A complex low pressure system with energy transferring from the Ohio Valley across the Central Appalachians to the Mid-Atlantic coast produced widespread snow accumulations in excess of 6 inches over much of central Pennsylvania. The snow overspread the area from southwest to northeast and became heavy at times during the afternoon and early evening, with snowfall rates between 1 and locally 2…
Every event with a place to put it; 36 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.
A complex low pressure system with energy transferring from the Ohio Valley across the Central Appalachians to the Mid-Atlantic coast produced widespread snow accumulations in excess of 6 inches over much of central Pennsylvania. The snow overspread the area from southwest to northeast and became heavy at times during the afternoon and early evening, with snowfall rates between 1 and locally 2 inches per hour. By late in the evening, strong low-level warm advection resulted in above freezing temperatures aloft and caused a changeover from snow to sleet and freezing rain, with significant ice accretions observed in the Lower Susquehanna Valley. The wintry precipitation tapered off to light snow and freezing drizzle around midnight in most locations. The heavy snow topped by a layer of ice sponsored dangerous travel conditions with numerous vehicle accidents involving passenger cars and jackknifed tractor-trailers resulting in several major road closures including portions of I-80, I-81 and US 322. There were two indirect storm-related fatalities, where two people died in a head-on collision on SR 4002 in Blair County.
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 Dec 14, 6:48 AM EST, 3 hours 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 648 AM EST SAT DEC 14 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A STORM WILL MOVE UP INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTHWEST TODAY AND WRAP UP AS IT SPEEDS NORTHEAST TONIGHT. HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER ALL OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. COLD AND BLUSTERY CONDITIONS WILL RETURN FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY. AN ALBERTA CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM WILL REINFORCE THE COLD FOR MID WEEK. A GENERALLY DRY SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK IS EXPECTED WITH A SIGNIFICANT WARM UP POSSIBLE BY NEXT WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON/... 630 AM UPDATE... NOTHING NEW. SNOW WORKING DOWN TO THE GROUND. ALL IS STILL ON TRACK. MAINLY LIGHT SNOW FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY. THE CURRENT BAND OF SNOW ACROSS THE NRN MTNS WILL LIFT TO THE NORTH...THEN THE EMPTY SPOT SHOULD BE FILLED IN FROM S-N THRU THE LATE AFTN. THE SNOW OVER WV SHOULD WORK NORTHWARD AND INTO THE LAURELS SHORTLY...AND CONTINUE ON THAT TRACK/TIMING TO BRING LIGHT SNOW TO MOST OF THE AREA BY NOON. PREV DISC... LIGHT SNOW ALREADY INTO FAR NWRN PA...PRETTY MUCH RIGHT ON SCHEDULE. THE FIRST WAVE OF ELEVATED LIFT IS EXPECTED TO MAKE SOME VERY LIGHT SNOW OVER THE NRN MTNS THIS MORNING. THE NEXT PUSH OF STRONG UVV/S MOVES INTO SWRN PA BY 14-15Z PER ALL MODELS. AGAIN...NO CHANGE IN THIS EXPECTATION EITHER. OVERALL...THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST CONTINUOUS/PERSISTENT FORECASTS WE HAVE HAD FOR THE WINTER SO FAR. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL DROP DOWN AS THE MORNING WEARS ON AND BY 18Z...MOST OF THE AREA WILL HAVE SNOW FALLING AND MOVING QUICKLY N/E. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS WILL BECOME DECIDEDLY EASTERLY LATER THIS MORNING AND INCREASE TO BRING IN GOOD ATLANTIC MOISTURE. && .SHORT TERM /2 PM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY/... SNOW SHOULD BE UNDERWAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD AND INCREASE RAPIDLY IN INTENSITY FOR THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE PRIMARY LOW DOES DEEPEN TO ABOUT 1005HPA AS IT GETS INTO ERN OH/WRN PA BY LATE EVENING. THIS WILL WRAP IN THE DRIER AIR AND CAUSE THE PRECIP TO END RATHER ABRUPTLY LATE IN THE EVENING/EARLY IN THE NIGHT. BY 06Z...THERE WON/T BE MUCH FALLING. THE LINGERING SNOW IN THE NRN TIER ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CYCLONE WILL TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO DIE OFF. OVER THE ALLEGHENIES...THE PRECIP LATER