Heavy lake-effect snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches occurred in northwest Warren County, following the passage of an arctic front. Additional snow preceded the lake-effect and resulted in maximum storm total amounts between 12 and 14 inches.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
Heavy lake-effect snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches occurred in northwest Warren County, following the passage of an arctic front. Additional snow preceded the lake-effect and resulted in maximum storm total amounts between 12 and 14 inches.
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 12, 6:05 PM EST, 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 605 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 .SYNOPSIS... AN ACTIVE WINTER WEATHER PATTERN WILL GRIP CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THROUGH THE MIDWEEK PERIOD WITH FREQUENT SNOW SHOWERS AND LOCALIZED HEAVY SNOW SQUALLS...SIGNIFICANT LAKE EFFECT SNOW AND SUB-ZERO WIND CHILLS. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE AREA INTO THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... IMPRESSIVE AND VERY INTENSE SNOW SQUALL BAND WITH EMBEDDED LIGHTNING PUSHING THRU THE LOWER SUSQ VALLEY AT 23Z. DANGEROUS SNOW SQUALL SPECIAL WX STATEMENTS OUT UNTIL LINE EXITS LANCASTER CO ARND 00Z. STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE ARCTIC FRONT WITH PEAK GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH. A FEW GUSTS MAY APPROACH ADVISORY CRITERIA BUT ONLY FOR A LIMITED TIME. A TRANSITION TO PERSISTENT COLD FLOW OVER THE MAINLY ICE-FREE WATERS OF THE GLAKES WILL OCCUR BY THIS EVENING AND LAST THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE PROBABLE OVER THE NORTHWEST PA SNOWBELT. ADDITIONAL 3 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW IS FORECAST WHICH WILL BRING STORM TOTALS BTWN 6 TO 12 INCHES. UPGRADED THE LES WATCH TO A WARNING FOR WARREN CO AND LES ADVISORY FOR MCKEAN. SUB-ZERO WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING OVER THE WESTERN MTNS WITH MINIMUM VALUES AS LOW AS -15F. MINIMUM WIND CHILLS WILL BE BETWEEN 0 AND 5 ABOVE FROM THE CENTRAL RIDGES INTO THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... THE SIGNIFICANT LAKE EFFECT WILL SHIFT INTO SW NY BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND WILL END LES HEADLINES AT NOON. IT WILL BE QUITE COLD THOUGH WITH MAX TEMPS ABOUT 10 DEG F BELOW NORMAL. MAXES WILL VARY FROM THE TEENS ACROSS THE WRN MTNS...TO BETWEEN 20 AND 25F IN THE LOWER SUSQ VALLEY. ANOTHER PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW IS FCST FROM THE NW ALLEGHENIES INTO THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS LATE WED NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... RELATIVE UPPER LEVEL TROFINESS IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY THROUGH MUCH...IF NOT ALL OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD. ACTIVE SPLIT FLOW PATTERN SUPPORTING THE UPPER TROF WILL LIKELY LEAD TO AT LEAST SEVERAL REINFORCING SHOTS OF COLD AND ASSOCIATED PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS/LAKE ENHANCED SNOW EVENTS...AND POSSIBLY EVEN GREATER STORMINESS IF TIMING PANS OUT. FIRST SHORTWAVE BEHIND TODAYS INITIAL SURGE OF COLD AIR AND SIGNIFICANT LAKE SNOW EVENT WILL CROSSING THE AREA AT THE START OF THE PERIOD. HEIGHTS RISE OVER THE NORTHEAST FOR A BRIEF TIME ON FRIDAY...AS A STRONG SRN STREAM SHORTWAVE DIVES THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. THIS WAVE IS FORECAST TO LEADING TO COASTAL CYCLOGENESIS EARLY SATURDAY ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF THEN MIDDLE ATLANTIC COASTS. BOTH THE GFS AND EURO TRACK SFC LOW NEWD ACROSS CAPE HATTERAS SATURDAY MORNING THEN QUICKLY THROUGH THE CANADIAN MARITIME PROVINCES SUNDAY MORNING. SYSTEM CERTAINLY BEARS WATCHING AT THIS POINT...WITH ENOUGH COLD AIR IN THE VICINITY FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACROSS PARTS OF THE MID ATLC AND OR NORTHEAST...BUT SOON TO TELL AT THIS POINT WITH CURRENT HIGH TEMPS FORECASTS IN THE UPPER 30S AND 40S FOR MOST OF PA. THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD APPEARS COLD AND DRY IN NORTHWEST FLOW...WITH DIMINISHING SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /23Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... LIGHT SNOW AND WINDY CONDITIONS HAVE BROUGHT DOWN VISIBILITIES AND CAUSED IFR CONDITIONS TODAY. IFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR ALL BUT THE SOUTHERN SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. AN ARCTIC FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BRINGING DANGEROUS SNOW SQUALLS WITH IT. THE SNOW SQUALLS WILL BRING VISIBILITY DOWN TO 1/4 SM AND HAVE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 30 KTS BETWEEN 19Z AND 21Z. THE EXCEPTION FOR THIS AGAIN IS OVER THE SOUTHERN SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY WHERE CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO DROP AS SIGNIFICANTLY BUT WILL STILL BE IFR FOR AN HOUR OR SO AROUND 22Z. AFTER THE FRONT PASSES TONIGHT WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST AROUND 20 KTS. SOME LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE APPALACHIANS WILL CONTINUE IFR RESTRICTIONS IN THESE LOCATIONS. VFR CONDITIONS WILL RETURN FOR ALL OVERNIGHT EXCEPT NORTHWEST PA...INCLUDING KBFD...AS A LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENT WILL BEGIN...CAUSING IFR CONDITIONS TO RETURN. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN TO NW PA LATER IN THE DAY TOMORROW AND WINDS WILL WANE FOR ALL. