An arctic airmass combined with gusty winds resulted in frigid temperatures and extremely dangerous wind chills across the Laurel Highlands and northwest Allegheny mountains in central Pennsylvania.
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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.
An arctic airmass combined with gusty winds resulted in frigid temperatures and extremely dangerous wind chills across the Laurel Highlands and northwest Allegheny mountains in central Pennsylvania.
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 23, 7:06 PM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 706 PM EST MON FEB 23 2015 .SYNOPSIS... ARCTIC AIR WILL BE REINFORCED DURING THE MIDWEEK PERIOD ENSURING A COLD END TO THE MONTH. A MILDER WEATHER PATTERN WITH NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IS FORECAST FOR LATER THIS WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING/... 630 PM UPDATE...MINOR CHANGES MADE TO TEMPS BASED ON THE LATEST NEAR TERM HIGH RES MODEL GUIDANCE. EXPECT WINDS TO DROP OFF INTO EARLY TONIGHT AS ARCTIC HIGH SHIFTS EWD FROM THE OH VLY. THE BEST DECOUPLING SHOULD OCCUR SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT OVER NWRN AREAS AS GRADIENT FLOW STARTS TO INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH. MEANWHILE EXPECT MORE TYPICAL DIURNAL CURVE OVER CENTRAL AND ERN AREAS WITH MINS OCCURRING AROUND DAYBREAK. LONG-STANDING ~90-125+YR DAILY RECORD LOWS ARE IN JEOPARDY AT OUR OFFICIAL CLIMATE SITES IN HARRISBURG AND WILLIAMSPORT. THE RECORD LOW IS -1F AT MDT SET BACK IN 1889 AND -5F AT WILLIAMSPORT SET BACK IN 1924. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM TUESDAY/... HIGH RETREATS TO OUR EAST AND STRONG WAVE TO OUR NORTH WILL ALLOW SOME REBOUND IN TEMPERATURES TUESDAY. THIS COULD TRIGGER SOME SNOW SHOWERS IN NORTHWEST LATE TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. PUT CHANCE SNOW IN NORTHWEST AHEAD OF APPROACHING ARCTIC FRONT. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... WITH RELENTLESS COLD AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH...IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT FEBRUARY 2015 WILL BE THE COLDEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD OVER MUCH OF THE REGION...AND MAY EVEN HAVE A SHOT AT THE COLDEST MONTH ALL TIME WHICH IS VERY IMPRESSIVE BY CLIMATE STANDARDS. SEE THE CLIMATE SECTION FOR UPDATED DETAILS ON THE RECORD COLD FOR OUR TWO OFFICIAL CLIMATE SITES: HARRISBURG AND WILLIAMSPORT. MED RANGE MODEL AND ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW BROAD TROUGHING CARVED OUT OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK WITH BELOW NORMAL 500MB HEIGHTS AND 850MB TEMPERATURES ENSURING A COLD END TO THE MONTH. THAT SAID...SOME RELIEF FROM THE BITTER COLD IS IN SIGHT THIS WEEKEND WITH A PATTERN CHANGE FCST OVER THE LOWER 48. EARLY IN THE PERIOD...THE MODELS SHOW A NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE TROUGH CROSSING THE GREAT LAKES/NORTHEAST TUE NGT INTO WEDNESDAY WHICH WILL DRIVE A REINFORCING ARCTIC COLD FRONT ACROSS THE REGION. WITH LITTLE TO NO MOISTURE AND LAKES VIRTUALLY FROZEN AT NEARLY 85 PERCENT MEDIAN ICE CONCENTRATION...THE ARCTIC FROPA SHOULD PASS WITH ONLY SOME UPSLOPE SHSN/MINOR ACCUMS OVER THE WRN MTNS. SNSQ POTENTIAL LOOKS TO BE ON THE LOW SIDE WITH THE SNSQ PARAMETER SHOWING A MORE ROBUST SIGNAL FURTHER NORTH IN UPSTATE NY. A PERIOD OF MARGINAL ADVY CRITERIA WIND CHILLS ARE POSSIBLE WED NGT OVER THE NRN TIER ZONES. NEXT FCST ISSUE IS PESKY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST WED NGT INTO THU...AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY CROSSES THE GULF COAST STATES. WPC PREFERENCE IS TOWARD A NON-NCEP CONSENSUS WHICH IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEAKER GFS AND STRONGER NAM. THE ECMWF SEEMS TO BE THE MOST ROBUST IN ITS PCPN SHIELD WHICH COMES AS FAR NORTH AS I-66 JUST SOUTH OF WASHINGTON DC. WILL NEED TO WATCH THIS SYSTEM FOR A NORTHERN TREND WHICH WOULD THREATEN SNOW ACCUM ACROSS SRN PA. THE GUIDANCE ALSO SUGGESTS SOME NRN STREAM ENERGY MAY TRY TO INTERACT WITH THE SHEARING ENERGY IN THE SRN STREAM WHICH MAY RESULT IN A PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW TO THE AREA THU NGT. 1040+MB COLD CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST AND SHIFTING EWD THROUGH THE OH VLY INTO THE NORTHEAST STATES WILL SET UP A VERY CHILLY NIGHT FRI/SAT. THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN WOULD TEND TO FAVOR FRI NGT/AM SAT AS MOST IDEAL RADIATIONAL SET UP WITH THE COLD HIGH MIGRATING OVER CENTRAL PA. COULD SEE A LOWER ADJUSTMENT TO MINS FOR THIS TIMEFRAME WHICH MAY BE IN RECORD TERRITORY. THE HIGH WILL LIFT THROUGH NEW ENGLAND INTO ATLANTIC CANADA SETTING UP A RETURN FLOW AND MUCH MILDER AIR STEAMING NEWD INTO THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. UNFORTUNATELY THE MILD SPELL LOOKS TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY GOOD CHANCE FOR PCPN WITH SOME PTYPE ISSUES LKLY AT THE ONSET. && .AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT WITH VFR CONDITIONS. WINDS WILL DIE DOWN IN A FEW MORE HOURS. ANOTHER COLD NIGHT IN STORE FOR THE AREA. SOME INCREASE IN CLDS LATE TUE. LEFT SNOW SHOWERS OUT OF THE FAR WEST FOR