An extended period of freezing rain resulted in significant ice accumulations across much of north central Pennsylvania. Observed ice accumulations ranged from one-quarter to one-half inch.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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.
An extended period of freezing rain resulted in significant ice accumulations across much of north central Pennsylvania. Observed ice accumulations ranged from one-quarter to one-half inch.
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 23, 8:59 PM EST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 859 PM EST TUE DEC 23 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A STORM SYSTEM OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH AND EAST AND BRING MIXED PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION TONIGHT...AND RAIN ALL DAY WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO PENNSYLVANIA ON CHRISTMAS DAY. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL PASS WEST OF PENNSYLVANIA THIS WEEKEND...LIKELY DRAGGING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE STATE SATURDAY NIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 5 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... MAIN PROBLEM THIS EVENING IS COVERAGE OF PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH WEAK SHORTWAVES LIFTING NEWD TO THE EAST OF THE MAIN BAROCLINIC LEAF. VERY COLD AND DRY AIR AT THE SURFACE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FREEZING PRECIPITATION THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT... AT LEAST FROM WHATEVER FALLS. TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL SUPPORT SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN...FZRA PREFERRED AS PER LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING LITTLE IF ANY MID TO HIGH CLOUD SEEDERS OVER EASTERN OHIO AND SOUTHWEST PA. BUT AMOUNTS ARE PROBLEMATIC GIVEN THE BREAK IN ACTIVITY CURRENTLY SEEN OVER SOUTHWEST PA. DO LIKE THE CURRENT WARNING AREA OVER NORTHEAST PA AS GREATEST WARMING AND TRAJECTORY OF UPSTREAM PRECIPITATION SEEMS TO BE POINTING IN THAT DIRECTION. NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE AT THIS HOUR TO EXPAND WARNINGS SOUTHWARD GIVEN GENERAL LACK OF PRECIPIATION UPSTREAM... BUT WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY OVERNIGHT. WHATEVER FALLS AS RAIN WILL FREEZE ON CONTACT AND THIS IS A PARTICULARLY HIGH IMPACT SITUATION GIVEN HOLIDAY TRAVEL. && .SHORT TERM /5 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY/... HAVE EXPANDED THE ADVISORY TO THE SOUTH AND POSTED ICE STORM WARNING FOR THE NRN MTS...AS TEMPS WILL LIKELY STAY BELOW FREEZING ALL NIGHT THERE...AND ENOUGH RAIN MOVES IN TO CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WED. THE WARM ADVECTION WILL DRAW VERY WARM AIR IN ALOFT...BUT THE LLVL TEMPS WILL NOT RISE TOO MUCH OVERNIGHT. THE SRN TIER MAY SEE THINGS START AS A BRIEF MIX...THEN WARN UP TO ABOVE FREEZING. THIS WILL LIMIT THE THREAT TO JUST A FEW HOURS OVERNIGHT THERE. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN IS ALONG THE I-80 CORRIDOR AND NORTH TO ALMOST THE NY BORDER. THE NAM AND ETA MEMBERS OF THE SREFS KEEP THE COLD AIR LOCKED IN THE MTNS OF NCENT PA TONIGHT...AND AIR IS DRY AT THE SFC. THIS SLUDGE WILL BE DIFFICULT TO DISPLACE - EVEN WITH A LIGHT S WIND. BUT GRADIENT ISNT TOO STRONG AND THE CLIMATOLOGY OF THE AREA SPEAKS TO KEEPING THE COLD AIR IN PLACE. THE ONLY THING MISSING FOR A NASTY ICE STORM IS THE LACK OF A COLD HIGH JUST TO OUR NORTH AND NE/AGEOS FLOW TO KEEP FEEDING COLD AIR DOWN. THE GROUND IS COVERED IN 2-3 INCHES OF ICE IN MOST OF THE NRN 2/3RDS OF THE REGION...WHICH SHOULD ALSO HELP TO KEEP TEMPS COLD TONIGHT. FZG RAIN TURNS TO RAIN LATE TONIGHT IN THE WEST AND SOUTH...THEN IN THE MORNING IN THE REST OF C PA. THE RAIN OVER THE REGION ON WED COULD CREATE SOME MINOR FLOODING AS QPF PROGS WORKED INTO THE RIVER MODELS MAKE SHARP BUT WITHIN-BANK RISES ON THE TRIBUTARIES...ESP IN THE WEST BR AND JUNIATA BASINS. NOT ENOUGH FOR A FLOOD WATCH JUST YET AS MOST RIVER LOCATIONS NOT EXPECTED TO GO INTO FLOOD. WINDS WILL PICK UP AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH LATE WED/CHRISTMAS EVE AND COULD CREATE GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...BUT THE MAIN THRUST OF THE HIGHER WINDS WILL BE JUST TO OUR NORTH AS THE BIG ISALLOBARIC RISES ARE TO OUR NORTH. SOME SNOW SHOWERS AFTER COULD DEPOSIT SOME LK EFF IN THE NW...BUT MINOR ACCUMS EXPECTED AT THIS POINT BEFORE IT CALMS DOWN THURSDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE MOVING OVERHEAD. