Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 23 to 24, 2012

Name: Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 23 to 24, 2012
Start: 2012-02-23T23:00
End: 2012-02-24T12:00
Location: Pennsylvania

February 23 to 24, 2012 · NWS PHI · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A low pressure system that passed northwest of the Poconos on the 24th brought a wintry mix of snow and freezing rain to the higher terrain. Mainly just rain fell in the valleys.

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: None recorded
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 PHI wrote it up.

A low pressure system that passed northwest of the Poconos on the 24th brought a wintry mix of snow and freezing rain to the higher terrain. Mainly just rain fell in the valleys. In the higher terrain, snowfall averaged 1 to 3 inches and ice accretions averaged less than one tenth of an inch. Untreated roadways were hazardous. Precipitation started as snow late in the evening on the 23rd, but changed quickly to rain in the valleys. Over the higher terrain, the snow fell heavy at times early on the 24th and there were even reports of thunder. The snow changed to freezing rain around 5 a.m. EST on the 24th and intermittent light freezing rain continued until around Noon EST on the 24th.

Snowfall included 3.1 inches in Tobyhanna (Monroe County), 2.0 inches in Pocono Summit (Monroe County) and 0.5 inches in Albrightsville. The wintry weather was caused by a low pressure that went southwest to northeast from Kansas on the morning of the 23rd, through the Ohio Valley on the night of the 23rd and into the Saint Lawrence River Valley during the day on the 24th. Precipitation ended as the low's occluded front approached the region. It passed through during the late afternoon on the 24th. There was sufficient cold air in place first aloft and then at the surface for the wintry mix.

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 23, 9:38 PM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 23, 9:38 PM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
938 PM EST THU FEB 23 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE UP THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT AND DEVELOP A
SECONDARY OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST FRIDAY BEFORE HEADING FOR NEW
ENGLAND LATE FRIDAY. IT WILL PUSH A STRONG WARM FRONT NORTHWARD
THROUGH A PORTION OF OUR AREA FRIDAY MORNING AND THEN A STRONG
COLD WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE
WILL THEN BUILD EAST AND REACH THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES SUNDAY
BEFORE MOVING OFFSHORE ON MONDAY. ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT IS
FORECAST TO CROSS OUR REGION LATE MONDAY NIGHT TO BE FOLLOWED BY
WEAK HIGH PRESSURE TUESDAY. ANOTHER, MUCH STRONGER, LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO OUR AREA FROM THE WEST WEDNESDAY OR
WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/...
PRECIPITATION WAS CONTINUING TO SPREAD EASTWARD FROM THE SOUTHERN
GREAT LAKES REGION AND THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. THAT WILL REMAIN THE
CASE OVERNIGHT, WITH THE STEADIEST OF THE PRECIPITATION PASSING TO
OUR NORTH.

THE PREVIOUS FORECAST REMAINS ON TARGET. THE TEMPERATURE AT MOUNT
POCONO HAD ALREADY FALLEN TO 33 BY 900 PM. WALPACK, NEW JERSEY WAS
DOWN TO 32. DEW POINT VALUES ACROSS THE NORTH WERE IN THE MIDDLE
TO UPPER 20S, SO WHEN THE PRECIPITATION ARRIVE IT SHOULD COOL THE
AIR A BIT MORE RESULTING IN A WINTRY MIX.

FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR FORECAST AREA WHERE TEMPERATURES WERE
GENERALLY IN THE 40S AND LOWER 50S AT 900 PM, THE INITIAL
PRECIPITATION SHOULD CONTINUE TO EVAPORATE AS IT ENCOUNTERS THE
DRY AIR. HOWEVER, THE AIR WILL MOISTEN GRADUALLY AND SOME LIGHT
RAIN WILL FALL. A BIT OF COOLING SHOULD ALSO TAKE PLACE IN OUR
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COUNTIES BUT IT IS NOT EXPECTED TO BRING
TEMPERATURES BELOW THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 40S THERE.

THERE REMAINS A CHANCE OF THUNDER IN OUR FAR SOUTHERN COUNTIES
LATE TONIGHT WITH A LOW LEVEL JET AND SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM FRIDAY/...
12Z NCEP GFS/NAM MOS WARMTH TRIMMED CONSIDERABLY BY THE EVER
SOUTHWARD TRENDING 12Z UK/ECMWF AND EVEN THESE TEMPS MAY STILL BE
5F TOO WARM.

THE HOPE TO WARM PHL SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST IS TO GET SOME SUNSHINE
THRU THE CLOUDS BEFORE THE CONVECTIVE BAND MOVING EWD FROM W PA
AND WV ARRIVES. GREATEST CONFIDENCE ON WARMING TO THE FCST VALUES
IS SOUTHERN DE AND NEAR CGE MD.

AM VERY CONFIDENT IT WILL BE A CHILLY DAY KABE-KSMQ AREA.

