An arctic airmass combined with brisk winds produced wind chill readings of 15 to 25 degrees below zero across the Laurel Highlands. Numerous schools were either closed or delayed.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 arctic airmass combined with brisk winds produced wind chill readings of 15 to 25 degrees below zero across the Laurel Highlands. Numerous schools were either closed or delayed.
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 Feb 3, 10:44 PM EST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1044 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 .SYNOPSIS... LOW PRESSURE ALOFT WILL DRIFT SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT LEADING TO PERIODS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW. THIS UPPER LOW PRESSURE CENTER WILL MOVE TO NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND BY LATE WEDNESDAY COLDER AND DRIER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY...THEN A STEADY WARMING TREND WILL BEGIN FRIDAY WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... A NW/SE BAND OF 925 TO 850 HPA FRONTOGENESIS NOTED ON THE NAM/WRFARW APPEARS TO BE PLACED ABOUT 40 MILES TOO FAR TO THE NE OF ITS PRESENT LOCATION FROM NEAR KFIG AND KUNV SE ALONG ROUTE 322. THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE NEARLY STATIONARY SNOW AREA ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONTOGENESIS WAS EXPANDING AS AN AREA OF STEEPENING MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES (AROUND 7-7.5C/KM) DEVELOPS. THIS AREA OF ENHANCED INSTABILITY AND FRONTOGENESIS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH AFTER 06Z ACROSS SCENT PENN...BUT BLOSSOM FURTHER TO THE NORTHEAST DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS AND CONTINUE THROUGH AROUND 15Z FROM KIPT AND KSEG EASTWARD. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR AS MUCH AS 3 OR 4 INCHES OF NEW SNOW OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE CENTRAL MTNS...GENERALLY ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN ROUTE 322 AND ROUTE 22. SNOWFALL RATES AND COVERAGE ACROSS THE REGION FROM NE OF KHGR...TO KTHV...KMDT AND KLNS ALSO WARRANT THE ISSUANCE OF A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. IN FACT...SOME OF THE STRONGEST RADAR RETURN OF 30-35 DBZ AND HEAVIEST SNOWFALL RATES WERE FOUND IN TRAINING ECHOES ACROSS CENTRAL AND ERN LANCASTER...WHERE AROUND 2.5 INCHES OF SNOW HAS FALLEN JUST IN THE PAST HOUR OR TWO. WILL ALSO BE MONITORING THE CENTRAL SUSQ VALLEY AND POINTS EAST THROUGH SCHUYLKILL COUNTY OVERNIGHT AS THE STEEPEST MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES SHIFT NE. WE SHOULD SEE THE COVERAGE/INTENSITY OF SNOW BEGIN TO INCREASE THERE AFTER 06-08Z. PERIODS OF LIGHTER SNOW/SNOW SHOWERS ELSEWHERE WILL BRING ANYWHERE FROM A COATING TO 2 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION BY DAYBREAK. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM WEDNESDAY/... WEDNESDAY WE SEE THE FLOW RETURN TO WEST-NW FLOW WHICH SHUD BEGIN TO RETURN CONDITIONS BACK CLOSER TO WHAT WE NORMALLY EXPECT AT THIS TIME OF YEAR...WHERE PLENTY OF CLOUDS AND SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY EXISTS OVER WESTERN HIGH TERRAIN...AND CONDITIONS IMPROVE THE FURTHER DOWNSTREAM ONE GOES. WITH THE FLOW TURNING NORTHERLY...MUCH COLDER AIR WILL RETURN GIVING US AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MORE CHILLY BELOW NORMAL DAYS BEFORE MILDER AIR STARTS TO MAKE A COME BACK LATER IN THE WEEK. