A complex winter storm produced a significant ice and snow accumulation across the Laurel Highlands and North Central Mountains. Further south and east, heavy rainfall resulted in minor flooding in the Lower Main Stem Susquehanna River Basin.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS CTP wrote it up.
A complex winter storm produced a significant ice and snow accumulation across the Laurel Highlands and North Central Mountains. Further south and east, heavy rainfall resulted in minor flooding in the Lower Main Stem Susquehanna River Basin.
The wintry precipitation caused hazardous driving conditions and many vehicle accidents were reported. Despite the ice accumulation, power outages resulting from downed trees and wires were generally isolated. A few counties reported road closures, but all interstates remained open.
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 Dec 11, 6:38 AM EST, 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 638 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER ALABAMA THIS MORNING WILL MOVE NORTHEAST...REACHING THE NEW JERSEY COAST EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. ABUNDANT...TROPICAL MOISTURE TO THE EAST OF LOW WILL BE PULLED UP AND OVER THE RELATIVELY SHALLOW COLD AIRMASS OVER THE REGION. THIS WILL LEAD TO A SIGNIFICANT WINTRY MIX ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. HEAVY RAIN OF 1.5 INCHES OR MORE...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR STREAM FLOODING WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE STATE. MAINLY DRY AND COLD WEATHER WILL FOLLOW FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. A WARM UP IS IN STORE FOR LATE THIS WEEKEND AND THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... SHALLOW...SUB-FREEZING AIR HAS OOZED SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE VALLEYS OF CENTRAL PENN EARLY TODAY AS AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN MOVE NE. OCCASIONAL FREEZING RAIN AND SOME ICE PELLETS WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING ACROSS THE CENTRAL RIDGE AND VALLEY REGION...WITH A LIGHT COATING OF ICE LEADING TO HAZARDOUS TRAVEL. SFC TEMPS A FEW DEG F ABOVE FREEZING AND MILDER AIR ALOFT SUPPORT MAINLY RAIN NEAR AND TO THE SOUTH/EAST OF KHAR. WSR-88D...SFC OBS...AND MODEL GUIDANCE POINT TO MAINLY LIGHT/WET SNOW ACROSS THE ALLEGHENY PLATEAU FROM AROUND KFIG NE TO KELM WHERE A SLUSHY 1-2 INCHES WILL ACCUMULATE THROUGH MIDDAY. VERY LITTLE CHANGE IN FRESH 06Z MODEL FROM WHAT I HAD TO WORK WITH 24 HOURS AGO. THE BIG DIFFERENCE LIES WITH THE GUIDANCE SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN - WHICH SHOWED AN ATMOSPHERE MORE CONDUCIVE TO A MODERATE FREEZING PRECIP EVENT ACROSS THE CENTRAL RIDGE AND VALLEY REGION WITH HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE SE ZONES. THE LATTER HASNT CHANGED MUCH...AND ALL GUIDANCE (INCLUDING 21Z SREF AND 00Z/06Z OPERATIONAL MODELS) SHOWS A SOLID 1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS RAINFALL... COMBINED WITH MARFC HEADWATER GUIDANCE OF 1.8 T0 2.4 INCHES PER 12 HOURS NEEDED FOR FLOODING...HAS PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF A FLOOD WATCH FOR 5 COUNTIES IN THE SE PART OF THE CWA. LATEST...06Z NAM IS BACK TO A HIGHER POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW ACROSS THE AREA NEAR...AND TO THE NW OF KAOO...KUNV AND KIPT WHERE A 6 OR 8:1 SNOW/WATER RATIO WOULD LEAD TO 3 TO 5 INCHES IN THE VALLEYS AND 6 TO 8 INCHES ACROSS THE MTNS WITH AN 8 TO 10:1 RATIO USED....NEAR AND TO THE NE OF KUNV AND KIPT. UPGRADED THE PREVIOUS ADVISORY TO A WARNING FOR 3 AREAS - TIOGA CTY...NRN LYCOMING AND SULLIVAN WHERE THE COMBINATION OF 2 TO 3 TENTHS OF FZRA/PL AND THE AFOREMENTIONED SNOW AMOUNTS ARE AROUND OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE CUSP OF WARNING CRITERIA. STRONG 850-700 HPA FRONTOGENESIS DEVELOPS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING JUST TO THE NW OF THE LOW CENTER AS UPPER JET SEGMENTS LINK-UP RIGHT OVER THE SUSQ VALLEY AND POINTS EAST BETWEEN 21Z AND 04Z FRIDAY. PWATS OVER 1.5 INCHES ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF THE LOW TRACK WILL BE PULLED NORTH AND NW ABOVE THE RELATIVELY SHALLOW COLD AIRMASS OVER THE REGION (VIA A POTENT 50-60 KT SOUTHERLY 850 HPA JET). PRECIP RATES WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES LATE TODAY AND THIS EVENING. EXPECT WELL SEE SOME BIG...GLOPPY FLAKES OF SNOW MIXING IN LATE TODAY THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY ALONG...AND JUST TO THE NW OF ROUTE 220/INTERSTATE 99...WHERE AN ISOTHERMAL LAYER TEETERING ON 0C WILL OCCUR FROM THE SFC THROUGH 6 KFT AGL. A STRIP OF HEAVY SNOWFALL RATES/VERY POOR VSBYS IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR ACROSS THE HIGH TERRAIN FROM NEAR KJST...NE TO KFIG AND KELM...AS COLD ADVECTION ALOFT/STRONGER UVVEL AND MID LVL FRONTOGENESIS DEVELOPS. IF WE END UP HAVING TO UPGRADE TO A WARNING ELSEWHERE...I CONCUR WITH PREVIOUS SHIFTS IN PLACING THE BEST CHANCE OF >.25 OF ICE...WARNING CRITERIA ICE...IN AN ARC FROM SOMERSET COUNTY NORTHEAST THRU CLEARFIELD AND NRN CENTRE AND CLINTON CTYS TO PERHAPS NRN COLUMBIA. MAX TEMPS TODAY WILL BE JUST A FEW DEG HIGHER THAN WHATS OUTSIDE NOW. HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 30F ACROSS THE NRN MTNS TO THE U30S TO AROUND 40F IN THE SE. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY/... PRECIP CHANGES TO PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW/SNOW SHOWERS EARLY FRIDAY BEFORE ENDING AS A DEEP LAYER OF DRY AIR ABOVE 5 KFT AGL OVERSPREADS THE REGION DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. TEMPS WONT BUDGE MUCH FROM EARLY MORNING LOWS AS A GUSTY NW WINDS BRINGS IN COLDER LLVL AIR AND KEEPS HIGHS ABOUT 5F OR SO BELOW NORMAL. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... SOME CHC OF SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES COULD LINGER INTO FRIDAY EVENING...BUT NOT THE BEST SETUP FOR LAKE EFFECT. STILL WILL BE COLD ON SAT. SUNDAY INTO EARLY MONDAY LOOKS DRY AND MILD...AS A STRONG SW FLOW OF AIR DEVELOPS. HPC AND MODELS HAVE NEXT FRONT MOVING FASTER NOW...SO WENT HIGHER ON POPS FOR MONDAY. LARGE COLD HIGH BUILDS OVER PLAINS...NOT REAL CLEAR CUT WHERE FRONT WILL STALL...MAY BE ACROSS PA OR JUST SOUTH OF PA...THUS THREAT OF SOME PRECIPITATION LINGERING ACROSS THE AREA ON TUE AND WED...WITH SPLIT FLOW. DID EDGE TEMPS DOWN A TAD ON SATURDAY...AND ALSO NEAR THE NY BORDER MONDAY NIGHT INTO WED...BUT SINCE I DID THE GRIDS EARLIER...AND WILL BE DOING SO AGAIN THIS AFT...JUST MINOR CHANGES. 06Z GFS STILL SHOWS SOME RISK OF PCPN COMING BACK EAST ALONG SOME TYPE OF WARM FRONT BY MID WEEK...SO REALLY BEST TO LEAVE POPS AS IS FOR NOW. WILL ALSO LOOK AT TEMPS ON SATURDAY AGAIN...AND LOWER MORE IF NEEDED. && .AVIATION /12Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... BAND OF SNOW...SOME HEAVY...DEVELOPED JUST WEST OF THE OFFICE OVERNIGHT. SO FAR THE BAND HAS BEEN MOVING AND THINNING OUT. SPOTTY FREEZING RAIN AND DRIZZLE OVER MOST OF THE AREA...WITH JUST PLAIN RAIN ACROSS THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. SYSTEM IS EXTREME...WITH TROPICAL AIR ON ONE SIDE...AND SNOW RIGHT TO THE GULF COAST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FRONT. ANYWAY...IFR AND MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED INTO TONIGHT. PCPN WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AND HEAVIER AFT 18Z...AS MAIN WAVE SLIDES UP THE STALLED FRONT ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD. A WEAKER WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. A MIX OVER MUCH OF THE AREA TODAY. SOME SNOW EXPECTED AGAIN AFTER ABOUT 02Z TONIGHT...AS STORM PULLS COLDER AIR IN. HOWEVER...BULK OF QPF WILL BE OVER BY THEN... AS IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE SYSTEM WILL HAVE TIME TO CUT OFF. COLD AIR WILL NOT BE VERY DEEP...BUT LOW LEVELS TO THE WEST AND NORTH ARE QUITE COLD...WHILE AIRMASS TO THE SE IS REAL WARM AND HUMID. SKIES WILL CLEAR LATER ON FRIDAY. SOME LIMITED LAKE EFFECT... BUT A LOT OF SHEAR FOR VERY MUCH. MAIN THING GOING FOR SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING ACROSS. THEN FAIR WEATHER WITH VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FROM SAT...INTO EARLY MONDAY. SOME RAIN SHOWERS POSSIBLE LATER MONDAY WITH NEXT FRONT...AS TEMPS WARM TO ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS FOR A CHANGE. IT MAY BE BREEZY ACROSS THE NW MTNS ON SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST FRIDAY FOR PAZ037-041-042. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST FRIDAY FOR PAZ005-006- 010>012-017>019-024>028-033>036-045-046-049>053-056>058-063- 064. FLOOD WATCH FROM 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR PAZ057>059-065-066. && SYNOPSIS...LACORTE/LAMBERT NEAR TERM...FITZGERALD/LAMBERT SHORT TERM...FITZGERALD/LAMBERT LONG TERM...MARTIN AVIATION...MARTIN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 543 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 PAZ004-121045- WARREN- 543 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ005-006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>036-045-046-049>053-056-063- 064-121045- MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD- NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN- JUNIATA-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-SOUTHERN CLINTON- SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR-NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY- CUMBERLAND-ADAMS- 543 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOW PRESSURE WILL HEAD OUR WAY FROM THE DEEP SOUTH SPREADING A LARGE AREA OF MIXED PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. FREEZING RAIN OR RAIN WILL BE THE PRIMARY FORM OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE CENTRAL VALLEYS AND SUSQUEHANNA REGION THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON WITH SIGNIFICANT ICING POSSIBLE. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED REPORT SIGNIFICANT ICING OR SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 3 INCHES OR GREATER. PAZ037-041-042-121045- TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN- 543 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOW PRESSURE WILL HEAD OUR WAY FROM THE DEEP SOUTH SPREADING A LARGE AREA OF MIXED PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. MAINLY SNOW WILL OCCUR TONIGHT AND WILL FALL HEAVY AT TIMES. SIGNIFICANT ICING OF OVER ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH FROM FREEZING RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED REPORT SIGNIFICANT ICING OR SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 3 INCHES OR GREATER. PAZ057-058-121045- DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL- 543 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST FRIDAY... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOW PRESSURE WILL HEAD OUR WAY FROM THE DEEP SOUTH SPREADING A LARGE AREA OF RAIN ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...WITH AREAS OF FREEZING RAIN MAINLY ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE RAIN WILL FALL HEAVY AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT AND COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED STREAM AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. ICING OF AROUND ONE TENTH OF AN INCH FROM FREEZING RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. FLOOD WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED REPORT SIGNIFICANT ICING...HEAVY RAINFALL OVER 1.5 INCHES...OR FLOODING VIA THE INTERNET OR PHONE. PAZ059-065-066-121045- LEBANON-YORK-LANCASTER- 543 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOW PRESSURE WILL HEAD OUR WAY FROM THE DEEP SOUTH SPREADING A LARGE AREA OF RAIN ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. THE RAIN WILL FALL HEAVY AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT AND COULD CAUSE LOCALIZED STREAM AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ASKED REPORT HEAVY RAINFALL OVER 1.5 INCHES...OR FLOODING VIA THE INTERNET OR PHONE. LAMBERT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Five to eight inches of snow was reported across Potter County.
Six to ten inches of snow was reported across Tioga County.
A quarter inch of ice accretion was observed across Elk County. In addition, COOP, public and CoCoRaHS reports also indicated three to six inches of snow accumulation.
A quarter inch of ice accretion was observed across Cameron County. In addition, spotters and COOP reports indicated three to six inches of snow accumulation.
A quarter inch of ice accretion was observed across Northern Clinton County. In addition, public eports indicated three to five inches of snow accumulation.
A quarter inch of ice accretion was observed across Northern Centre County.
A quarter inch of ice accretion was observed across Clearfield County. In addition, three to seven inches of snow accumulation was also reported.
A quarter inch of ice accretion was observed across Cambria County.
A quarter inch of ice accretion was observed across Northern Lycoming County.
A quarter inch of ice accretion was observed across Sullivan County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, December 2008
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: 137537, 137538, 137539, 137540, 137541, 137542, 137543, 137544, 137545, 137546.