A complex winter storm produced 5 to 8 inches of snow across the Lower Susquehanna Valley, with lighter amounts to the north and west.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 complex winter storm produced 5 to 8 inches of snow across the Lower Susquehanna Valley, with lighter amounts to the north and west.
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 8, 6:45 PM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 645 PM EST MON FEB 8 2016 .SYNOPSIS... A LONG-DURATION PERIOD OF SNOW WILL LIKELY RESULT IN A WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE ACCUMULATION FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL PA TONIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY. LAKE EFFECT AND UPSLOPE SNOW SHOWERS WILL FOLLOW FROM MID WEEK INTO THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEKEND...WITH ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION LIKELY IN THE FAVORED NORTHWEST SNOWBELT AND HIGHER TERRAIN ALONG THE ALLEGHENIES AND LAURELS. THE COLDEST AIRMASS OF THE WINTER IS POISED TO BRING FRIGID TEMPERATURES AND DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS FOR VALENTINES WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 22Z...SOME LIGHT SNOW HAS OVERSPREAD SOMERSET CO. HOWEVER...MOST OF CENTRAL PA REMAINS IN REGION OF NIL WEATHER...THE CALM BEFORE THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF UNSETTLED WEATHER. HARD TO CALL IT A STORM PER SE AS A SLOW-MOVING AND AMPLIFYING UPPER TROUGH TAKES ON A NEGATIVE TILT ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC REGION LATE TONIGHT. WHILE THE PRECIP COULD BRIEFLY BEGIN AS LGT RAIN IN THE LOWER ELEVS OF SOUTHERN PA THIS EVENING...WET BULB ZERO ELEVATION CLOSE TO THE SFC PAINTS A SNOW...RATHER THAN RAIN/SNOW MIX BY ARND 03Z. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... AFTER DISCUSSION WITH PHI AND LWX...ALONG WITH NEW WPC GRAPHICS...HAVE ISSUED WINTER WX ADVISORY FOR MUCH OF SOUTHERN PA AND A WARNING FOR THE ADAMS/YORK/LANCASTER...WHERE WPC GUIDANCE NOW SUPPORT TOTALS TO ARND 6 INCHES BY TUES NIGHT. A PAIR OF WELL-DEFINED SHORTWAVES ROTATING ARND BASE OF UPPER LOW OVR THE GRT LKS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF MAINLY LIGHT SNOW ALONG NEG TILTED INVERTED SFC TROUGH AXIS AND ASSOC PLUME OF HIGHER PWATS ACROSS CENTRAL PA TONIGHT THRU TUE EVENING. FIRST SHORTWAVE SHOWS UP CLEARLY IN WV LOOP THIS EVENING OVR S OHIO. AS THIS FEATURE LIFTS NE...A PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD CENTRAL PA THIS EVENING FROM SW TO NE. BLEND OF MDL DATA SUPPORT OVERNIGHT SNOW TOTALS OF 1-3 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMTS OVR THE HIGHER ELEVS OF SOUTHERN PA. MARGINAL BLYR TEMPS COULD LIMIT ACCUMS IN THE VALLEYS. AFTER AN EXPECTED LULL IN THE SNOW /ROUGHLY BTWN 09Z-15Z/ EXPECT STEADIER SNOW TO REDEVELOP UPON APPROACH OF SECOND SHORTWAVE LIFTING OUT OF THE OHIO VALLEY. BEST LG SCALE FORCING...AS INFERRED BY MDL 500-300MB QVEC CONV FIELDS...WILL BE FOCUSED ACROSS SOUTHERN PA...WHERE MDL BLENDED QPF SUPPORTS SEVERAL INCHES OF ADDITIONAL ACCUM BTWN MIDDAY TUES AND TUES EVENING. MARGINAL BLYR TEMPS MAY CONTINUE TO HINDER SNOW ACCUMS IN THE VALLEYS...AS NCAR MESO ENSEMBLE AND SPC SSEO BOTH SUGGEST. SO...CONFIDENCE IN WARNING TYPE SNOW IN THE POPULATION CENTERS OF SOUTHERN PA IS NOT NEARLY AS HIGH AS FOR THE RIDGETOP LOCATIONS. EXPECT A TRANSITION TOWARD A LAKE EFFECT/UPSLOPE SNOW PATTERN LATE TUES NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AS INVERTED SFC TROUGH LIFTS NE AND BLYR FLOW TURNS TO THE WEST. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... *IMPACT WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE ADDITIONAL LAKE EFFECT AND UPSLOPE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THURSDAY-SATURDAY...FOLLOWED BY FRIGID TEMPERATURES AND DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS FOR VALENTINES WEEKEND. ANOMALOUS WESTERN RIDGE/EASTERN TROUGH PATTERN WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE GLOBAL ENSEMBLE MEANS GENERALLY KEEP THIS PATTERN CONFIGURATION INTACT INTO NEXT WEEK BUT AT A DECREASING AMPLITUDE. AS THE BROAD UPPER LEVEL CIRCULATION DEPARTS OVER THE NORTHEAST TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK...IT WILL BE REPLACED BY A POLAR VORTEX DROPPING SOUTH ACROSS HUDSON BAY INTO SE CANADA. COLD AIR WILL BEGIN SPILLING SOUTHWARD LATER IN THE WEEK...REINFORCED INITIALLY BY A SECONDARY FRONT ON THURSDAY. CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN A SIGNIFICANT ARCTIC AIR INTRUSION/COLD OUTBREAK FOR VALENTINE'S WEEKEND. LAKE EFFECT/UPSLOPE SNOWS FOR SEVERAL DAYS THU-SAT WILL BRING ADDITIONAL LGT-MDT ACCUMULATION OVER THE FAVORED NORTHWEST SNOWBELT DOWNWIND OF LAKE ERIE AND IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE ALLEGHENIES/LAURELS. A NEW ELEMENT IN THE FCST IS DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC/NORTHEAST COAST BY EARLY SATURDAY. AT THIS TIME THE 08/00Z ECMWF LIES ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE GUIDANCE ENVELOPE. