Significant ice accretion occurred across the northern tier of central Pennsylvania as a broad area of precipitation overran a shallow sub-freezing airmass entrenched near the surface. Ice accumulations ranged from one-quarter to one inch (thickness) and brought down numerous trees and power lines.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
Significant ice accretion occurred across the northern tier of central Pennsylvania as a broad area of precipitation overran a shallow sub-freezing airmass entrenched near the surface. Ice accumulations ranged from one-quarter to one inch (thickness) and brought down numerous trees and power lines. Several power outages were also reported across north-central Pennsylvania.
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 Mar 4, 4:25 AM EST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 425 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 .SYNOPSIS... AN INTENSIFYING STORM SYSTEM OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY WILL TRACK NORTHEAST...AND CROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TONIGHT. RELATIVELY SHALLOW...COLDER AIR WILL GRADUALLY FILTER SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PENN TODAY. HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TODAY INTO TONIGHT...AND FLOODING WILL BE LIKELY. SUBFREEZING AIR ACROSS NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA WILL LEAD TO HEAVY...AND POSSIBLY DESTRUCTIVE ICE ACCUMULATION OF BETWEEN ONE HALF OF AN INCH AND ONE INCH. AFTER A BLUSTERY DAY WITH SCATTERED MORNING SNOW SHOWERS WEDNESDAY...ANOTHER AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL GATHER ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND HEAD TOWARD THE COMMONWEALTH FRIDAY. THIS COULD BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION OR FREEZING RAIN OVER NW PENN...WITH SIGNIFICANT RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... COLD FRONT SLOWLY PUSHING EAST INTO CENTRAL AND NRN PENN...SEPARATING VERY MILD TEMPS IN THE 50S TO NEAR 60 ACROSS THE LOWER SUSQ VALLEY...FROM NEAR FRZG TEMPS IN THE FAR NW. BIAS CORRECTED MOS GUIDANCE TRIMMED BY A FEW DEG ACROSS THE NORTH...WHERE TEMPS ARE COOLING QUICKER THAN EVEN THE COOLER MET MOS GUIDANCE. MID LEVEL FRONTOGNENESIS IS PROGGED TO INCREASE RAPIDLY ACROSS NRN PENN LATER THIS MORNING INTO THE EVENING AND REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY ABOVE THE SHALLOW...SUB-FREEZING AIRMASS. THIS WILL LEAD TO A POTENTIALLY DESTRUCTIVE ACCUMULATION OF FREEZING RAIN (UP TO ONE INCH THICK) ACROSS THE NRN TIER COUNTIES OF PENN. SLIGHT POTENTIAL FOR PERIODS OF SLEET AND EVEN SOME WET SNOW FROM NEAR KBFD...WEST COULD HELP TO TRIM ICE TOTALS THERE WITH A MINOR TO MODERATE ACCUMULATION OF WET SNOW NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION SHOULD THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER JOG 50 NM OR SO FURTHER TO THE EAST. ELSEWHERE...WIDESPREAD QPF (RAIN) OF 1.5 TO 2.5 INCHES APPEARS LIKELY BY LATE TONIGHT (BASED ON A BLEND OF THE 21Z/03Z SREF...AND THE NOTABLY WETTER GEFS) AS UNUSUALLY HIGH PWATS (28-32MM...OR +2-4 STANDARD DEVIATIONS) SLIDES INTO CENTRAL AND ERN PENN AHEAD OF THE SFC LOW. ICE STORM WARNING...AND FZRA ADVISORY PLACEMENTS THROUGH TONIGHT LOOK IN GREAT SHAPE WITH THE TIMING OF HEAVIER RAINFALL SUPPORTING THE AREAWIDE FLOOD WATCH THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY/... NEGATIVE TILT...UPPER LOW WILL LIFT ACROSS PENN WEDNESDAY MORNING...AS THE SFC COLD/OCCLUDED FRONT PUSHES EAST OF THE DELAWARE RIVER VALLEY. THIS WILL QUICKLY SHUT DOWN THE STEADY PRECIP BEFORE DAYBREAK...AND CHANGE LEFTOVER SHOWERS TO SNOW SHOWERS. LATER SHIFTS MAY NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW TO PERHAPS 3 OR 4 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS THE NW MTNS EARLY WEDNESDAY WITHIN THE DEFORMATION ZONE...JUST NW OF THE UPPER LOW TRACK. SFC PRESSURE RISES EXCEEDING 8 MB/6RS WED MORNING AND AFTERNOON SHOULD HELP MIX DOWN 20-30 KTS OF WIND FROM 850 MB WHICH COULD CREATE POWER OUTAGES ACROSS THE NRN PENN MTNS...NOT TO MENTION LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS WITH WIDESPREAD FALLING TREES/TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS AGAIN POSSIBLY REACHING ONE INCH. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... HIGH PRESSURE SWEEPS NE ACROSS THE REGION WED NIGHT LEADING TO DIMINISHING WIND AND CLEARING SKIES. CONTINUED SW FLOW ALOFT...AND ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE SHORT WAVE DIVING INTO THE BASE OF THE TROUGH FROM THE ROCKIES ON THURSDAY WILL LIKELY SPIN-UP ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE LOWER MISS VALLEY LATE THIS WEEK (PER GFS AND ECMWF) BEFORE IT HEADS NE TWD THE REGION ON A POTENTIALLY VERY SIMILAR TRACK TO THE CURRENT ONE. GFS IS FURTHER EAST OF THE ECMWF AND PAINTS A POSSIBLE SIGNIF SNOW EVENT ACROSS CENTRAL AND NRN PENN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. UPPED POPS FOR FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT AND CHANGED WORDING TO STRATIFORM RAIN/SNOW ACROSS THE REGION. TEMPS MODERATE EARLY NEXT WEEK...AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES OFF THE COAST. && .AVIATION /09Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... VFR WILL CONTINUE FROM KAOO-KUNV-KIPT FOR MUCH OF THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WHILE MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS WORK INTO KBFD-KJST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS ALONG AND BEHIND A COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE STATE. CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO DETERIORATE ELSEWHERE BY 12Z. WINDS JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL PICK UP FROM THE SOUTH TO SPEEDS OF 10-15 KTS...WHILE ELSEWHERE WINDS WILL BE 10 KTS OR LESS. STRONG LL CORE OF 40-50KTS WINDS AT 2KFT WILL CONTINUE FOR MOST AIRFIELDS TONIGHT THROUGH TUE. AS COLDER AIR MOVES IN LATE TONIGHT...LOW/MID LEVEL CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE IN RIGHT ALONG WITH IT. A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER EXPECT THE ONSET OF LIGHT RAIN /ALREADY AFFECTING THE NW MTNS/. PRECIP WILL CHANGE OVER TO FREEZING RAIN AROUND 12Z ALONG THE NORTHERN TIER /KBFD/ AND SHOULD REMAIN PLAIN RAIN FOR THE REST OF THE TERMINALS...AS COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE SHOULD NOT MAKE IT INTO KUNV/KIPT...NOR ANY FURTHER SOUTH. CIGS/VSBYS WILL DETERIORATE QUICKLY BY SUNRISE AT MOST TERMINALS...AND WIDESPREAD LOW CIGS/VSBYS WILL PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF TUE. STARTING MID AFTERNOON TUESDAY...THE COLD FRONT WILL TURN INTO THE PATHWAY FOR THE PRIMARY SFC LOW TO FOLLOW NE THRU THE MOUNTAINS. WIDESPREAD MVFR/IFR CIGS AND VSBYS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AS MOISTURE LADEN STORM BRINGS MAINLY A HEAVY RAIN EVENT WITH ICING IN THE NORTH TURNING BRIEFLY BACK TO PLAIN RAIN TUES AFTN THEN TO A SNOW/RAIN MIX BY SUNRISE WED. SCT SHSN IN THE WEST WILL REDUCE CIGS AND VSBYS WED. CONDITIONS IMPROVE SOMEWHAT FOR LATER WED AND EARLY THU. BUT...A FAST MOVING WEAK STORM SYSTEM BRINGS A CHANCE FOR RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS LATER ON THU. A MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE AGAIN FOR FRI INTO SAT. && .HYDROLOGY... SFC LO TRACK ALONG SPINE OF THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS WILL DIRECT A DEEP...MOISTURE LADEN SOUTHERLY/EASTERLY FLOW INTO PA. PWATS TOP 1.5 INCHES FOR A LONG DURATION. SREF DATA...AND PERSISTENT EAST/WEST FRONTOGENESIS VIA THE NAM SUGGESTS HEAVIEST RAIN ALONG THE I-80 CORRIDOR AND JUST NORTH TODAY AND TONIGHT...FOLLOWED BY A SECOND MAXIMUM IN THE EVENING/OVERNIGHT TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN COS...WITH POSSIBLE TSRA. TSTMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WITH PASSAGE OF LL JET. LATEST 12HR FFG ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA ARND 2 INCHES. IN ADDITION...LATEST SNOW COVER HOLDS BTWN 1-2 INCHES OF WATER OVR THE HIGH TERRAIN OF CENTRAL PA. HAVE KEPT A FLOOD WATCH GOING FOR THE ENTIRE REGION...WITH THE SERN COUNTIES JUST STARTING AT 00Z WED. ALL THE RAIN SHOULD BE ON THE GROUND BY 18Z WED...SO WILL KEEP THIS AS THE END TIME FOR THE WATCH. BASED ON THE LATEST QPF AND LATEST RFC RIVER GUIDANCE...WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE FLOOD WARNINGS UP FOR MANY RIVER POINTS LONG BEFORE MID DAY WED. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH FROM 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>027-033-034-037- 041-042-045-046-049>053. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ010>012- 041-042. FLOOD WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR PAZ028-035-036-056>059-063>066. ICE STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ004>006-037. && SYNOPSIS...LAMBERT NEAR TERM...LAMBERT SHORT TERM...LAMBERT LONG TERM...LAMBERT/MARTIN AVIATION...BEACHLER/RXR HYDROLOGY...LAMBERT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 536 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 PAZ017>019-024>027-033-034-045-046-049>053-051045- CLEARFIELD-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON- MIFFLIN-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION- SNYDER-MONTOUR-NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA- 536 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY 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. FLOOD WATCH. .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. FLOOD WATCH. ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH EARLY FRIDAY...THEN MOVE QUICKLY NORTHEAST TOWARD THE MID ATLANTIC REGION LATE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS STORM COULD BRING ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT...OR WINTRY MIX TO THE REGION LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. PLEASE REPORT RAINFALL TOTALS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA STANDARD PROCEDURES. PAZ028-035-036-056>059-063>066-051045- JUNIATA-FULTON-FRANKLIN-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 536 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY 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. FLOOD WATCH. .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. FLOOD WATCH. ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH EARLY FRIDAY...THEN MOVE QUICKLY NORTHEAST TOWARD THE MID ATLANTIC REGION LATE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS STORM COULD BRING ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT...OR WINTRY MIX TO THE REGION LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. PLEASE REPORT RAINFALL TOTALS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA STANDARD PROCEDURES. PAZ004>006-037-051045- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-TIOGA- 536 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY 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. ICE STORM WARNING. FLOOD WATCH. .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. FLOOD WATCH. ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH EARLY FRIDAY...THEN MOVE QUICKLY NORTHEAST TOWARD THE MID ATLANTIC REGION LATE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS STORM COULD BRING ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT...OR WINTRY MIX TO THE REGION LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. PLEASE REPORT ICE OR SNOW ACCUMULATION...ALONG WITH RAINFALL TOTALS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA STANDARD PROCEDURES. PAZ010>012-041-042-051045- ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN- 536 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY 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. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY. FLOOD WATCH. .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. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY. FLOOD WATCH. ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH EARLY FRIDAY...THEN MOVE QUICKLY NORTHEAST TOWARD THE MID ATLANTIC REGION LATE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS STORM COULD BRING ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT...OR WINTRY MIX TO THE REGION LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. PLEASE REPORT ICE ACCUMULATION...ALONG WITH RAINFALL TOTALS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VIA STANDARD PROCEDURES. LAMBERT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Utility Company in Warren County reported numerous power lines down across the northern portion of the county. COOP observer near Sugar Grove reported one-quarter inch ice accretion on trees and structures.
Spotters in Kane reported one-quarter inch ice accretion on trees and power lines. McKean County 911 center along with PennDot reported numerous trees and power lines down county-wide. Total ice accumulations ranged from one-quarter to one-half inch.
Utility companies, spotters and Potter County 911 reported downed trees and power lines resulting from ice accumulations as thick as one inch.
Tioga county 911 reported numerous trees and power lines down across the northern portion of the 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, March 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: 73803, 73804, 73805, 73806.