Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 18 to 19, 2009

Name: Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 18 to 19, 2009
Start: 2009-02-18T11:00
End: 2009-02-19T01:00
Location: Pennsylvania

February 18 to 19, 2009 · NWS PHI · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 3
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.

A wintry mix of snow and then freezing rain affected the higher terrain of Berks County and the Lehigh Valley as well as the Poconos from the late morning on the 18th until around Midnight EST that night. Snow began by Noon EST on the 18th. The snow changed over to rain in the valleys during the early evening of the 18th, but changed over to freezing rain over some of the higher terrain locations, especially in the Poconos. Precipitation ended during the early morning of the 19th. Snowfall averaged an inch or two, mainly over the higher terrain and ice accretions were less than one-tenth of an inch. The highest reported snowfall was 2.0 inches in East Stroudsburg (Monroe County).

Untreated roadways were treacherous, especially during the evening commute. The wintry mix led to several accidents in Berks County both during and after the event was over. On the afternoon of the 18th, a vehicle skidded off of Hay Creek Road in Robeson Township and struck a tree. The roadway was closed until the accident was cleared. The driver was injured. During the evening commute, several minor accidents occurred. In Exeter Township, a two vehicle crash forced the closure of the westbound lanes of U.S. Route 422 for half an hour.

After the precipitation ended and skies cleared. Fog and black ice formed on the roadways and affected the morning commute in Berks County. In Amity Township, the westbound lanes of U.S. Route 422 were closed for two hours after a two vehicle crash. A 16-year-old female driver was injured. In Tilden Township, a 17-year-old female was injured when the vehicle she was driving on Eastbound Old Route 22 crossed into oncoming traffic, went down an embankment and struck a tree. In Spring Township, a four vehicle accident occurred at the intersection of Pennsylvania State Route 724 and Spahn Road. In Reading, traffic was snarled in both directions of the Warren Street Bypass because of a pair of minor accidents.

The slick roadways caused some schools across the region to have delayed openings.

The wintry mix was caused by a low pressure that moved northeast from the Ohio Valley through the Saint Lawrence Valley on the night of the 18th. Most of the snow occurred preceding this low pressure system's warm front while precipitation ended after its cold front moved through the region overnight.

What forecasters said that day

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 Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 18, 10:10 AM EST, 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 18, 10:10 AM EST, 50 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 18, 3:33 AM EST, 7 hours 27 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
333 AM EST WED FEB 18 2009

NJZ001-007-008-PAZ054-055-060>062-190845-
SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON-
333 AM EST WED FEB 18 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN NEW JERSEY...EAST
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PRECIPITATION WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATER THIS MORNING AND
REMAIN THROUGH TONIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION MAY BEGIN AS SNOW WITH
PERHAPS A LIGHT ACCUMULATION. ANY SNOW WILL CHANGE TO RAIN DURING
THE AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ009-010-012>027-PAZ067>071-
190845-
NEW CASTLE-KENT-INLAND SUSSEX-DELAWARE BEACHES-CECIL-KENT MD-
QUEEN ANNES-TALBOT-CAROLINE-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET-MIDDLESEX-
WESTERN MONMOUTH-EASTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-SALEM-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN-
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-OCEAN-CUMBERLAND-ATLANTIC-CAPE MAY-
ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY-COASTAL ATLANTIC-COASTAL OCEAN-
SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON-CHESTER-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS-DELAWARE-
PHILADELPHIA-
333 AM EST WED FEB 18 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL DELAWARE...NORTHERN
DELAWARE...SOUTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND...CENTRAL NEW
JERSEY...NORTHERN NEW JERSEY...NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY...SOUTHERN NEW
JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

ANZ430-431-450>455-190845-
DELAWARE BAY WATERS NORTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE-
DELAWARE BAY WATERS SOUTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE-
COASTAL WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK TO MANASQUAN INLET NJ OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM MANASQUAN INLET TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE EGG INLET TO GREAT EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM GREAT EGG INLET TO CAPE MAY NJ OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE MAY NJ TO CAPE HENLOPEN DE OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE HENLOPEN TO FENWICK ISLAND DE OUT 20 NM-
333 AM EST WED FEB 18 2009

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 4 PM EST
THURSDAY...
...GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND
DELAWARE BAY WATERS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY.
   GALE WATCH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Berks

When: February 18, 11:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where: Berks forecast zone
Injuries: 0 direct, 3 indirect
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.416, -75.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Lehigh

When: February 18, 11:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Lehigh forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.613, -75.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Northampton

When: February 18, 11:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Northampton forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.754, -75.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Monroe

When: February 18, 11:00 AM EST to February 19, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.058, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Carbon

When: February 18, 11:00 AM EST to February 19, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Carbon forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.918, -75.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, February 2009

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 152128, 152129, 152130, 152131, 152132.