Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, January 1 to 5, 2010

Name: Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, January 1 to 5, 2010
Start: 2010-01-01T08:00
End: 2010-01-05T20:00
Location: Pennsylvania

January 1 to 5, 2010 · NWS CLE · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A strong cold front moved east across northeastern Pennsylvania late on December 31st. Cold north to northwest winds behind the front caused lake effect snow showers to develop early on January 1st.

Where it happened

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.

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: 0
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 CLE wrote it up.

A strong cold front moved east across northeastern Pennsylvania late on December 31st. Cold north to northwest winds behind the front caused lake effect snow showers to develop early on January 1st. Intermittent snow showers were then reported for several days. This activity finally diminished during the afternoon and evening hours of January 5th. Moderate to heavy snow was reported at times with snowfall rates approaching two inches per hour with the most intense bands. Drier air finally began to move into the area on January 5th causing the snow showers to finally dissipate late in the day. Northwest winds gusted to as much as 25 mph on the 2nd and to 35 mph on the 3rd. These winds combined with the snow caused near whiteout conditions at times. Snowfall amounts varied considerably across Erie and Crawford Counties. Totals ranged from around a foot near Lake Erie to nearly five feet in northern Crawford County. Peak totals in Erie County were over four feet during this event. Travel was severely hampered during this event and hundreds of accidents were reported.

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 Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 1, 7:02 AM EST, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 7:02 AM EST, 58 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 1, 7:16 AM EST, 44 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 1, 3:50 AM EST, 4 hours 10 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
350 AM EST FRI JAN 1 2010

OHZ003-006>009-017>019-027>030-036-037-047-011230-
LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-HANCOCK-SENECA-HURON-WYANDOT-
CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-ASHLAND-MARION-MORROW-KNOX-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TOLEDO...BOWLING GREEN...PORT CLINTON...
FREMONT...SANDUSKY...FINDLAY...TIFFIN...NORWALK...
UPPER SANDUSKY...CAREY...BUCYRUS...MANSFIELD...ASHLAND...MARION...
MOUNT GILEAD...MOUNT VERNON
350 AM EST FRI JAN 1 2010

ICY SPOTS ON ROADS AND SIDEWALKS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH DAYBREAK.

AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE DEVELOPED OVERNIGHT AND WILL END BY
DAYBREAK. EVEN IF LOCATIONS DIDN'T HAVE ANY FREEZING DRIZZLE MOST
ROAD SURFACES ARE WET AND WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING THEY
ARE GETTING ICY. UNTREATED ROADS AND SIDEWALKS ARE SLIPPERY AND
PEOPLE WILL NEED TO USE CAUTION.

OHZ010>014-020>023-031>033-038-089-PAZ001>003-011230-
LORAIN-CUYAHOGA-LAKE-GEAUGA-ASHTABULA INLAND-MEDINA-SUMMIT-
PORTAGE-TRUMBULL-WAYNE-STARK-MAHONING-HOLMES-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE-
NORTHERN ERIE-SOUTHERN ERIE-CRAWFORD PA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LORAIN...CLEVELAND...MENTOR...CHARDON...
JEFFERSON...MEDINA...AKRON...RAVENNA...WARREN...WOOSTER...
CANTON...YOUNGSTOWN...MILLERSBURG...ASHTABULA...ERIE...EDINBORO...
MEADVILLE
350 AM EST FRI JAN 1 2010

ICY SPOTS ON ROADS AND SIDEWALKS WILL OCCUR THROUGH THE MORNING.

AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY DEVELOP AND CONTINUE THROUGH MID
MORNING. EVEN IF LOCATIONS DON'T HAVE ANY FREEZING DRIZZLE MOST
ROAD SURFACES ARE WET AND WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING THEY
ARE GETTING ICY. UNTREATED ROADS AND SIDEWALKS ARE SLIPPERY AND
PEOPLE WILL NEED TO USE CAUTION.

KIELTYKA

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Erie

When: January 1, 8:00 AM EST to January 5, 3:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Erie forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.118, -80.098 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake effect snow showers began in Erie County during the morning of January 1st. Moderate to heavy snow showers then continued through the afternoon hours of the 4th. From the evening of the 4th through midday on the 5th the snow shower activity was very scattered with most areas seeing only occasional light snow or flurries. Some of the heaviest snow fell during the afternoon of the 3rd with snowfall rates approaching two inches per hour at times. Northwest winds gusted to as much as 25 mph on the 2nd and 3rd. These strong winds resulted in considerable blowing and drifting along with visibilities near zero at times. Snowfall totals across inland Erie County during this five day event were generally between two and three feet. A peak total from the 1st through the 5th of 43.5 inches was measured at Edinboro. Most of that snow fell on the 2nd and 3rd. Other five day totals across the county included: 42.4 inches in Amity Township; 37.0 inches south of North East and 33.5 inches at Pont. Drifts as much as 6 feet tall were reported in the county. Travel was severely hampered during this event and many accidents were reported.

Lake-Effect Snow, Crawford

When: January 1, 9:00 AM EST to January 5, 8:00 PM EST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.685, -80.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lake effect snow showers began in Crawford County during the morning of January 1st. Moderate to heavy snow showers then continued through the afternoon hours of the 4th. From the evening of the 4th through the evening of the 5th the snow shower activity was very scattered with most areas seeing only occasional light snow or flurries. Some of the heaviest snow fell during the afternoon of the 3rd with snowfall rates approaching two inches per hour at times. Northwest winds gusted to as much as 25 mph on the 2nd and 3rd. These strong winds resulted in considerable blowing and drifting along with visibilities near zero at times. Snowfall totals across Crawford County varied considerably during this five day event with the greatest amounts reported across the northern and central portions of the county. A peak total from the 1st through the 5th of 59.2 inches was measured southwest of Conneautville. Most of that snow fell on the 2nd and 3rd. Significantly less snow was reported in southern Crawford County with Titusville in the southeast corner of the county seeing only 14.5 inches during this event. Other five day totals across the county included: 51.1 inches northwest of Crossingville and 46.5 inches near Meadville. Drifts as much as 6 feet tall were reported in the county. Travel was severely hampered during this event and many accidents were reported.

What these are

Lake-Effect Snow: Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, January 2010

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 209425, 209531.