NOW...AND LEFT ALL SITES VFR. AIRMASS RATHER DRY...HARD TO SEE MUCH POTENTIAL FOR SNOW SHOWERS AND MVFR CONDITIONS. OUTLOOK... TUE...NO SIG WX EXPECTED. WED...SNOW SHOWERS/REDUCED VSBYS LKLY WITH NEXT ARCTIC FROPA. THU-SAT...NO SIG WX EXPECTED ATTM. && .CLIMATE... UPDATED 2/23/15 AT 400 PM EST SLIGHTLY BELOW TO NEUTRAL AVG TEMPERATURES DEPARTURES AT MDT (-2F) AND IPT (0F) YESTERDAY RESULTED IN A MINOR INCREASE IN THE OVERALL MONTHLY AVG. TEMPERATURE FOR BOTH SITES. HOWEVER BOTH SITES ARE STILL CURRENTLY RANKING AS THE TOP COLDEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD. THROUGH 2/22/2015...THE AVG MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AT HARRISBURG /MDT/ IS 21.2 DEGREES. THIS CURRENTLY RANKS #1 COLDEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD WITH 6 MORE DAYS TO GO IN THE MONTH. THE 21.2 AVG. MONTHLY TEMPERATURE CURRENTLY RANKS #6 COLDEST MONTH ALL TIME. THROUGH 2/22/2015...THE AVG MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AT WILLIAMSPORT /IPT/ IS 18.6 DEGREES. THIS CURRENTLY RANKS #1 COLDEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD WITH 6 MORE DAYS TO GO IN THE MONTH. THE 18.6 AVG. MONTHLY TEMPERATURE CURRENTLY RANKS #7 COLDEST MONTH ALL TIME. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL 9 AM EST TUESDAY FOR PAZ004>006- 010>012-037-041-042. WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR PAZ004>006- 010>012-037-041-042. WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM EST TUESDAY FOR PAZ017>019-024- 025-033-034-045-046-049>053-058. && SYNOPSIS...GRUMM NEAR TERM...GRUMM/STEINBUGL SHORT TERM...GRUMM LONG TERM...STEINBUGL AVIATION...MARTIN CLIMATE...STEINBUGL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 335 AM EST MON FEB 23 2015 PAZ017>019-024-025-033-034-045-046-049>053-058-240845- CLEARFIELD-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-CAMBRIA-BLAIR-SOMERSET- BEDFORD-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-SCHUYLKILL- 335 AM EST MON FEB 23 2015 ...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM EST TUESDAY... 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. WIND CHILL ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND CHILL ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ026>028-035-036-056-057-059-063>066-240845- HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-FULTON-FRANKLIN-PERRY-DAUPHIN-LEBANON- CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 335 AM EST MON FEB 23 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WIND CHILLS BETWEEN 5 ABOVE AND 5 BELOW ZERO ARE LIKELY TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. WIND CHILLS BETWEEN 0 AND 10 BELOW ARE LIKELY THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ004>006-010>012-037-041-042-240845- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-TIOGA- NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN- 335 AM EST MON FEB 23 2015 ...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM EST TUESDAY... 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. WIND CHILL ADVISORY. WIND CHILL WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND CHILL WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme cold combined with gusty winds resulted in wind chill or apparent temperature values in the -25 to -35 range.
Extreme cold combined with gusty winds resulted in wind chill or apparent temperature values in the -25 to -35 range.
Extreme cold combined with gusty winds resulted in wind chill or apparent temperature values in the -25 to -35 range. Most residents in Bradford were without water for several days following a water main break at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
Kim Benjamin, the city water director, said the city water authority had a 24-inch main burst near the main entrance of the university. An estimated 18,000 people were affected by the break, with either low water pressure or no water at all.|Benjamin said the break was caused by the [extreme and persistent] cold. For those that did have water, a boil water order was in effect. The Mayor, Tom Riel, declared a state of emergency for the city to applied for federal aid. Bradford Schools and the university canceled classes during the last week of the month. Several business also closed because of the water outage, resulting in a significant economic loss to the community.
Extreme cold combined with gusty winds resulted in wind chill or apparent temperature values in the -25 to -35 range.
Extreme cold combined with gusty winds resulted in wind chill or apparent temperature values in the -25 to -35 range.
Extreme cold combined with gusty winds resulted in wind chill or apparent temperature values in the -25 to -35 range.
Extreme cold combined with gusty winds resulted in wind chill or apparent temperature values in the -25 to -35 range.
Extreme cold combined with gusty winds resulted in wind chill or apparent temperature values in the -25 to -35 range.
Extreme cold combined with gusty winds resulted in wind chill or apparent temperature values in the -25 to -35 range.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, February 2015
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: 562666, 562668, 562669, 562671, 562672, 562673, 562675, 562676, 562677.