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... CONFIDENCE REMAINS HIGH SURROUNDING PERSISTENT TROUGH ACROSS WESTERN CONUS. OPER GFS HOLDS SFC RIDGE ACROSS CENTRAL PA THUR NGT...PROVIDING A QUIET STRETCH OF WX THRU MIDDAY FRI. 850MB HEIGHTS RISE THUR NGT THRU FRI...WITH A WEAK THERMAL RIDGE OVER MID-ATLANTIC REGION INTO FIR EVE. TOWARDS THE UPCOMING WEEKEND...PLACEMENT AND TIMING OF SHORTWAVE ON THE LEE-SIDE OF THE ROCKIES IS A CONCERN. IT APPEARS ENSEMBLES TRY TO HOLD ONTO MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE...WHICH SHUD STEER SAT/SUN SHORTWAVE FURTHER WEST INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. THAT WOULD PLACE PA IN A WARM SOUTHERLY/SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW FOR THE WEEKEND AND PRECIP WOULD FALL AS RAIN. SEVERAL ENSEMBLE MEMBERS PAINT A 925MB TEMP OF 10 TO 12 DEG C...WHICH IS 2 TO 3 STD DEV ABOVE NORMAL SAT/SUN. DEPENDING ON LLVL MOISTURE...TEMPS COULD EASILY SOAR INTO THE 50S TO NEAR 60F. WESTERN TROUGH GRADUALLY RELAXES LATE THIS WEEK...LEADING TO A SEMI-ZONAL FLOW FOR THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL PROVIDE A FLUID ATMOS AND BRING ANY WX SYSTEMS FROM THE ROCKIES EAST TOWARDS THE MID-ATLANTIC QUICKLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /02Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... HAD A SMALL AREA OF SNOW ACROSS THE NW MTS...BUT MOST OF THAT IS NORTH OF THE BORDER...PERHAPS ANOTHER HOUR OR SO. OTHERWISE... VFR CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE THIS EVENING AS THE STORM OVER THE OH VLY LIFTS NE. DID SLOW MAIN AREA OF PRECIPITATION DOWN A FEW HOURS. A BRIEF PERIOD OF PL/SN EXPECTED AT FIRST WITH DRY AIR AT THE SFC...THEN FZG RAIN WILL QUICKLY TAKE HOLD BY OR SHORTLY AFTER 06Z. MOST OF THE AREA WILL SEE FREEZING RAIN BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z...BEFORE THE FREEZING RAIN TURNS TO RAIN BY MID TO LATE MORNING. LIGHT SE WINDS WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT. LLWS WILL BE LIKELY AT IPT... GIVEN THE DIRECTION. VAD WINDS ALREADY NEAR 30 KNOTS AT 3000 FEET. LOTS OF RAIN ON WED...MOST AREAS BETWEEN .75 AND 1.0 INCHES... AND LOW CIGSAND VSBYS WITH THE T/TD SPREAD LOW/NIL. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH LATE WED AND BRING VERY GUSTY/STRONG WEST WINDS FOR WED EVE AND NIGHT. WHILE DYNAMICS ARE JUST SLIGHTLY OUT OF PHASE WITH THE FRONT...STILL HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR NOT ONLY STRONG WINDS...BUT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...AS DRY PUNCH TAKES AIM AT CENTRAL PA. SOME LAKE EFFECT POSSIBLE LATE WED NIGHT/THURS MORNING IN THE NW/KBFD...BUT THIS WINDOW WILL BE JUST A FEW HOURS. CONDITIONS WILL START TO IMPROVE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY...WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF POOR FLYING WEATHER DEVELOPING LATER IN THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. TEMPS COULD PUSH TO NEAR RECORD LEVELS. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ICE STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ006-012-037- 041-042. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ004- 005-010-011-017>019-024>028-033>036-045-046-049>053-056>059- 063>066. && SYNOPSIS...DANGELO/FITZGERALD NEAR TERM...DEVOIR SHORT TERM...DANGELO LONG TERM...BEACHLER AVIATION...DANGELO/MARTIN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 257 PM EST TUE DEC 23 2008 PAZ006-012-037-041-042-242000- POTTER-NORTHERN CLINTON-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN- 257 PM EST TUE DEC 23 2008 ...ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. ICE STORM WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. ICE STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE. PAZ004-005-010-011-017>019-024>028-033>036-045-046-049>053-056>059- 063>066-242000- WARREN-MCKEAN-ELK-CAMERON-CLEARFIELD-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE- CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON- FRANKLIN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 257 PM EST TUE DEC 23 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. 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... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
One-half inch ice accumulation was reported across Potter County.
One-half inch ice accumulation was reported across Tioga County.
One-quarter to one-half inch ice accumulation was reported across Northern Centre County.
One-quarter to one-half inch ice accumulation was reported across Southern Centre County.
One-quarter to one-half inch ice accumulation was reported across Northern Clinton County.
One-quarter to one-half inch ice accumulation was reported across Southern Clinton County.
One-half inch ice accumulation was reported across Northern Lycoming County.
One-half inch ice accumulation was reported across Southern Lycoming County.
One-half inch ice accumulation was reported 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: 138915, 138916, 138917, 138918, 138919, 138920, 138921, 138922, 138923.