Pennsylvania, 2013

Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, January 9, 2013

January 9, 2013 · NWS PBZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An unusual freezing rain event occurred across portions of Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, and Armstrong counties on the morning of January 9th. Temperatures early morning on the 9th were in the teens, then warmed rapidly ahead of an approaching cold front into the mid and upper 30s.

Where it happened

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.

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The toll

Deaths
2
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 PBZ wrote it up.

An unusual freezing rain event occurred across portions of Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, and Armstrong counties on the morning of January 9th. Temperatures early morning on the 9th were in the teens, then warmed rapidly ahead of an approaching cold front into the mid and upper 30s. Light rain showers developed well ahead of the cold front, and froze on roadways as road temperatures remained below freezing. Over 100 vehicle accidents were reported across the region. One accident involved 2 fatalities, young boys aged 1 and 3.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Butler

When
January 9, 10:00 AM EST to 11:50 AM EST
Where
Butler forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 2 indirect
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
40.912, -79.913 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A single vehicle accident on icy roads resulted in the death of 2 young boys.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Winter Weather, Butler2013-01-093MaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect
Winter Weather, Butler2013-01-091MaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect

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

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, January 2013

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 423156.