A complex area of low pressure produced significant ice accumulation over the western ridges in Somerset County. The freezing rain transitioned to a wintry mix of snow and sleet during the evening and overnight period with a minor accumulation by the morning of the 27th.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 area of low pressure produced significant ice accumulation over the western ridges in Somerset County. The freezing rain transitioned to a wintry mix of snow and sleet during the evening and overnight period with a minor accumulation by the morning of the 27th.
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 26, 5:45 AM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 545 AM EST TUE FEB 26 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A MAJOR WINTER STORM IMPACTING THE MISSISSIPPI AND LOWER OHIO RIVER VALLEYS WILL TRACK NORTHEAST TOWARD THE COMMONWEALTH TODAY. A MIXTURE OF RAIN...FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW WILL MOVE INTO THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE STATE THIS MORNING AND OVERSPREAD THE REST OF THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. THE MIXED BAG OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE NORTH AND WEST...AND MAINLY RAIN IN THE SOUTHEAST...WILL PERSIST INTO TONIGHT. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT FREEZING RAIN ACROSS THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS...ALONG WITH A MODERATE SNOWFALL ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE. A SECONDARY AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO FORM NEAR THE COAST BY WEDNESDAY MORNING...WHICH WOULD KEEP SOME RAIN AND SNOW ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY. SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS WILL PERSIST INTO THE LATER PART OF THE WEEK...AS THE STORM LINGERS OFF THE EAST COAST. COLDER AIR WILL SLOWLY WORK BACK INTO THE AREA DURING THE LATER PART OF THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL NOON TODAY/... MAINLY CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT EASTERLY WIND WILL PREVAIL EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE CWA. A VEIL OF CIRROSTRATUS SPREADING OVER THE SWRN COUNTIES OF PENN ATTM WILL STREAM STEADILY NORTHEASTWARD AND THICKEN-UP QUICKLY ACROSS THE REST OF THE REGION DURING THE LATE MORNING HOURS. TEMPS AT DAYBREAK WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 20F ACROSS THE NORTH...TO THE 20S IN MOST OTHER LOCATIONS. && .SHORT TERM /NOON TODAY THROUGH 6 PM WEDNESDAY/... PREVIOUS FCST AND ITS HIGHEST IMPACT WINTER WEATHER ELEMENTS CONTINUE TO LOOK IN GOOD SHAPE BASED ON A CONSENSUS OF 00Z OPERATIONAL MODELS AND THE LATEST FEW SREF RUNS. WILL BE MAKING LITTLE OR NO CHANGES TO THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION OF WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ACROSS MUCH OF THE WEST AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL PENN...THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR A MIXED BAG...THEN SIGNIF ICE ACCUMS IN THE SOUTHWEST /SOMERSET COUNTY/...AND WINTER STORM WATCHES ACROSS THE NORTHERN MTNS. EXTENSIVELY COORDINATED WITH NEIGHBORING WFOS BUF AND BGM ON THIS ASPECT OF THE FCST. THERE IS FAIRLY HIGH CONFIDENCE IN THE SIGNIFICANT /AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING/ ICE ACCUMS FROM MAINLY FZRA ACROSS SOMERSET COUNTY...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS ACROSS CAMBRIA COUNTY/...AND ALSO THE MIXED BAG OF PRECIP WITH ADVISORY AMOUNTS THROUGHOUT THE WRN MTNS AND PARTS OF THE CENTRAL ZONES. THE GREATEST UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES TO BE ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WHERE SNOW ACCUMS COULD PUSH WARNING AMOUNTS OF 6 INCHES/12 HOURS. MAINTAINING THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR 1 OR 2 MORE MODEL CYCLES LOOKS TO BE THE PRUDENT ROUTE ATTM SINCE 1) SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE STILL BORDERLINE...AND 2) PRECIP TYPE LATER TONIGHT IS STILL UNCERTAIN AND COULD CHANGE TO LIGHT SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN...LIMITING THE FINAL INCH OF SNOW NEEDED TO EXCEED THE WARNING THRESHOLD. NAM DATA FOR KBFD IS ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH RESPECT TO PRECIP TYPE /AND IS THE WARMEST IN THE