A frontal wave of low pressure that originated in the Gulf of Mexico developed into a strong coastal storm as it moved northeast just off the East Coast. This high-impact system brought a wet, moderate-to-heavy snowfall to much of Central Pennsylvania which wreaked havoc on Thanksgiving holiday travelers.
Every event with a place to put it; 26 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 frontal wave of low pressure that originated in the Gulf of Mexico developed into a strong coastal storm as it moved northeast just off the East Coast. This high-impact system brought a wet, moderate-to-heavy snowfall to much of Central Pennsylvania which wreaked havoc on Thanksgiving holiday travelers. The snow expanded from south to north during the early to mid morning hours and continued, heavy at times, through the afternoon before tapering off in the evening. Snowfall amounts generally ranged from 4 to 8 inches with locally higher amounts around a foot on the ridge tops near South Mountain. The precipitation began as rain for areas to the southeast of I-81 before changing to snow, which cut down on storm total amounts. Numerous state offices and schools were closed and multiple flights were delayed or cancelled. The storm could not have come at a worse time on what is typically one of the busiest travel days of the year (day before Thanksgiving). Williamsport set a daily snowfall record of 4.8 inches, which broke the previous record of 1.8 inches set in 2013. The storm made the NESIS scale as a category 1.
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, 1:36 AM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
26 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A high impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high impact snowfall of 3 to 6 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high impact snowfall of 3 to 6 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high impact snowfall of 3 to 6 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high impact snowfall of 3 to 6 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 5 to 10 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 3 to 6 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk. Lesser amounts were observed in and around the Harrisburg metro area/southeast of I-81.
A high-impact snowfall of 4 to 8 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 2 to 4 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk. Lower amounts were observed southeast of I-81.
A high-impact snowfall of 2 to 4 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk. Lower amounts were observed southeast of I-81.
A high-impact snowfall of 2 to 4 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 2 to 4 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
A high-impact snowfall of 2 to 4 inches affected the area basically from dawn to dusk.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, November 2014
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: 545843, 545845, 545846, 545847, 545848, 545849, 545850, 545851, 545852, 545853, 545854, 545855, 545856, 545857, 545858, 545859, 545860, 545861, 545862, 545863, 545864, 545865, 545866, 545867, 545868, 545869.