Extreme Cold and Cold in Pennsylvania, January 7 to 8, 2015

Name: Extreme Cold and Cold in Pennsylvania, January 7 to 8, 2015
Start: 2015-01-07T16:00
End: 2015-01-08T10:00
Location: Pennsylvania

January 7 to 8, 2015 · NWS PHI · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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 PHI wrote it up.

The arrival of an arctic air mass brought the coldest morning of the month of January for most of Eastern Pennsylvania. Morning low temperatures were in the single numbers, with some below zero readings in the higher terrain. In addition, gusty northwest winds continued into the morning and lowest hourly wind chill factors reached around 25 degrees below zero over the higher terrain of the Poconos and around 10 degrees below zero elsewhere.

Actual low temperatures included 3 degrees below zero in Mount Pocono (Monroe County), 2 degree above zero at the Lehigh Valley International Airport and Lehighton (Carbon County), 4 degrees above zero in Doylestown (Bucks County) and Pottstown (Montgomery County), 5 degrees above zero in West Chester (Chester County) and Nazareth (Northampton County), 6 degrees above zero in Wallingford (Delaware County) and Reading (Berks County) and 9 degrees above zero at the Philadelphia International Airport.

Lowest hourly wind chill factors included 25 degrees below zero in Mount Pocono (Monroe County), 11 degrees below zero in Doylestown (Bucks County), Allentown (Lehigh County) and Reading (Berks County) and 6 degrees below zero in Philadelphia.

As the arctic high pressure system entered the United States near Montana, its surface pressure was quite high: 1058 millibars at 4 a.m. EST on January 7th. At 7 a.m. EST on the 8th, it weakened to 1041 millibars and was located near Memphis, Tennessee. From there, the high pressure system moved east. This reduced the wind and also brought the region a relatively warmer return flow from the southwest on the night of the 8th.

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 Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 7, 3:28 PM EST, 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 7, 3:28 PM EST, 32 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 7, 3:33 PM EST, 27 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 7, 12:04 PM EST, 3 hours 56 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
1204 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

NJZ001-007-PAZ054-055-060>062-071830-
BERKS PA-CARBON PA-LEHIGH PA-MONROE PA-NORTHAMPTON PA-SUSSEX NJ-
WARREN NJ-
1204 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

...SIGNIFICANT SNOW SQUALLS WILL AFFECT CARBON...MONROE...NORTHERN
NORTHAMPTON...NORTHERN WARREN...NORTHWESTERN BERKS...NORTHWESTERN
LEHIGH AND SUSSEX COUNTIES...

AT NOON EST...SNOW SQUALLS WERE LOCATED ACROSS THE NORTHERN POCONOS
REGION...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE SNOW SQUALLS.

THESE SNOW SQUALLS WILL BE NEAR ARROWHEAD LAKE AROUND 1250
PM...TRESCKOW AROUND 100 PM...MONTAGUE AROUND 110 PM...BEEMERVILLE
AROUND 120 PM AND FIVE POINTS AROUND 130 PM.

USE EXTRA CAUTION IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO OR THROUGH THESE
SIGNIFICANT SNOW SQUALLS. CONSIDER DELAYING TRAVEL UNTIL THE SQUALL
PASSES YOUR LOCATION.

LAT...LON 4120 7437 4090 7470 4093 7479 4055 7587
      4049 7643 4058 7603 4065 7599 4074 7577
      4092 7600 4100 7575 4109 7577 4114 7569
      4113 7564 4123 7554 4126 7513 4116 7515
      4109 7502 4118 7489 4132 7480 4135 7469

&&

PENNDOT VMS BOARDS AFFECTED...
DMS-37...CMS-15...DMS-36...CMS-34...CMS-27...CMS-30...DMS-50...
DMS-51...DMS-49...DMS-48...CMS-29 AND CMS-21

FORECASTER:JM/PO

Special weather statement, Jan 7, 12:43 PM EST, 3 hours 17 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
1243 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

NJZ001-007-PAZ054-055-060>062-071830-
BERKS PA-CARBON PA-LEHIGH PA-MONROE PA-NORTHAMPTON PA-SUSSEX NJ-
WARREN NJ-
1243 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

...SIGNIFICANT SNOW SQUALLS WILL AFFECT CARBON...MONROE...NORTHERN
NORTHAMPTON...NORTHERN WARREN...NORTHWESTERN BERKS...NORTHWESTERN
LEHIGH AND SUSSEX COUNTIES...

AT NOON EST...SNOW SQUALLS WERE LOCATED ACROSS THE NORTHERN POCONOS
REGION...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE SNOW SQUALLS.

THESE SNOW SQUALLS WILL BE NEAR ARROWHEAD LAKE AROUND 1250
PM...TRESCKOW AROUND 100 PM...MONTAGUE AROUND 110 PM...BEEMERVILLE
AROUND 120 PM AND FIVE POINTS AROUND 130 PM.

USE EXTRA CAUTION IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO OR THROUGH THESE
SIGNIFICANT SNOW SQUALLS. CONSIDER DELAYING TRAVEL UNTIL THE SQUALL
PASSES YOUR LOCATION.