TONIGHT WILL BE DUE MORE TO THE NWRLY FLOW KICKING IN AND TAKING THE RESIDUAL MOISTURE AND UPSLOPE AND ADDING THEM UP TO GENERATE SCT/NRMS SHSN IN THE WEST. THE FLOW TO THE NORTH OF THE RAPIDLY DEEPENING LOW MOVING UP THE COAST WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...IT IS MOVING ALONG AT A FAIRLY GOOD CLIP. SO THAT WILL BE A NEGATIVE IN THE MEGA-SNOW COLUMN FOR CENTRAL PA. THE MEAT OF THE STORM SHOULD RUN FROM 2 TO 10 PM. IT WILL FEATURE TEMPS IN THE VERTICAL PROFILES FAVORABLE FOR ALL SNOW. SNOW PHYSICS AND SFC TEMPS PLAY OUT A NEAR-NORMAL 12:1 OR 14:1 SNOW-LIQUID RATIO FOR MOST LOCATIONS. THE NRN TIER WILL BE COLDER ON THE WHOLE...BUT 15:1 IS ABOUT WHAT THEY MIGHT SEE. THE TRICK IS THAT THE OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS ON QPF IS A WIDESPREAD 0.50-0.70 INCHES IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN TWO-THIRDS AND MORE THAN 4 TENTHS ALONG THE NY BORDER. ADD IT ALL UP AND WIDESPREAD 6-8 NUMBERS. THE CENTRAL MTS WILL LIKELY SEE JUST A LITTLE MORE...AND THE SE WILL SEE A LITTLE LESS. THE TEMPS DO WARM ENOUGH ALOFT TO TURN THE PRECIP OVER TO ZR IN THE SERN THIRD AND FAR SRN TIER -- BUT NOT UNTIL MOST OF THE QPF HAS MOVED THROUGH. THUS...MOSTLY SNOW IS EXPECTED. THE WARMER AIR COMES IN FAIRLY LOW IN THE PROFILE...SO A PROLONGED PERIOD OR WIDESPREAD AREA OF SLEET IS NOT HIGH ON THE LISTS OF CONCERNS. THE WIND GETS PRETTY GUSTY OUT OF THE WEST ON SUNDAY AND WILL MAKE IT VERY BLUSTERY WITH THE NEW SNOW BLOWING AROUND AND TEMPS ONLY IN THE MID 20S N AND LOW/MID 30S S. LAKE EFFECT AND UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS ARE LIKELY IN THE NW AND WRN MTNS. ADDITIONAL ACCUMS WILL PROBABLY BE LESS THAN ADVY LEVELS THOUGH. TEMPS WON/T RISE MORE THAN A DEG OR TWO IN THE WEST AND ONLY 5-6F IN THE EAST ON SUNDAY. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... IN THE WAKE OF THE EARLY WEEKEND STORM...A MEAN UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL REMAIN OVER THE EASTERN THIRD OF COUNTRY. SEVERAL SHORTWAVES ARE FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE FAST WEST NORTHWESTERLY FLOW. THE FIRST IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON BRINGING ANOTHER SHOT OF SNOW SHOWERS MAINLY TO THE NORTHERN TIER. ANOTHER WILL BRING A FRONT ON TUESDAY...WITH LIMITED MOISTURE. ACCORDINGLY TEMPERATURES WILL BE BELOW NORMAL THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT BY LATE IN THE WEEK ENERGY WILL DIVE INTO THE ROCKIES IN TURN PUMPING UP HEIGHTS OVER THE EAST. BRINGING A POSSIBLE WARM UP TO THE REGION FOR NEXT WEEKEND. EVEN PAINTED A FEW RAIN SHOWERS IN THE GRIDS FOR NEXT FRIDAY. && .AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... EARLY AM REGIONAL RADAR LOOP SHOWS AN EXPANSIVE AREA OF PRECIP APPROACHING CENTRAL IN ADVANCE OF LOW PRESSURE LIFTING OUT OF THE MISS VALLEY. SNOW HAS ALREADY SPREAD INTO NORTHERN PA AS OF 11Z ALONG AXIS OF OLD FRONTAL BNDRY...WHILE DRY AIR AT LOW LVLS SHOULD HOLD SNOW OFF UNTIL ARND 14Z ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PA. EXPECT VSBYS TO DROP QUICKLY AS THE SNOW ARRIVES...WITH WIDESPREAD IFR CONDS LATE AM THRU THE REST OF THE DAYLIGHT HRS. THE HEAVIEST SNOW...WITH VSBYS BLW 1SM...SHOULD OVERSPREAD THE REGION DURING THE LATE AFTN AND EARLY EVENING. ALTHOUGH BULK OF THE PRECIP WILL FALL AS SNOW...MDL SOUNDINGS SUPPORT A CHANGE TO -FZRA ACROSS SOUTHERN PA THIS EVENING. HIGHEST CONFIDENCE IN FZRA IS AT MDT/LNS...WHERE IT APPEARS A WARM LAYER AIR ALOFT WILL ARRIVE BTWN 00-06Z. OUTLOOK... SUN...GUSTY WNW WINDS. AM LOW CIGS POSS W MTNS. PM SHSN/REDUCED VSBYS POSS W MTNS. MON...LGT SNOW/REDUCED VSBYS POSS MON NITE NW MTNS. TUE...AM LOW CIGS/LGT SNOW POSS NW MTNS. WED...SHSN/REDUCED VSBYS POSS NW MTNS. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 AM EST SUNDAY FOR PAZ004>006- 010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066. && SYNOPSIS...DANGELO NEAR TERM...DANGELO SHORT TERM...DANGELO LONG TERM...DANGELO/GARTNER AVIATION...FITZGERALD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 246 AM EST SAT DEC 14 2013 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-150800- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD- NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN- JUNIATA-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING- SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 246 AM EST SAT DEC 14 2013 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