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WILL BE TRANQUIL AND COLD WITH VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. A STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE AIRSPACE THIS WEEKEND AND MAY BE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WITH RESTRICTIONS POSSIBLE. OUTLOOK... WED-FRI...CIG/VSBY REDUCTIONS LIKELY NW HALF IN SNOW SHOWERS. VFR ELSEWHERE. SAT...REDUCTIONS POSS WITH CHANCE FOR RAIN/SNOW. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ005. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR PAZ004- 005. LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING UNTIL NOON EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ004. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR PAZ006- 010-011-017-024-033. && SYNOPSIS...STEINBUGL NEAR TERM...FITZGERALD/STEINBUGL SHORT TERM...STEINBUGL LONG TERM...LAMBERT/GARTNER AVIATION...STEINBUGL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 323 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 PAZ012-018-019-025>028-034>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059- 063>066-132030- NORTHERN CLINTON-NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON- MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-BEDFORD-FULTON-FRANKLIN-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING- SULLIVAN-SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-PERRY-DAUPHIN-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON-CUMBERLAND- ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 323 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SNOW SQUALLS WITH RAPID SNOW ACCUMULATION AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS WILL IMPACT THE AREA THROUGH THE EVENING. ICY ROADS COULD DEVELOP QUICKLY AS TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW FREEZING. THE SQUALLS WILL LIKELY AFFECT THE PEAK EVENING COMMUTE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ005-132030- MCKEAN- 323 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON 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. LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ006-010-011-017-024-033-132030- POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-CLEARFIELD-CAMBRIA-SOMERSET- 323 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. 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. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ004-132030- WARREN- 323 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON 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. LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
554 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0554 PM SNOW 5 E DUBOIS 41.12N 78.66W
01/12/2016 E6.0 INCH CLEARFIELD PA SOCIAL MEDIA
&&
EVENT NUMBER CTP1600045
GADPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
555 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0555 PM SNOW HOMER GAP 40.56N 78.40W
01/12/2016 E1.5 INCH BLAIR PA SOCIAL MEDIA
&&
EVENT NUMBER CTP1600047
GADSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
601 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016
PAZ058-059-064>066-130015-
ADAMS PA-SCHUYLKILL PA-LANCASTER PA-YORK PA-LEBANON PA-
601 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016
...DANGEROUS SNOW SQUALLS EARLY THIS EVENING...
* AT 558 PM EST...A SNOW SQUALL WAS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
HOMETOWN TO NEAR SCHAEFFERSTOWN TO NEAR LITTLESTOWN...AND MOVING
EAST AT 35 MPH.
THE BRIEF SQUALLS WILL AFFECT MOST SPOTS BETWEEN 6 AND 7
PM...CAUSING DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.
USE EXTRA CAUTION IF YOU MUST TRAVEL INTO OR THROUGH THIS DANGEROUS
SNOW SQUALL. RAPID CHANGES IN VISIBILITY AND POTENTIALLY SLICK ROADS
ARE LIKELY TO LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. CONSIDER DELAYING TRAVEL UNTIL THE
SQUALL PASSES YOUR LOCATION.
A RAPID DROP IN TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO THE RAPID FORMATION OF
BLACK ICE ON AREA ROADWAYS. BLACK ICE IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE AND
ROADWAYS MAY APPEAR WET. PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION...ESPECIALLY ON
BRIDGES...OVERPASSES AND AROUND CURVES. ALLOW PLENTY OF STOPPING
DISTANCE AND AVOID BRAKING SUDDENLY.
LAT...LON 4029 7631 4090 7598 4074 7576 4064 7599
4057 7602 4054 7617 4038 7625 4014 7587
4011 7594 3987 7599 3988 7600 3973 7609
3972 7722
TIME...MOT...LOC 2258Z 281DEG 32KT 4083 7598 4029 7627 3976 7711
KF
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
651 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0650 PM SNOW COLUMBUS 41.95N 79.58W
01/12/2016 M8.0 INCH WARREN PA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
EVENT NUMBER CTP1600048
KFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
652 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0651 PM SNOW BEAR LAKE 41.99N 79.50W
01/12/2016 M4.5 INCH WARREN PA TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
EVENT NUMBER CTP1600049
KFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
700 PM EST TUE JAN 12 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0659 PM SNOW PATTON 40.63N 78.65W
01/12/2016 E6.0 INCH CAMBRIA PA SOCIAL MEDIA
&&
EVENT NUMBER CTP1600050
KFThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Lake-effect snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches was observed in northwest Warren 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, January 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: 607518.