LAT...LON 4120 7437 4090 7470 4093 7479 4055 7587
      4049 7643 4058 7603 4065 7599 4074 7577
      4092 7600 4100 7575 4109 7577 4114 7569
      4113 7564 4123 7554 4126 7513 4116 7515
      4109 7502 4118 7489 4132 7480 4135 7469

&&

PENNDOT VMS BOARDS AFFECTED...
DMS-37...CMS-15...DMS-36...CMS-34...CMS-27...CMS-30...DMS-50...
DMS-51...DMS-49...DMS-48...CMS-29 AND CMS-21

FORECASTER:JM/PO

Special weather statement, Jan 7, 1:26 PM EST, 2 hours 34 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
126 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

NJZ001-007-008-PAZ054-055-060>062-071900-
BERKS PA-CARBON PA-LEHIGH PA-MONROE PA-MORRIS NJ-NORTHAMPTON PA-
SUSSEX NJ-WARREN NJ-
126 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

...A SNOW SQUALL WILL AFFECT
CARBON...LEHIGH...MONROE...NORTHAMPTON...NORTHERN
BERKS...NORTHERN MORRIS...SUSSEX AND WARREN COUNTIES...

AT 120 PM EST...A SNOW SQUALL WAS LOCATED FROM BOONTON TO REEDERS TO
FRACKVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH ALONG WITH A BURST OF HEAVY SNOW WILL RAPIDLY
DROP VISIBILITIES WITHIN THIS SNOW SQUALL TO A QUARTER OF A MILE OR
LESS. THIS RAPID CHANGE IN VISIBILITY WILL BE SHORT IN DURATION.

THIS SNOW SQUALL WILL BE NEAR LINCOLN PARK AROUND 130 PM...ROSETO
AROUND 140 PM...STOCKERTOWN AROUND 150 PM AND WASHINGTON AROUND 200
PM.

USE EXTRA CAUTION IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO OR THROUGH THIS SNOW
SQUALL. RAPID CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND POTENTIALLY SLICK ROADS CAN
LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. CONSIDER DELAYING TRAVEL UNTIL THE SQUALL PASSES
YOUR LOCATION.

LAT...LON 4058 7603 4065 7599 4074 7577 4092 7600
      4100 7575 4109 7577 4116 7561 4119 7514
      4109 7502 4120 7488 4123 7440 4120 7437
      4105 7449 4097 7427 4086 7432 4075 7484
      4078 7490 4072 7496 4035 7622 4049 7643

&&

PENNDOT VMS BOARDS AFFECTED...
VMS-5...CMS-26...DMS-37...CMS-15...CMS-16...CMS-22...VMS-1...
CMS-17...CMS-28...CMS-20...VMS-3...CMS-18...CMS-7...CMS-2...DMS-35...
DMS-36...CMS-25...CMS-10...CMS-1...CMS-5...CMS-12...VMS-2...CMS-34...
VMS-4...CMS-32...CMS-33...CMS-11...CMS-6...CMS-27...CMS-30...
DMS-50...DMS-51...DMS-49...DMS-48...CMS-29 AND CMS-21

FORECASTER: GORSE

Special weather statement, Jan 7, 1:57 PM EST, 2 hours 3 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
157 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

NJZ007>010-PAZ060>062-103-105-071945-
BERKS PA-HUNTERDON NJ-LEHIGH PA-MORRIS NJ-NORTHAMPTON PA-SOMERSET NJ-
UPPER BUCKS PA-WARREN NJ-WESTERN MONTGOMERY PA-
157 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

...A SNOW SQUALL WILL AFFECT BERKS...HUNTERDON...LEHIGH...
MORRIS...NORTHERN SOMERSET...NORTHWESTERN BUCKS...NORTHWESTERN
MONTGOMERY...SOUTHERN NORTHAMPTON AND SOUTHERN WARREN COUNTIES...

AT 150 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS WERE TRACKING A SNOW SQUALL LOCATED FROM MORRIS PLAINS
TO BATH TO JONESTOWN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH ALONG WITH A BURST OF SNOW WILL RAPIDLY
DROP VISIBILITIES WITHIN THIS SNOW SQUALL TO A QUARTER OF A MILE OR
LESS. THIS RAPID CHANGE IN VISIBILITY WILL BE SHORT IN DURATION.

THIS SNOW SQUALL WILL BE NEAR EAST HANOVER AROUND 200 PM...
MACUNGIE AROUND 210 PM...WYOMISSING HILLS AROUND 220 PM...
TRUMBAUERSVILLE AROUND 230 PM AND HILLTOWN AROUND 240 PM.

USE EXTRA CAUTION IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO OR THROUGH THIS SNOW
SQUALL. RAPID CHANGES IN VISIBILITY WILL OCCUR ALONG WITH POTENTIALLY
SLICK ROADS. CONSIDER DELAYING TRAVEL UNTIL THE SQUALL PASSES
YOUR LOCATION.