26 winter storm, 10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with a storm total accumulation of 6 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with a storm total accumulation of 6 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with a storm total accumulation of 6 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with a storm total accumulation of 6 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with storm total accumulations between 6 and 10 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with storm total accumulations between 6 and 10 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with storm total accumulations between 6 and 10 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with storm total accumulations between 6 and 10 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with storm total accumulations between 6 and 10 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches. Two people lost their lives on a snow-covered Sugar Run Road in Allegheny Township, when an SUV slid sideways into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with a truck. The driver and passenger of the SUV were killed, while the driver of the truck sustained serious injuries.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a glaze of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 3 and 6 inches. The mixed wintry precipitation adversely impacted travel especially along the PA Turnpike and I-70 corridors.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a quarter inch of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 3 and 6 inches. The mixed wintry precipitation adversely impacted travel especially along the PA Turnpike and I-81 corridors.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a over a quarter inch of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 3 and 6 inches.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a over a quarter inch of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 3 and 6 inches. The mixed wintry precipitation adversely impacted travel especially along the PA Turnpike and I-81 corridors.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a over a quarter inch of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 3 and 6 inches. The mixed wintry precipitation adversely impacted travel especially along the PA Turnpike and I-81 corridors.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a over a quarter inch of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 3 and 6 inches. The mixed wintry precipitation adversely impacted travel especially along the I-81 corridor.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a over a quarter inch of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 2 and 4 inches. The mixed wintry precipitation adversely impacted travel especially along Route 15.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a over a quarter inch of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 2 and 4 inches. The mixed wintry precipitation adversely impacted travel especially along I-83.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a over a quarter inch of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 2 and 4 inches. The mixed wintry precipitation adversely impacted travel especially along PA turnpike and Route 30.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening. Snow changed to sleet and then freezing rain/drizzle with a over a quarter inch of ice topping storm total snow accumulations between 2 and 4 inches. The mixed wintry precipitation adversely impacted travel especially along I-81.
Light snow started in the morning and became heavy at times through the afternoon and evening, with storm total accumulations between 5 and 10 inches.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Storm, Blair | 2013-12-14 | 28 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Winter Storm, Blair | 2013-12-14 | 53 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, December 2013
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: 480256, 480257, 480258, 480259, 480260, 480261, 480262, 480263, 480264, 480265, 480266, 480267, 480268, 480269, 480270, 480271, 480272, 480273, 480274, 480275, 480900, 480901, 480902, 480903, 480904, 480906, 480909, 480910, 480912, 480913, 480914, 480915, 480916, 480917, 480918, 480919.