ON TSTMS AND SVR... ITS POSSIBLE BUT PREFER TO BE IN WARM SECTOR
AND JUST NOT SURE WE CAN GET SVR ANYWHERE EXCEPT MD/DE LATE IN THE
DAY.

HIGH WIND... RESERVED FOR THE NEXT PERIOD IF AT ALL.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
MDLS HAVE COME INTO MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT FOR MOST OF THE EXTENDD
PD, SO CONFIDENCE IS MUCH HIGHER THAN IT HAS BEEN OF LATE, WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF THE END OF THE PD.

THE STRONG COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH LOW PRESSURE MOVING BY TO
OUR N WILL CROSS THE REGION EARLY IN THE PD. THIS FRONT WILL END
THE RAIN AND USHER IN COLDER AIR AND GUSTY NW WINDS. AS HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS IN BEHIND THE DEPARTING STORM, THE PGRAD WILL
TIGHTEN AND FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE FLOW. FRIDAY NIGHT, AND
ESPECIALLY SATURDAY LOOK WINDY. DEPENDING ON HOW WINDY IT GETS, WE
MAY NEED NPW PRODUCTS FOR A TIME. AS HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES IN FOR
SATURDAY NIGHT, THE WIND WILL DECREASE.

THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK LOOKS NICE WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN
CONTROL, DRY WX AND WARMING TEMPERATURES. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE
WILL MOVE ACRS SRN CANADA MONDAY NIGHT AND A WK CDFNT WILL CROSS
THE REGION, BUT AT THIS POINT IT LOOKS TO BE DRY AND TEMPS HARDLY
RESPOND TO THIS FROPA.

THE HIGH MOVES OFF THE COAST ON TUESDAY AND A STRONG STORM BEGINS
TO DEVELOP IN THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES. THERE IS STILL CONSIDERABLE
UNCERTAINTY WRT THE OVERALL EVOLUTION OF THIS STORM, BUT IT
APPEARS TO IMPACT OUR REGION POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS TUESDAY NIGHT,
BUT MORE LIKELY ON WEDNESDAY AND THEN EXITING ON THURSDAY. ATTM,
THE ECMWF HAS A STRONGER LOW THAN THE GFS AND IT IS THEREFORE
SLOWER WITH THE TIMING. HOWEVER, THIS SYSTEM IS STILL ABOUT 6 DAYS
AWAY, AND AS WE'VE SEEN LATELY, MDL DIFFS HAVE BEEN TAKING LONGER
TO RESOLVE THEMSELVES.

TEMPS WILL START OFF AROUND NRML IN THE WAKE OF THE CFP FRIDAY
NIGHT. THEY WILL THEN WARM WELL INTO THE 50S AND ABOUT 10 DEGREES
ABOVE NRML BY THE END OF THE EXTENDD PD.

&&

.AVIATION /02Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION IS FOR KPHL, KPNE, KTTN, KABE, KRDG,
KILG, KMIV, KACY AND SURROUNDING AREAS.

CONDITIONS WERE VFR AT ALL EIGHT OF OUR TAF SITES AT 0230Z.

PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD INTO OUR REGION FROM THE
WEST OVERNIGHT. CONDITIONS MAY LOWER INTO THE MVFR RANGE AT KRDG
AND KABE AROUND 0500Z TO 0600Z. MVFR CEILING AND VISIBILITY VALUES
MAY BE DELAYED UNTIL AROUND 1000Z AT OUR OTHER TAF SITES AS THE
ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO MOISTEN GRADUALLY.

EVEN AS THE MAIN AREA OF PRECIPITATION PULLS TO OUR NORTHEAST ON
FRIDAY MORNING, LOW MVFR OR IFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH
ABOUT MIDDAY.

A BAND OF SHOWERS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH OUR REGION ON
FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

THE WIND IS FORECAST TO FAVOR THE NORTHEAST AND EAST OVERNIGHT AT
LESS THAN 10 KNOTS. THE WIND IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT TO THE SOUTHWEST
AT KMIV AND KACY DURING THE MORNING. THE WIND SHIFT TO THE
SOUTHWEST SHOULD TAKE PLACE AT OUR REMAINING TAF SITES DURING THE
AFTERNOON. A GUSTY WEST WIND IS ANTICIPATED FOR LATE FRIDAY.

OUTLOOK...
THE WIND SHIFT WILL TO NW FRIDAY NIGHT BEHIND A COLD FROPA AND
CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF SOME REDUCED
CIGS/VSBYS EARLY BUT THEN THINGS SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR AND REMAIN
THAT WAY FOR THE REMAINDER OF FRIDAY NIGHT AND INTO EARLY NEXT
WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES THE WEATHER. DUE TO A
STRENGTHENING PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN DEPARTING LOW PRESSURE AND
BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE, FRIDAY NIGHT AND ESPECIALLY SATURDAY WILL
BE QUITE BREEZY, WITH GUSTS AOA 30 KT PSBL. THE WIND WILL SUBSIDE
LATER SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY AS THE HIGH BUILDS IN. THE HIGH WILL
SHIFT OFF TO THE EAST ON MONDAY AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES.
THIS FRONT WILL HAVE VERY LITTLE SHOWER ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH
IT. THEREFORE, VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL.