LAT...LON 4075 7544 4093 7478 4090 7470 4099 7456
      4087 7432 4073 7437 4068 7445 4066 7440
      4060 7445 4048 7478 4023 7564 4024 7570
      4016 7591 4043 7635

&&

PENNDOT VMS BOARDS AFFECTED...
DMS-37...CMS-15...CMS-16...CMS-22...VMS-1...CMS-17...CMS-28...
CMS-20...CMS-8...CMS-3...CMS-9...CMS-24...VMS-3...CMS-18...DMS-46...
CMS-7...CMS-2...DMS-35...CMS-10...CMS-1...CMS-5...CMS-12...VMS-2...
CMS-34...VMS-4...CMS-32...CMS-33...CMS-11...CMS-6...DMS-43...
DMS-45...DMS-44 AND DMS-42

FORECASTER: GORSE

Special weather statement, Jan 7, 2:35 PM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
235 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

NJZ008>010-012-015-072030-
HUNTERDON NJ-MERCER NJ-MIDDLESEX NJ-MORRIS NJ-SOMERSET NJ-
235 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

...A SNOW SQUALL WILL AFFECT HUNTERDON...NORTHERN MIDDLESEX...
NORTHWESTERN MERCER...SOMERSET AND SOUTH CENTRAL MORRIS COUNTIES...

AT 230 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A SNOW SQUALL LOCATED FROM SUMMIT TO NORTH PLAINFIELD TO RARITAN TO
MILFORD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH ALONG WITH A BURST OF SNOW WILL RAPIDLY DROP
VISIBILITIES WITHIN THIS SNOW SQUALL TO A QUARTER OF A MILE.
THIS RAPID CHANGE IN VISIBILITY WILL BE SHORT IN DURATION.

THIS SNOW SQUALL WILL BE NEAR SOUTH PLAINFIELD AROUND 240 PM...
WOODBRIDGE AROUND 250 PM...SOMERSET AROUND 300 PM...SOUTH AMBOY
AROUND 310 PM AND SOUTH RIVER AROUND 320 PM.

USE EXTRA CAUTION IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO OR THROUGH THIS SNOW
SQUALL. RAPID CHANGES IN VISIBILITY WILL OCCUR.

LAT...LON 4055 7424 4049 7426 4046 7422 4043 7425
      4031 7487 4049 7506 4056 7509 4057 7515
      4059 7518 4069 7486 4076 7437 4073 7437
      4068 7445 4067 7440 4060 7444 4061 7421
      4058 7420

&&

FORECASTER: GORSE

Special weather statement, Jan 7, 2:44 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
244 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

PAZ070-071-101>106-072030-
DELAWARE PA-EASTERN CHESTER PA-EASTERN MONTGOMERY PA-LOWER BUCKS PA-
PHILADELPHIA PA-UPPER BUCKS PA-WESTERN CHESTER PA-
WESTERN MONTGOMERY PA-
244 PM EST WED JAN 7 2015

...A QUICK MOVING BURST OF SNOW WILL AFFECT DELAWARE...MONTGOMERY...
NORTHERN CHESTER...PHILADELPHIA AND SOUTHWESTERN BUCKS COUNTIES...

AT 240 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
BURST OF SNOW ACROSS WESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY TO NORTHWESTERN
CHESTER COUNTY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH ALONG WITH A BURST OF SNOW WILL RAPIDLY DROP
VISIBILITIES TO A MILE OR LESS. THIS RAPID CHANGE IN VISIBILITY WILL
BE SHORT IN DURATION.

THIS BURST OF SNOW WILL BE NEAR NORTH WALES AROUND 250 PM...SPRING
HOUSE AROUND 300 PM...WILLOW GROVE AROUND 310 PM AND ANDALUSIA AROUND
320 PM.

USE EXTRA CAUTION IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO OR THROUGH THIS BURST
OF SNOW...AS RAPID CHANGES IN VISIBILITY WILL OCCUR.

LAT...LON 4023 7571 4035 7561 4043 7550 4042 7548
      4045 7544 4010 7490 3997 7509 3997 7512
      3994 7514 3988 7522 3984 7557 4008 7595
      4010 7595

&&

FORECASTER: GORSE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 cold/wind chill, 2 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Carbon

When: January 7, 4:00 PM EST to January 8, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Carbon forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 40.918, -75.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Monroe

When: January 7, 4:00 PM EST to January 8, 10:00 AM EST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 41.058, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Berks

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Berks forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 40.416, -75.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Lehigh

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Lehigh forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 40.613, -75.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Northampton

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Northampton forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 40.754, -75.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Western Chester

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Western Chester forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.973, -75.748 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Chester

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Chester forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.973, -75.748 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Delaware

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Delaware forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.917, -75.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Montgomery

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Eastern Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 40.211, -75.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Upper Bucks

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Upper Bucks forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 40.337, -75.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Lower Bucks

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Lower Bucks forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 40.337, -75.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Philadelphia

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Philadelphia forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 40.008, -75.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Western Montgomery

When: January 7, 10:00 PM EST to January 8, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Western Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 40.211, -75.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.
Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, January 2015

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: 553097, 553098, 553100, 553101, 553102, 553103, 553104, 553105, 553106, 553107, 553108, 553110, 553111.