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH IN THE FCST COLD PATTERN/WELL-BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE COLDEST AIRMASS OF THE WINTER APPEARS POISED TO ARRIVE THIS WEEKEND WITH GFS/EC BOTH BRINGING -30C AIR AT 850MB INTO PA. MAX/MIN TEMPERATURE DEPARTURES OF -20 TO -25 DEGREES BELOW CLIMO ARE PROBABLE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES +/- ZERO ARE FCST SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY. A STRONG GRADIENT BETWEEN LOW PRESSURE OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST AND 1040+MB ARCTIC HIGH DROPPING INTO THE UPPER MS VALLEY WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS -10F TO -25F DEGREES BELOW ZERO. && .AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... FIRST OF THE SNOW SHOWERS NOW WORKING INTO THE WESTERN MOUNTAINS. WHILE OVERALL FORECAST CALLS FOR DETERIORATING CONDITIONS THIS EVENING FROM WEST TO EAST...THE TIMING OF THE ONSET OF THE STEADY SNOW IS THE CHALLENGING ASPECT OF THIS FORECAST. EXPECT CONDITIONS TO VARY FOR SEVERAL HOURS AT THE ONSET OF THE PRECIPITATION...LIKELY SWITCHING FROM VFR TO MVFR AND THEN BACK AGAIN TO IFR. THIS THINKING IS DIFFICULT TO TRANSLATE INTO THE TAFS. HAVE DECIDED TO GO WITH PREVAILING AREAS OF STEADY SNOW...WITH LOWERING CONDITIONS...BUT REALIZING THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH VARIABILITY FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE EVENING. IFR CONDITIONS SHOULD DEVELOP OVERNIGHT...AND LAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE TAF PERIOD IN WIDESPREAD SNOW. SOME AREAS OF LIFR MAY DEVELOP IN BANDING OF HEAVIER SNOW...BUT DIFFICULT TO PUT IN AN EXACT LOCATION AT THIS TIME. THE COMPLEX WEATHER PATTERN WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD... BUT MAINLY LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE SNOW OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. WHILE THERE MAY BE BREAKS FROM TIME TO TIME...EXPECT FAIRLY WIDESPREAD SNOW/SNOW SHOWERS AND ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS OVER MUCH OF THE REGION THROUGH THAT PERIOD. LOOKING AHEAD...SNOW SHOWERS BECOME MORE CONFINED TO WESTERN HIGHER TERRAIN MID/LATE WEEK AS SHOT OF QUITE COLD AIR ARRIVES ON NW FLOW. OUTLOOK... TONIGHT INTO TUE NIGHT...PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW. IFR CONDITIONS DEVELOPING. LOCALIZED LIFR POSSIBLE. WED...MAINLY IFR IN SNOW WRN AIRSPACE. MVFR-VFR CIGS CENTRAL/EAST. THU-SAT...MVFR IN -SHSN W MTNS. VFR ELSEWHERE. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ024- 033. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ025>028-034>036-056-057-059-063. WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ064>066. && SYNOPSIS...STEINBUGL NEAR TERM...FITZGERALD/GARTNER SHORT TERM...GARTNER/STEINBUGL LONG TERM...STEINBUGL AVIATION...JUNG/GARTNER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 241 PM EST MON FEB 8 2016 PAZ025>028-034>036-056-057-059-063-091945- BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-PERRY- DAUPHIN-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND- 241 PM EST MON FEB 8 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER 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. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. FRIGID TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND WITH DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-037-041-042-045-046-049>053-058-091945- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD- NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN- SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-SCHUYLKILL- 241 PM EST MON FEB 8 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A LONG-DURATION SNOW EVENT WILL BEGIN TONIGHT WITH SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 2 INCHES BY TUESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE. A TRANSITION TO A PROLONGED LAKE EFFECT SNOW PATTERN ON WEDNESDAY WILL BRING ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF A FEW TO SEVERAL INCHES ACROSS THE NORTHWEST ALLEGHENIES THROUGH FRIDAY. FRIGID TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND WITH DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ024-033-091945- CAMBRIA-SOMERSET- 241 PM EST MON FEB 8 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER 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. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. FRIGID TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND WITH DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ064>066-091945- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 241 PM EST MON FEB 8 2016 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 5 AM EST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER STORM 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. WINTER STORM WARNING. FRIGID TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND WITH DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snowfall of 4 to 8 inches was reported across the county.
Heavy snowfall of 4 to 8 inches was reported across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, February 2016
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: 613525, 613526.