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE SERN U.S. WILL MOVE ACROSS BUILDS ACROSS THE REGION LATE IN THE WEEK BEHIND THE BY THE THEN DEPARTING UPPER TROF WITH DRY AND COLD WEATHER INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. INCREASING SOUTH TO SW FLOW ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SFC HIGHT AND BUILDING HEIGHTS WILL LEAD TO A WARM- UP OVER THE UPCOMING WEEKEND WITH MUCH ABOVE MUCH NORMAL TEMPS POSSIBLE BY SUNDAY. SEVERAL WEAK WAVES WILL MOVE THROUGH THE RELATIVELY FLAT FLOW...ONE SATURDAY AND ONE TUESDAY. AT THIS POINT THESE LOOK LIKE THE ONLY CHANCES OF SIG PCPN DURING THE LONG TERM PERIOD. && .AVIATION /04Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... BASE OF TROUGH SWINGING THROUGH OVERNIGHT WITH FALLING HEIGHTS AND A DECREASE OF MID LEVEL STABILITY. CONDITIONS WILL BE VARIABLE...HIGHLIGHTED BY A STRONGER BAND OF SNOW SHOWERS/SQUALLS STRETCHING NW-SE ACROSS MAINLY THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. THIS BAND WILL SLIDE SLOWLY SOUTHWARD AND ROTATE TO MORE OF A W-E ORIENTATION AS THE NIGHT WEARS ON. TAF SITES AFFECTED BY THIS BAND WILL BE KUNV/KAOO/KJST WHERE CONDITIONS WILL DROP TO IFR FOR A TIME BEFORE RETURNING TO MVFR. ELSEWHERE OCCASIONAL MVFR SNOW SHOWERS WILL MIX WITH VFR CONDITIONS. SNOW BAND WILL LINGER AND WEAKEN AFTER 10-12Z ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIER...LEAVING BEHIND A MAINLY VFR DAY IN THE EAST WITH MVFR CIGS IN THE WEST. ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL MOVE IN FROM THE WEST IN THE AFTERNOON. OUTLOOK... THUR...MVFR/SHSN WEST BCMG VFR. VFR CENTRAL/EAST. FRI...MVFR WEST. VFR ELSEWHERE. SAT...VFR BCMG MVFR WEST. SUN...MAINLY MVFR WITH SHOWERS. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ017>019-026>028-064>066. && SYNOPSIS...LACORTE/LAMBERT NEAR TERM...LAMBERT SHORT TERM...LACORTE LONG TERM...LAMBERT/GARTNER AVIATION...RXR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1101 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 PAZ006-011-012-025-034>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-056-057-063- 050415- POTTER-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-BLAIR-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-TIOGA- NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION- SNYDER-MONTOUR-NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-CUMBERLAND- 1101 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PATCHY BLACK ICE ON ROAD SURFACES MAY CREATE SLIPPERY TRAVEL FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ017>019-026>028-050415- CLEARFIELD-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN- JUNIATA- 1101 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR 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 WEATHER ADVISORY. IN ADDITION...PATCHY BLACK ICE ON ROAD SURFACES MAY CREATE SLIPPERY TRAVEL FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ024-033-050415- CAMBRIA-SOMERSET- 1101 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PATCHY BLACK ICE ON ROAD SURFACES MAY CREATE SLIPPERY TRAVEL FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS BEFORE TAPERING TO FLURRIES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY AT TIMES...CREATING A FEW SNOW SQUALLS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ004-005-010-050415- WARREN-MCKEAN-ELK- 1101 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PATCHY BLACK ICE ON ROAD SURFACES MAY CREATE SLIPPERY TRAVEL FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS BEFORE TAPERING TO FLURRIES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY AT TIMES...CREATING A FEW SNOW SQUALLS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ058-059-050415- SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON- 1101 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PATCHY BLACK ICE ON ROAD SURFACES MAY CREATE SLIPPERY TRAVEL FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL OVERSPREAD PORTIONS OF THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER VALLEY TONIGHT WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS AROUND A DUSTING TO 1 INCH BEFORE TAPERING TO FLURRIES EARLY WEDNESDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ064>066-050415- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 1101 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR 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 WEATHER ADVISORY. PATCHY BLACK