The remnants of Sandy brought a variety of weather impacts to western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and Garrett county Maryland as the storm made landfall and interacted with a cold front essentially right over the region. Heavy rain and strong winds combined to cause downed trees and power-lines in the lower elevations.
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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 PBZ wrote it up.
The remnants of Sandy brought a variety of weather impacts to western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and Garrett county Maryland as the storm made landfall and interacted with a cold front essentially right over the region. Heavy rain and strong winds combined to cause downed trees and power-lines in the lower elevations. Meanwhile, the higher elevations experienced blizzard conditions, with snow amounts in excess of 2 1/2 feet reported at elevations above 2500 feet.
Rain began on the 26th as the cold front slowly crossed the region and then stalled over the Appalachians. This cold front then interacted with Sandy as the storm made landfall on the 29th. In general, rainfall from the front and remnants of Sandy averaged 2 inches across much of eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania. Amounts in excess of 4 inches were reported in and and around Pittsburgh and parts of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. However, due to dry antecedent conditions, only minor flooding was reported across the region.
The saturated ground did play in an important role later however, as the pressure gradient between the front and Sandy remnants strengthened. There were several reports of trees down and power outages across the lower elevations.
Cold air, wrapping around the system as it moved inland helped to change the higher elevations to snow early on the 29th. Snow accumulated rapidly, up to two inches per hour for much of the overnight hours on the 29-30th. Very low visibilities resulting in and indirect fatality in Tucker county. Snow amounts in excess of 2 1/2 feet were reported in Tucker and Preston counties in West Virginia and Garrett county, Maryland. Amounts of 8-12 inches were reported in the ridges of Fayette and Westmoreland county in Pennsylvania and even in portions of eastern Monongalia county in West Virginia. The heavy snow combined with the wind to down numerous trees and power-lines making those areas nearly impassable. The roof of a gas station in Terra Alta also gave way due to the weight of the snow. Almost 95% of residents in Preston, Tucker, and Garrett county were without power during the peak of the snow-storm, which outages lasting over a week in many locations.
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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 29, 9:26 AM EST, 6 hours 34 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
19 strong wind, 10 flood, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management reported multiple trees down.
Call center employee reported multiple trees down.
Call center employee reported trees down.
Call center employee reported trees down throughout county.
Call center employee reported trees and power-lines down throughout county.
Call center employee reported multiple trees down.
Call center reports of trees down scattered across county.
Call center employee reported trees down.
Call center employee reported trees down across county.
Call center employee reported trees down.
Call center employee reported trees down.
Emergency management reported twenty trees down across county and power outages reported.
Call center employee reported trees down.
Call center employee reported trees down.
Emergency management reports of trees down.
Call center employee reports of trees down.
Emergency management reported some roads flooded between Armbrust and Greensburg with 2 bridges flooded.
Emergency management reported East Hillis Road and surrounding roads flooded.
Department of highways reported trees down in several locations.
Emergency management reported Hill Street flooded near Route 119.
Emergency management reported a land slide near Rosedale.
Emergency management reported residential flooding in Washington.
Law enforcement reported roads flooded in MT Pleasant.
Emergency management reported roads flooded in and around Westmoreland County Community College.
Emergency management reproted Route 982 and Route 30 flooded.
Emergency management reported Route 30 flooded in Unity Township.
A trained spotter reported Jacobs Creek flooding along Route 31 and Route 982.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, October 2012
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: 417869, 417784, 417773, 417774, 417785, 417786, 417780, 417868, 417871, 417874, 417876, 417787, 417879, 417880, 417882, 417883, 417941, 417958, 415719, 415720, 417778, 417913, 417776, 415722, 415723, 415724, 415726, 415729, 415731, 415732, 415733.