A fast moving low pressure system brought a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to north central Pennsylvania from the early morning through late afternoon. Moderate to heavy rainfall was observed across the southern tier of the Commonwealth, which caused minor flooding.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 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 fast moving low pressure system brought a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to north central Pennsylvania from the early morning through late afternoon. Moderate to heavy rainfall was observed across the southern tier of the Commonwealth, which caused minor flooding.
The winter weather greatly affected the morning and afternoon commute, with numerous accidents reported across the region. Periods of heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain were observed during this event.
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 19, 3:17 AM EST, 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 317 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE TRACK ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...BRINGING A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION. ANOTHER STORM MAY BRING MORE WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH PERHAPS ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM AFFECTING THE AREA ON CHRISTMAS EVE DAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 11 AM THIS MORNING/... CLOUDS CONTINUING TO LOWER AND THICKEN WITH SOME AREAS OF FOG IN THE EAST. MAIN PRECIP SHIELD AT THIS HOUR EXTENDS FROM JUST SOUTH OF MORGANTOWN TO WHEELING WV...NORTHWESTWARD TO THE COLUMBUS OH AREA. REGIONAL RADAR MOSAICS INDICATE CLOUDS CONTINUING TO LOWER OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL PA...AND WILL PROBABLY SEE LIGHT PRECIPITATION BREAK OUT AROUND DAWN IN THESE AREAS. NORTHEASTERN HALF OF CENTRAL PA WILL BE DRY THROUGH DAYBREAK...BUT SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA BY MID MORNING...PERHAPS MIXING WITH SLEET IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. && .SHORT TERM /11 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH TONIGHT/... PRECIP TYPES FOR TODAY REMAIN THE PRIMARY FOCUS AND FORECAST PROBLEM... AND THINKING REMAINS NEARLY UNCHANGED. NE AREAS SHOULD STAY MAINLY SNOW...WITH SNOW THEN SLEET AND FZRA IN THE CENTRAL ZONES. THE SRN TIER SHOULD GO TO PLAIN RAIN. THE PRECIP WILL TAPER OFF THIS EVENING. CONSISTENT GUIDANCE HAS ME TAKING THE PERSISTENCE ROUTE THIS MORNING WITH LITTLE CHANGES TO GOING FORECAST AND NO CHANGES TO CURRENT WINTER WEATHER HADLINES. SRN TIER/HALF WILL HAVE ENOUGH MIXED PRECIPITATION TO WARRANT AN ADVISORY...WHILE SOME NORTHERN TIER LOCATIONS COULD SEE UP TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW. MAIN EFFECTS FROM STORM WILL BE EAST OF THE REGION BY FRI NIGHT...BUT LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE MAINLY IN THE NORTH. MAY ALSO BE A BIT OF FREEZING DRIZZLE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... A SHORT BREAK BEFORE NEXT SYSTEM MOVES IN SAT NIGHT AND SUNDAY. SYSTEM WILL STILL SEE COASTAL DEVELOPMENT...BUT STRONGER UPPER LOW WILL BE THE MORE DOMINATING FEATURE AS THE STORM SLIPS ACROSS PA. THIS WILL BRING A BIT WARMER AIR TO THE REGION AND HAVE ADJUSTED FORECAST FROM A MAINLY SNOW EVENT TO MORE OF A MIXED PRECIP EVENT /WHICH IS BECOMING THE NORM AGAIN THIS YEAR/. LOOKS LIKE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW IN STORE FOR THE NORTHERN HALF WITH MIXED ICY PRECIP FOR THE SOUTH. COULD GET BLUSTERY AROUND HERE SUN INTO MON AS THIS LOW REALLY WRAPS UP AS IT HEADS INTO NEW ENGLAND. THIS WILL ALSO START UP THE LAKE EFFECT MACHINE FOR THE NW MTNS SUN INTO MON AND USHER IN COLDER TEMPS FOR ALL. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR TUE. NEXT STORM SYSTEM TO AFFECT PA STILL PROGGED FOR WED OF NEXT WEEK. LATEST NAEFS DATA SUGGESTS MOST LIKELY TRACK OF SFC LOW WILL BE TO OUR WEST. HOWEVER...ENOUGH COLD AIR MAY BE PRESENT INITIALLY FOR SNOW...ESPECIALLY N AND W. STILL QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS STORM IN THE MODELS THIS FAR OUT. && .AVIATION /08Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... SFC LOW PRES WILL TRACK ENEWD THROUGH THE MID MS VLY AND INTO THE UPR OH VLY BY EARLY THIS AFTN. A SWATH OF OVERRUNNING WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL PRECEDE THE LOW AND ATTENDANT WARM FRONT...IMPACTING MOST CENTRAL PENN TERMINALS WITH A PROLONGED PD OF FROZEN/FREEZING PCPN AND ASSOC WDSPRD IFR/LIFR CONDS FROM THE EARLY MORNING HOURS THROUGH AT LEAST 00Z SAT. LATEST MODEL DATA INDICATES ONLY SOUTHERN TERMINALS /KJST AND KMDT/ WILL GET OFF RELATIVELY EASY WITH AN INITIAL PERIOD OF FZRA/PL BTWN 12-15Z....FOLLOWED BY MAINLY RAIN. FURTHER NORTH...A MORE PROLONGED PERIOD OF FROZEN PRECIP LIKELY. STEADY PRECIP SHOULD TAPER OFF ARND 00Z AS SFC LOW PASSES EAST OF PA. HOWEVER...MSTR TRAPPED BENEATH A SUBSIDENCE INVERSION WILL LKLY RESULT IN PLENTY OF LOW CLOUDS AND CONT MVFR- IFR CIG INTO SAT /A VERY SIMILAR TREND TO YESTERDAY/. ANOTHER WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE REGION FROM LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY...WITH CONDS LKLY TURNING VERY COLD AND BLUSTERY BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. LAKE EFFECT SNOWS SHOULD BE THE MAIN FOCUS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. A /BRIEF/ RESPITE FROM THE VERY ACTIVE PATTERN MAY COME ON TUES AS HIGH PRES MOVES IN. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR PAZ037-041-042-046-049>053-058. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-045. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON FOR PAZ024>026-033>036. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR PAZ027-028-056-057-059-063>066. && SYNOPSIS...DANGELO/DEVOIR NEAR TERM...DANGELO/DEVOIR SHORT TERM...DANGELO/DEVOIR LONG TERM...FITZGERALD/RXR AVIATION...FITZGERALD/STEINBUGL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 319 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 PAZ024>026-033>036-200830- CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN- 319 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. 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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ANOTHER WINTER STORM IS POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY AND THEN ANOTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-045-200830- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD- NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CLINTON- 319 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. 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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ANOTHER WINTER STORM IS POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY AND THEN ANOTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ037-041-042-046-049>053-058-200830- TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER- MONTOUR-NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-SCHUYLKILL- 319 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. 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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ANOTHER WINTER STORM IS POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY AND THEN ANOTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ027-028-056-057-059-063>066-200830- MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK- LANCASTER- 319 AM EST FRI DEC 19 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. 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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ANOTHER WINTER STORM IS POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY AND THEN ANOTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Six to eight inches of snow was reported across Potter County.
Five to six inches of snow and sleet was reported across Tioga County.
Seven to nine inches of snow was reported across Sullivan County.
Six inches of snow and sleet was reported across Northern Lycoming County.
Six inches of snow and sleet was reported across Southern Lycoming County.
Five to seven inches of snow and sleet was reported across Northern Clinton County.
Three to four inches of snow and sleet was reported across Warren County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
Three to four inches of snow and sleet was reported across McKean County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
Three to four inches of snow and sleet was reported across Elk County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
Two to five inches of snow and sleet was reported across Cameron County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
Two to three inches of sleet was reported across Clearfield County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
Two to three inches of sleet was reported across Northern Centre County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
Two to three inches of sleet was reported across Southern Centre County. A period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a moderate ice accumulation.
Two to three inches of sleet was reported across Southern Clinton County. A period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a moderate ice accumulation.
Two to three inches of snow and sleet was reported across Union County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
One to two inches of sleet was reported across Snyder County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
Six to eight inches of snow was reported across Columbia County.
Two to four inches of snow and sleet was reported across Schuylkill County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
Three to five inches of snow and sleet was reported across Northumberland County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
Three to five inches of snow and sleet was reported across Montour County. A brief period of freezing rain also occurred toward the end of the event, resulting in a light ice accumulation.
An inch of sleet and moderate ice accumulation was reported across Mifflin 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: 138286, 138287, 138288, 138289, 138290, 138291, 139244, 139245, 139246, 139247, 139248, 139249, 139250, 139251, 139252, 139253, 139254, 139255, 139256, 139257, 139258.