapered off during the overnight hours into the 20th. The snow was heaviest during the daytime hours, with Cambridge Springs picking up 7.4 inches during the daylight hours on the 19th. A report of 11.3 inches of snow fell in Meadville during this event, and about 8 inches fell in Linesville.

What these are

Lake-Effect Snow: Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, January 2007

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 12582, 12583.