BYLR/...WHILE THE SREF MEAN SNOWFALL APPEARS TO BE AROUND 5 INCHES FOR KBFD AND POINTS EAST /AND ITS PROB OF GRTN 4 INCHES OF SNOW/12 HOURS IS 65 TO 70 PERCENT/...AND SOME LIGHTER MIXED PRECIP POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. THE 25/12Z EC REMAINS THE COLDEST MODEL GUIDANCE...SUGGESTING THAT 5 TO 7 INCHES IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NRN MTNS BY 12Z WED. PRECIP STARTS AS A MIX BAG OF RAIN...SLEET... AND WET SNOW BUT IS MAINLY ZR FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE LAURELS DURING THE DAY WITH THE SFC TEMPS LIKELY STUCK BETWEEN 30-32F. WHILE DAYTIME HEATING MAY BE STUNTED IN THE SW AND TO SOME EXTENT IN THE CENTRAL COS...THE REST NE THIRD OF THE AREA WILL HAVE MUCH OF THE DAY TO WARM UP BEFORE THE PRECIP DEVELOPS. CIRRUS WILL GET THICK ENOUGH BY THE LATE MORNING AND MIDDAY HOURS /EVEN ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NE ZONES/ TO SIGNIFICANTLY TRIM LLVL WARMING. THE COLD START TO THE DAY /WITH FAIRLY DRY DEWPOINTS IN THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S/ WILL ADD AN ELEMENT OF DIFFICULTY TO THE FCST. THE MIX INITIALLY OVER MUCH OF THE AREA WILL PROBABLY TURN TO RAIN IN THE SERN THIRD TO HALF OF THE REGION AS THE SOUNDING INVOF OF KMDT/KTHV AND KLNS SATURATES TO NEAR OR JUST BELOW 0C ABOVE 3 KFT AGL...BUT WARMS TO AN AVERAGE OF 2-3C IN THE LOWEST 2.5 KFT AGL BY 22Z. THE ICE/SNOW POTENTIAL ALONE IS COMPOUNDED BY THE VERY GUSTY ESE WINDS EXPECTED OVER THE WESTERN RIDGES. MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE A DECENT POTENTIAL FOR 35 TO 40 KT WINDS TO BE TAPPED AND MIXED DOWN ACROSS THE RIDGES /AND ON THE NW SIDE OF GAPS IN THE MTNS/. THE SERLY LLJ WILL INCREASE TO OVER 60KTS LATE TODAY AND EARLY TONIGHT WITHIN JUST 2-3 KFT AGL. POWER OUTAGES IN MORE-ICY AND HEAVIER-SNOW AREAS ARE POSSIBLE IF NOT LIKELY BEGINNING DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SW MTNS...AND THIS EVENING ACROSS THE NRN MTNS. THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING IN THE SOUTHEAST CONTINUES TO BE A LESSER CONCERN. THE LATEST 24 HOUR QPF MEAN INCORPORATING THE 25/21Z SREF...AND THE 26/00Z NAM AND EC IS AROUND 1.25 INCHES ACROSS THE LOWER SUSQ VALLEY. GRANTED...THE SERLY FLOW IS HIGHLY ANOMALOUS /ABOUT A NEG 4-5 SIGMA TO U-COMPONENT AT 925 AND 850 MB/...AND THE SE-FACING SLOPE ARE PRIME TO GET HIGHER THAN MEAN QPF NUMS. BUT THE GENERAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE FAR ENOUGH BELOW THE 6-HR FFGS THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO HOLD OFF ON A FLOOD WATCH. FURTHERMORE...IT HAS BEEN RATHER DRY WITH ONLY 0.99 LIQUID FALLING THIS MONTH AR MDT...AND ALMOST NONE IN THE LAST WEEK+. MINOR FLOODING IN ISOLATED/SCATTERED LOCATIONS IS POSSIBLE...BUT NOT LIKELY GIVEN THE CURRENT FCST QPF. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... THE BULK OF THE STEADY PRECIP WILL BE OVER BY 12Z WED...AS THE HIGHLY ANOMALOUS SERLY LOW-LEVEL JET AND PLUME OF ANOMALOUSLY HIGH PWATS LIFTS NORTH OF PA. THE CENTER OF LOW PRESSURE AT MID AND UPPER LEVELS WILL DRIFT SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACCOMPANIED BY A POCKET OF RELATIVELY STEEP 850-500 MB LAPSE RATES OF APPROX 6-6.5C/KM WILL SUPPORT AT LEAST SCATTERED VALLEY RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS CENTRAL AND ERN PENN...WITH MORE NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE WEST AND NORTH. THE AIR MASS DOESN/T LOOK INITIALLY COLD ENOUGH FOR LAKE EFFECT...HOWEVER BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT THE PRESENCE OF THE UPPER LOW/ COLD POOL ALOFT...COMBINED WITH THE APPROACH OF A SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL YIELD PERSISTENT UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE W MTNS RIGHT INTO FRI. UPSLOPE SNOWS ACROSS THE W MTNS SHOULD TAPER OFF TOWARD THE WEEKEND. HOWEVER...ANOTHER SHORTWAVE ROTATING SWD AROUND THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE DEPARTING UPPER LOW WILL REINFORCE THE TROF OVR THE NORTHEAST CONUS AND DRAW COLDER AIR INTO PA. BY SUNDAY...ECMWF ENSEMBLE MEAN 8H TEMPS FALL TO ARND -12C. SOME IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. && .AVIATION /12Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER AIRFIELDS OVERNIGHT. VFR CONDS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THIS