Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, November 26 to 27, 2013

Name: Ice Storm and Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, November 26 to 27, 2013
Start: 2013-11-26T04:00
End: 2013-11-27T04:00
Location: Pennsylvania

November 26 to 27, 2013 · NWS CTP · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 15

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 CTP wrote it up.

The first significant winter storm of the 2013-2014 winter season brought a mixed bag of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain to central Pennsylvania, just in time to adversely impact the pre-Thanksgiving travel. A strengthening low pressure area over the southeast states on 11/26 moved northeast across NJ on 11/27. Snow spread into the area rather quickly after midnight on the 26th with light accumulations over the southwest and central areas by mid-day. As warmer air moved in aloft, the snow changed to sleet and freezing rain during the afternoon with freezing rain and rain continuing across much of the area overnight. A transition back to snow was observed later on the 27th before the wintry precipitation ended. Snow accumulations were variable from 1 to 5 inches over central and south-central mountains to in excess of 6 inches in Warren County. Significant icing due to a prolonged period of freezing rain was measured over central and southwest areas with ice accumulations between 0.25 and 0.50 inch. After a relatively brief period of mixed wintry precipitation early in the day on the 26th, eastern areas such as the lower Susquehanna valley picked up between 1.5 to 2 inches of rain from the event. The adverse weather caused hazardous and even dangerous driving conditions across much of the area, resulting in numerous vehicle accidents. The pre-Thanksgiving increase in travel activity was a significant concern. The heavy icing caused trees and limbs to fall bringing down wires and sponsoring power outages. Many schools were closed over the central and western areas on 11/26.

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 State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 25, 5:50 PM EST, 10 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 25, 5:50 PM EST, 10 hours 10 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 25, 3:29 PM EST, 12 hours 31 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter storm, 7 ice storm, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Cambria

When: November 26, 4:00 AM EST to November 27, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Cambria forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 40.495, -78.714 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A mix of snow and freezing rain resulted in significant winter weather impacts during the pre-Thanksgiving holiday travel. These included multiple vehicle accidents, road closures, downed trees/wires and power outages. Snow accumulations by mid-day on the 26th averaged between 1 and 3 inches, followed by a prolonged period of moderate to heavy freezing rain with ice accretion between 0.25 and 0.50 inch by nightfall.

Winter Storm, Somerset

When: November 26, 4:00 AM EST to November 27, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Somerset forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 39.972, -79.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clearfield

When: November 26, 4:00 AM EST to November 27, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Clearfield forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 41.000, -78.474 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Elk

When: November 26, 4:00 AM EST to November 27, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Elk forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 41.425, -78.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cameron

When: November 26, 4:00 AM EST to November 27, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Cameron forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 41.437, -78.204 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McKean

When: November 26, 10:00 AM EST to November 27, 4:00 AM EST
Where: McKean forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 41.808, -78.569 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A mix of snow and freezing rain resulted in significant winter weather impacts during the pre-Thanksgiving holiday travel. These included multiple vehicle accidents, road closures, downed trees/wires and power outages. Snow started around 1000 EST with accumulations by late afternoon on the 26th between 2 and 4 inches. Snow continued into the early evening before changing to a period of freezing rain for several hours prior to midnight. The freezing rain eventually changed back to snow with additional lake effect snows into the 27th.

Winter Storm, Potter

When: November 26, 10:00 AM EST to November 27, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Potter forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 41.745, -77.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A mix of snow and freezing rain resulted in significant winter weather impacts during the pre-Thanksgiving holiday travel. These included multiple vehicle accidents, road closures, downed trees/wires and power outages. Snow started around 1000 EST with accumulations by late afternoon on the 26th between 2 and 4 inches. Snow continued into the early evening before changing to a period of freezing rain for several hours prior to midnight. The freezing rain eventually changed back to snow with additional lake effect snows into the 27th.

Heavy Snow, Warren

When: November 26, 11:00 AM EST to November 27, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 41.815, -79.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow resulted in significant winter weather impacts during the pre-Thanksgiving holiday travel. These included multiple vehicle accidents, road closures, downed trees/wires and power outages. Snow accumulations ranged from 6 to 9 inches, with the highest amounts across the northwest part of the county. The COOP observer in Chandlers Valley reported 9 inches of snow.

Ice Storm, Blair

When: November 26, 2:00 PM EST to November 27, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Blair forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 40.481, -78.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow changed to freezing rain during the afternoon on the 26th and resulted in significant winter weather impacts during the pre-Thanksgiving holiday travel. These included multiple vehicle accidents, road closures, downed trees/wires and power outages. A prolonged period of freezing rain produced ice accumulations between 0.25 and 0.50 inch by nightfall.

Ice Storm, Bedford

When: November 26, 2:00 PM EST to November 27, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Bedford forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 40.007, -78.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Centre

When: November 26, 2:00 PM EST to November 27, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Centre forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 40.919, -77.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Centre

When: November 26, 2:00 PM EST to November 27, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Centre forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 40.919, -77.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Northern Clinton

When: November 26, 2:00 PM EST to November 27, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Clinton forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 41.234, -77.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Southern Clinton

When: November 26, 2:00 PM EST to November 27, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Clinton forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 41.234, -77.638 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Huntingdon

When: November 26, 2:00 PM EST to November 27, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Huntingdon forecast zone
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 40.417, -77.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, November 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 479183, 479184, 479185, 479186, 479187, 479196, 479198, 479197, 479188, 479189, 479190, 479191, 479192, 479193, 479194.