Pennsylvania, 2014

Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, January 20, 2014

January 20, 2014 · NWS CTP · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A low pressure system tracked east from the TN/KY border through NC on 21 January 2014, and then strengthened off the Mid-Atlantic coast dumping heavy snow across the southern tier of Central Pennsylvania. The snow began during the pre-dawn and early morning hours and became heavy at times in the afternoon, before it tapered off during the late evening.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
5

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.

A low pressure system tracked east from the TN/KY border through NC on 21 January 2014, and then strengthened off the Mid-Atlantic coast dumping heavy snow across the southern tier of Central Pennsylvania. The snow began during the pre-dawn and early morning hours and became heavy at times in the afternoon, before it tapered off during the late evening. Total snow accumulations generally ranged from 6 to 8 inches. Hazardous and restricted driving conditions were commonplace across the Lower Susquehanna Valley in the afternoon and evening. State office facilities let employees leave work early in the afternoon on Tuesday. Schools were closed across most of the southern PA.

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 Jan 20, 1:43 AM EST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 20, 1:43 AM EST, 2 hours 17 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 20, 1:23 AM EST, 2 hours 37 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

5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Adams

When
January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Adams forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.872, -77.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 6 inches were common across the southern half of the county.

Heavy Snow, York

When
January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
York forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.920, -76.726 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 6 to 8 inches were common across the southern half of the county.

Heavy Snow, Lancaster

When
January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Lancaster forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
40.042, -76.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 6 to 8 inches were common across the southern half of the county.

Heavy Snow, Somerset

When
January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Somerset forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.972, -79.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 6 to 8 inches were common across the southern half of the county.

Heavy Snow, Bedford

When
January 20, 4:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Bedford forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
40.007, -78.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of 6 inches were common across the southern half of the county.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, January 2014

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 484937, 484938, 484939, 484940, 484941.