MORNING. A STORM SYSTEM OVER THE PLAINS WILL TRACK NORTHEAST TOWARD PENNSYLVANIA TODAY...BRINGING WIDESPREAD RESTRICTIONS AND A LIKELY MIX OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION TO CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...THIS AFTERNOON LASTING INTO WEDNESDAY. EXPECT THE ONSET OF MVFR AND LOWER CIGS AND VSBYS DUE TO PRECIPITATION TO BEGIN AS EARLY AS 18Z IN JST...TO 22Z IN IPT. EXPECT MIXED PRECIPITATION AT MOST LOCATIONS EXPECT MDT AND LNS...WHERE PRECIP SHOULD REMAIN RAIN. PERIODS OF FZRA ARE EXPECTED AT JST AND GIVEN THE VARYING INFLUX OF WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL DETERMINE THE VARYING PRECIP TYPE. A STRONG JET WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM...SO THERE WILL WIND SHEAR OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST AT 40KTS AROUND 22Z...WITH IT INCREASING POSSIBLY TO UPWARDS OF 60KTS AT 2KFT AT JST BY 00Z WEDNESDAY. OUTLOOK... TONIGHT AND WED...CONTINUED MIXED PRECIPITATION...WIDESPREAD MVFR TO IFR. THU-SAT...CONTINUING RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS...REDUCED CIGS AND VSBYS MAINLY WEST AND CENTRAL. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WATCH FROM 3 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR PAZ005-006-011-012-037-041-042. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ004-010-017>019-045-046. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 1 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ024-025-034. WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ033. && SYNOPSIS...LAMBERT NEAR TERM...LAMBERT SHORT TERM...LAMBERT/DANGELO LONG TERM...LAMBERT/MARTIN AVIATION...RXR/CERU
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 421 AM EST TUE FEB 26 2013 PAZ005-006-011-012-037-041-042-270930- MCKEAN-POTTER-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING- SULLIVAN- 421 AM EST TUE FEB 26 2013 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON... 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 WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ004-010-017>019-045-046-270930- WARREN-ELK-CLEARFIELD-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE- SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING- 421 AM EST TUE FEB 26 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY... 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 WEATHER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. 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. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ026>028-035-036-049>053-056>059-063>066-270930- HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-FULTON-FRANKLIN-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 421 AM EST TUE FEB 26 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A PERIOD OF WET SNOW...SLEET AND RAIN WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL RAIN EARLY TONIGHT. THE RIDGES...MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 81 COULD PICK UP AN INCH OR TWO OF WET SNOW. RAIN MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES TONIGHT...LEADING TO SOME PONDING ON ROADS AND MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ033-270930- SOMERSET- 421 AM EST TUE FEB 26 2013 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST WEDNESDAY... 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. FREQUENT SNOW SHOWERS WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY COULD BRING ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ024-025-034-270930- CAMBRIA-BLAIR-BEDFORD- 421 AM EST TUE FEB 26 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 1 AM EST WEDNESDAY... 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 WEATHER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. FREQUENT SNOW SHOWERS WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY COULD BRING ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION...MAINLY ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN TO THE WEST OF INTERSTATE 99. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. LAMBERT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Ice accumulations of 0.10-0.25 inch were measured on the western ridges in Somerset County.
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, February 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: 427048.