&&

.MARINE...
SCA FOR LATE TONIGHT AND FRI WITH A BURST E-SE WIND TO NEAR 25
KTS AND ATLC SEAS RISING TO 5 FT OR HIGHER.

GALE WATCH PUSHED BACK TO 23Z FRI...IN LARGE PART BCS OF THE EVER
SWD DEVELOPING ECMWF WHICH BASICALLY HAS LITTLE WIND HERE LATE IN
THE DAY.

OUTLOOK...
STRONG CFP ACRS THE CSTL WATERS WILL OCCUR FRIDAY EVENING AND
WINDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE NW AND FURTHER INCREASE INTO
SATURDAY. THIS IS DUE TO A STRENGTHENING PGRAD BETWEEN A DEPARTING
LOW OVER THE CANADIAN MARITIMES AND BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE TO THE
W. GALES ARE LOOKING INCREASINGLY LIKELY FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY, WITH LINGERING SCA INTO EARLY SUNDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD OVER THE REGION SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AND EXPECT
RATHER TRANQUIL CONDS AT FIRST, THEN SLOWLY BUILDING SEAS ON SWLY
FLOW AS THE AFOREMENTIONED HIGH MOVES OFFSHORE AND SWLY FLOW
DEVELOPS.

&&

.PHI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM EST FRIDAY FOR PAZ054-055.
NJ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM EST FRIDAY FOR NJZ001.
DE...NONE.
MD...NONE.
MARINE...GALE WATCH FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR
     ANZ430-431-450>455.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST FRIDAY FOR ANZ450>455.

&&

SYNOPSIS...NIERENBERG
NEAR TERM...IOVINO
SHORT TERM...DRAG
LONG TERM...NIERENBERG
AVIATION...IOVINO/NIERENBERG
MARINE...DRAG/NIERENBERG

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 23, 3:43 PM EST, 7 hours 17 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
343 PM EST THU FEB 23 2012

NJZ007-008-PAZ062-242045-
WARREN-MORRIS-NORTHAMPTON-
343 PM EST THU FEB 23 2012

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE THAT RAIN WILL CHANGE TO A PERIOD OF SNOW...
SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN BETWEEN 2 AM AND 8 AM WITH THE BEST
CHANCE OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS IN NORTHERN MORRIS COUNTY NEW
JERSEY WHERE A COATING OF SNOW OR SLEET IS POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF STRONG GUSTY WEST WINDS TO 45 MPH FOR A TIME
FRIDAY NIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

NJZ001-PAZ054-055-242045-
SUSSEX-CARBON-MONROE-
343 PM EST THU FEB 23 2012

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM
EST FRIDAY...

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

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

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF STRONG GUSTY WEST WINDS TO 45 MPH FOR A TIME
FRIDAY NIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

NJZ009-010-012>015-025-PAZ060-061-068-069-242045-
HUNTERDON-SOMERSET-MIDDLESEX-WESTERN MONMOUTH-EASTERN MONMOUTH-
MERCER-COASTAL ATLANTIC-BERKS-LEHIGH-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS-
343 PM EST THU FEB 23 2012

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF STRONG GUSTY WEST WINDS TO 45 MPH FOR A TIME
LATE FRIDAY OR EARLY SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

DEZ001>004-MDZ008-012-015-019-020-NJZ016>024-026-027-PAZ067-070-071-
242045-
NEW CASTLE-KENT-INLAND SUSSEX-DELAWARE BEACHES-CECIL-KENT MD-
QUEEN ANNES-TALBOT-CAROLINE-SALEM-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN-
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-OCEAN-CUMBERLAND-ATLANTIC-CAPE MAY-
ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY-COASTAL OCEAN-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON-
CHESTER-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-
343 PM EST THU FEB 23 2012

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE FOR A PERIOD OF GUSTY SOUTHWEST OR WEST
WINDS TO 45 MPH FOR A TIME LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING.
THESE WINDS MIGHT ACCOMPANY ANY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THAT OCCUR
LATE FRIDAY.

STRONG WEST GUSTY WINDS COULD ALSO PERSIST INTO EARLY SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

ANZ430-431-450>455-242045-
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-
343 PM EST THU FEB 23 2012

...GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY
AFTERNOON...

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

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

   GALE WATCH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

DRAG

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Carbon

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Carbon forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.918, -75.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Monroe

When: February 23, 11:00 PM EST to February 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.058, -75.339 (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 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, February 2012

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 366367, 366368.