A storm system moved north from the Gulf Coast and into the Ohio Valley, then redeveloped over the Mid Atlantic states. A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain affected Central Pennsylvania with significant ice accumulations ranging from a quarter to one-half inch.
Every event with a place to put it; 36 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 storm system moved north from the Gulf Coast and into the Ohio Valley, then redeveloped over the Mid Atlantic states. A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain affected Central Pennsylvania with significant ice accumulations ranging from a 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 Jan 31, 9:19 PM EST, 5 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 919 PM EST THU JAN 31 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A STORM SYSTEM GATHERING OVER THE GULF STATES WILL TRACK WEST OF PENNSYLVANIA ON FRIDAY...SPREADING A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA. IN THE WAKE OF THE STORM...DRIER AIR WILL PUSH INTO THE REGION FROM THE WEST SATURDAY AND REMAIN THROUGH SUNDAY ALONG WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THE NEXT SYSTEM TO BRING PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION SHOULD BE SOME TIME LATER MONDAY OR TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/... CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO THICKEN OVERNIGHT WITH THE CONSENSUS OF THE NEW GUIDANCE SUGGESTING PRECIP OVERSPREADING THE AREA BETWEEN ABOUT 4 AND 7 AM. RADAR ECHOES ENTERING SW PA ATTM NOT REACHING THE GROUND DUE TO DRY AIRMASS INDICATED BY 00Z PIT SOUNDING. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW POSSIBLE AT THE ONSET OVER THE NORTHERN MTNS. THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL PRECIP ARRIVE AS SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN. TEMPS HAVE LEVELED OFF THIS EVENING...AS CLOUD COVER ARRIVED. HOWEVER...THEY MAY DROP ANOTHER COUPLE OF DEG FROM EVAP COOLING AS PRECIP BEGINS. ONLY OTHER CHANGE TO THE OVERNIGHT FCST WILL BE TO INCREASE WIND SPDS OVR THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS. OBS INDICATE GUSTS ALREADY IN EXCESS OF 20KTS. MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST GUSTS TO 30KTS POSSIBLE BY DAWN AS PRES GRAD TIGHTENS. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM FRIDAY/... A VERY COMPLICATED FORECAST IS UNFOLDING FOR FRIDAY AS THE GULF COAST STORM SPREADS A SWATH OF MDT-HVY PRECIP INTO THE REGION. ANOMALY CHARTS POINT TO A RAPID SURGE OF MOISTURE ON THE NOSE OF A 50-70KT SSE LOW LEVEL JET. FORECAST PWATS SURGE TO 3-4 STD DEV ABOVE NORMAL ON THE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AND VERY EFFICIENT WARM CONVEYOR BELT. AS ONE WOULD EXPECT...PROBABILITIES OF AN INCH OR MORE OF PRECIP ARE SHOWN TO BE QUITE HIGH OVER VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE AREA. WHILE THE LARGE SCALE PATTERN AND INDICES ALL ARE SCREAMING FOR A BIG EVENT...THE DETAILS WILL BE VERY TROUBLING AS SMALL VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURES WILL MEAN HUGE DIFFERENCES IN SENSIBLE WEATHER. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A SLEET/FREEZING RAIN EVENT FOR THE MOST PART OVER MUCH OF THE REGION EXCEPT THE FAR SOUTHEAST WHERE TEMPS SHUD REBOUND RELATIVELY EARLY AND LIMIT ICE ACCRETIONS. ELSEWHERE THE LOW LEVEL COLD AIR WILL BE PRETTY TENACIOUS WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO REBOUND ONLY INTO THE MID 30S TO AROUND 40 IN SOME AREAS. THE TWO BIGGEST PLAYERS TOMORROW THAT WILL DETERMINE THE IMPACT ON THE REGION WILL BE THE TEMPS...EXACTLY WHEN/IF THEY NUDGE ABOVE FREEZING...AND THE AMOUNT OF SLEET THAT RESULTS. WHILE WE HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST BIG IMPACTS FROM HEAVY SLEET...THIS IS RARE AND GENERALLY SLEET CAUSES FEWER PROBLEMS AS IT TENDS NOT TO STICK TO TREES AND POWER LINES. SO AREAS THAT REBOUND ABOVE FREEZING EARLY WILL SEE THE LOCAL IMPACTS MINIMIZED...AS WILL AREAS WHERE SLEET DOMINATES OVER FREEZING RAIN AS THE MAIN PRECIP TYPE. AT THIS TIME WE FEEL THE BEST CHANCE FOR A REAL HIGH IMPACT WEATHER EVENT WILL BE CENTERED AROUND THE MORNING COMMUTE AS TEMPS WILL BE NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING OVER MOST OF THE STATE. UNFORTUNATELY ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO PIN DOWN THE DETAILS OF EXACTLY WHO WILL HAVE RAIN/SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN AT THIS TIME...BUT THE BEST CHANCE OF THE MORNING COMMUTE SEEING JUST PLAIN RAIN AND ABOVE FREEZING TEMPS WILL BE OVER MY FAR SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES. EVEN IN THE HARRISBURG AREA...INDICATIONS ARE THAT TEMPS WILL BE JUST COLD ENOUGH BETWEEN 6 AND 9 AM TO POSE AN ICING HAZARD. SREF PLUME DATA INDICATES THE BULK OF THE PRECIP WILL FALL BETWEEN 14-22Z...COINCIDENT WITH PASSAGE OF LL JET. LATEST SREF 2M TEMPS SUGGEST THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMS OF OVR A QUARTER INCH WILL BE ALONG AND JUST EAST OF THE SPINE OF THE APPALACHIANS...FROM SOMERSET/BEDFORD NORTHWARD. REGARDLESS...IT APPEARS WARM AIR WILL EVENTUALLY WIN OUT EVERYWHERE WITH ABOVE FREEZING TEMPS EVEN OVR THE NORTHERN MTNS BY LATE AFTN. WILL NOT TINKER WITH ENDING TIME OF WINTER STORM WARNING ATTM. HOWEVER...IT NOW APPEARS CONDS WILL IMPROVED MARKEDLY BY AFTN. AM NOT AS CONCERNED WITH STRONG DAMAGING SOUTHERLY GUSTS AS I WAS THIS TIME YESTERDAY. WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE A HARD TIME MIXING STRONG WARM ADVECTION WINDS DOWN TO THE SURFACE WHEN WE ARE COLD AIR DAMMED. THE LOW LEVEL NORTHERLY AGEOSTROPHIC CIRCULATION OF THE RETREATING UPPER JET ENTRANCE REGION WILL HELP SUPPORT HOLDING RELATIVELY COLD AIR IN PLACE AND PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE BARRIER TO THE STRONG WINDS OVER ALL BUT PERHAPS OUR RIDGE-TOPS. IF SOME CONVECTION MANAGES TO FORM ALONG THE COLD FRONT...WHICH BY CURRENT INDICATIONS COULD MOVE THRU OUR FAR EASTERN COUNTIES AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES THRU THE STATE...THEN WE MIGHT MANAGE TO SUPPORT SOME STRONG GUSTS. BUT THAT TOO IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CALL AT THIS HOUR AND WILL HAVE TO BE HANDLED AS A SHORT TERM ISSUE TOMORROW. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR FRIDAYS WINTER WEATHER WILL LIFT OUT THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING AND BE REPLACED WITH AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE OF PACIFIC ORIGIN. GROUNDHOGS DAY ON SATURDAY SHOULD START CLOUDY AND CHILLY WITH A FEW FLURRIES IN THE MORNING...BUT THEN END UP WITH ABUNDANT SUNSHINE FOR THE AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE WILL KEEP IT MAINLY DRY THROUGH MONDAY...THOUGH THE OPERATIONAL GFS HINTS AT A WEAK TROF MOVING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. THIS MAY PRODUCE SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE NRN MTNS. HEIGHTS WILL RISE ON MONDAY AS THE NEXT SIG TROF DIGS INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION. THIS WILL LEAD TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK. SFC SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST FROM THE CENTRAL U.S. AND AFFECT THE ARE ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WARM FRONT WILL LIFT THROUGH EARLY TUE MORNING...WITH THE POSS OF FREEZING PCPN. TEMPS WARM UP TUE AFTN WITH A SIG RAIN EVENT POSS DURING THE DAY. ACCOMPANYING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH LATE TUE NIGHT WITH PCPN ENDING AS SNOW SNOW SHOWERS AS TEMPS FALL BEHIND THE FRONT. ANOTHER PACIFIC HIGH MOVES IN BEHIND WEDNESDAYS FROPA...WITH DRY WEATHER AND NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS EXPECTED FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. && .AVIATION /02Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MID LEVEL /ALTO/ CLOUD DECK WITH BASES ARND 10KFT OBSERVED AT MOST REGIONAL AIRFIELDS AS OF 00Z. REGIONAL RADAR MOSAICS SHOW RETURNS ALOFT ALREADY PUSHING INTO SW PA...BUT THIS PCPN SHOULD EVAPORATE BEFORE REACHING THE GROUND AS THE LOW LEVELS ARE STILL RATHER DRY WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND LOW TEENS. MID CLOUDS WILL GRADUALLY LOWER OVERNIGHT. VFR FLYING WILL HOLD THROUGH 06Z...THEN CONDS WILL STEADILY DETERIORATE THRU EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. EXPECT CEILINGS TO LOWER TO MVFR/IFR ARND DAWN AS A WINTRY MIX OF SNOW/SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN OVERSPREADS THE REGION. FRIDAY SHOULD SEE CEILINGS IN THE IFR RANGE FOR THE MOST PART WITH VISIBILITIES OF 1-3 MILES COMMON IN RAIN/FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET. ASIDE FROM LOW CIGS AND VIS...ADDITIONAL AVIATION IMPACTS INCLUDE THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ICING ALONG WITH LLWS. XPECT A PROLONGED PD OF IP/FZRA AT MOST TERMINALS THROUGH MID- DAY...BEFORE PCPN GRADUALLY CHANGES OVER TO RAIN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. MDT WILL LKLY ONLY SEE A FEW HOUR PD OF FROZEN PCPN BEFORE QUICKLY CHANGING OVR TO PLAIN RAIN. THE WEEKEND WILL SEE HIGH PRESSURE MAKE A RETURN WITH MAINLY FAIR SKIES. WESTERN AND NORTHERN AREAS COULD SEE LOW CLOUDS AND SNOW SHOWERS LINGER INTO SATURDAY...BUT THE TREND OVERALL WILL BE FOR IMPROVEMENT WITH MOST AIRFIELDS VFR THRU THE WEEKEND. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 3 AM TO 7 PM EST FRIDAY FOR PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>035-037-041-042-045-046- 049>053-058. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 1 PM EST FRIDAY FOR PAZ036-056-057-059-063>066. && SYNOPSIS...LACORTE NEAR TERM...FITZGERALD SHORT TERM...LACORTE/FITZGERALD LONG TERM...LAMBERT/GARTNER AVIATION...LACORTE/STEINBUGL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1048 PM EST THU JAN 31 2008 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>035-037-041-042-045-046- 049>053-058-020400- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD- NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN- JUNIATA-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN- SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-SCHUYLKILL- 1048 PM EST THU JAN 31 2008 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 7 PM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...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...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 STORM WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE. PAZ036-056-057-059-063>066-020400- FRANKLIN-PERRY-DAUPHIN-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 1048 PM EST THU JAN 31 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 1 PM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY IN SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...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...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... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE. STEINBUGL
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
36 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The COOP observer in Buffalo Mills measured between a quarter and one-half inch ice accretion.
The COOP observer in Altoona measured between a quarter and one-half inch ice accretion.
The Johnstown ASOS reported a quarter to one-half inch of precipitation falling as freezing rain. The heavy ice accretion brought down trees in Ashville.
The COOP observer in Emporium measured one-half of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The Clearfield ASOS recorded over a quarter inch of precipitation as freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Benton measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observers in Ridgway and St. Marys measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Huntingdon measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
Spotters in Mifflintown and Spruce Hill measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observers in Kane and Port Allegheny measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Danville measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Phillipsburg measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
Spotters in Tamarack measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The Williamsport ASOS recorded over a quarter inch of precipitation as freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Sunbury measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Coudersport measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
Spotters in Pottsville and McAdoo measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The Selinsgrove ASOS recorded over a quarter inch of precipitation as freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observers Somerset and Meyersdale measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The University Park AWOS recorded over a quarter inch of precipitation as freezing rain and sleet.
The Williamsport ASOS recorded over a quarter inch of precipitation as freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observers in Wellsboro and Mansfield measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Lewisburg measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Warren measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
Mifflin County emergency management reported over a quarter inch of ice from freezing rain and sleet.
Fulton County emergency management reported over a quarter inch of ice from freezing rain and sleet.
Sullivan County emergency management reported over a quarter inch of ice from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Lock Haven measured over one quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
Spotters in Gettysburg and York Springs measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The COOP observer in Upper Strasburg measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
Spotters in Blain and New Bloomfield measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The Middletown and Capital City ASOS recorded over a quarter inch of precipitation as freezing rain and sleet.
Spotters in Lickdale measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
Spotters in Carlisle measured over a quarter inch of ice accretion from freezing rain and sleet.
The Thomasville ASOS recorded over a quarter inch of precipitation as freezing rain and sleet.
The Lancaster ASOS recorded over a quarter inch of precipitation as freezing rain and sleet.
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, February 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: 75570, 75571, 75573, 75576, 75578, 75579, 75580, 75582, 75585, 75587, 75589, 75590, 75592, 75594, 75595, 75599, 75600, 75601, 75602, 75603, 75604, 75605, 75606, 75608, 75617, 75618, 75620, 75699, 75609, 75610, 75611, 75612, 75613, 75614, 75615, 75616.