ICE ON ROAD SURFACES MAY CREATE SLIPPERY TRAVEL FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. RXR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 731 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 PAZ010>012-017-018-040145- CAMERON PA-CLEARFIELD PA-ELK PA-NORTHERN CENTRE PA- NORTHERN CLINTON PA- 731 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 ...HEAVY SNOW SQUALLS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN CENTRE CENTRE...NORTHEASTERN CLEARFIELD COUNTY...SOUTHEASTERN ELK COUNTY...SOUTHERN CAMERON COUNTY AND WEST CENTRAL CLINTON COUNTY THROUGH 845 PM EST... AT 730 PM EST...HEAVY SNOW SQUALLS WERE ALONG...AND ABOUT 10 MILES TO THE EAST AND WEST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES EAST OF SAINT MARYS TO 12 MILES WEST OF BELLEFONTE. THIS AREA OF HEAVY SNOW SQUALLS HAS BEEN NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE PAST 90 MINUTES. VISIBILITIES IN THE SQUALLS WILL RAPIDLY DROP TO LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE. THE SNOW WILL FALL ONTO RELATIVELY WARMER ROAD SURFACES...WHICH WILL CAUSE IT TO QUICKLY MELT AND THEN RE-FREEZE. THIS COULD CREATE VERY ICY CONDITIONS IF THE ROAD SURFACE IS UNTREATED. EXPECT ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW TO FALL BETWEEN 730 PM AND 830 PM NEAR...AND JUST TO THE WEST OF A LINE FROM HICKS RUN...TO KARTHAUS...PINE GLEN...MOSHANNON AND SNOW SHOE. THIS WILL IMPACT I-80 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 134 AND 149. THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT STATE ROAD 120. USE EXTREME CAUTION IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO OR THROUGH THIS AREA OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SNOW SQUALL. CONSIDER DELAYING TRAVEL UNTIL THE SQUALLS PASS YOUR LOCATION. FORECASTER: LAMBERT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 944 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 PAZ036-056-057-059-063>066-040445- ADAMS PA-CUMBERLAND PA-DAUPHIN PA-FRANKLIN PA-LANCASTER PA-LEBANON PA-PERRY PA-YORK PA- 944 PM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 ...NUMEROUS SNOW SQUALLS WILL DRIFT SLOWLY TO THE SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH 1145 PM...AFFECTING THE COUNTIES OF ADAMS... CUMBERLAND...LANCASTER...NORTHEASTERN FRANKLIN...SOUTHEASTERN DAUPHIN...SOUTHERN LEBANON...SOUTHWESTERN PERRY AND YORK... AT 944 PM EST...A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT SNOW WITH NUMEROUS...EMBEDDED HEAVY SNOW SQUALLS COVERED MUCH OF THE REGION FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE...SOUTH TO THE MARYLAND BORDER. VISIBILITIES WITHIN THE SNOW SQUALLS WILL RAPIDLY DROP TO AROUND ONE QUARTER OF A MILE FOR 10 TO 20 MINUTES. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND AN INCH WILL OCCUR IN LESS THAN AN HOUR IN SOME LOCATIONS. THE SQUALLS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INTERSTATES WITH VERY POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS...THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 190 AND 294...I-81 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 20 AND 53...I-83 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 35. THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR ROADS...STATE HIGHWAY 283...ROUTE 11...ROUTE 15...ROUTE 30...ROUTE 222...ROUTE 322...ROUTE 422...STATE ROAD 41...STATE ROAD 94...STATE ROAD 97...STATE ROAD 501. USE EXTREME CAUTION IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO OR THROUGH THIS AREA OF POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SNOW SQUALLS. FORECASTER: LAMBERT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind chill readings of 15 to 25 degrees below zero were reported across Cambria County.
Wind chill readings of 15 to 25 degrees below zero were reported across Somerset County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, February 2009
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: 144499, 144500.