Pennsylvania, 2018Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, January 3 to 5, 2018
January 3 to 5, 2018 · NWS CLE · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop during the late evening hours of January 3rd. The snow showers picked up in intensity during the early morning hours of the 4th.
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
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- Heat and drought
- Cold
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop during the late evening hours of January 3rd. The snow showers picked up in intensity during the early morning hours of the 4th. Periods of moderate to heavy snow then continued into the 5th. The worst of the snow was during the afternoon and evening of the 4th when visibilities were less than a half mile at times with snowfall rates greater than an inch per hour. The intensity and coverage of the snow showers diminished on the 5th with the snow ending completely by early evening. Northwest winds gusted to as much as 25 mph during this event causing much blowing and drifting. Some locations saw more than a foot of snow with most of it falling on the 4th. In Erie County the heaviest snow fell inland from Lake Erie with a peak total of 13.0 inches at Edinboro. In Crawford County, most of the snow fell across the northern third to half of the county. A peak total of 18.7 inches was measured just south of the Erie County line near Drakes Mill. Other totals from Crawford County included 14.0 inches west of Meadville and 11.9 inches near Cambridge Springs. Some accidents were reported during this event.
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 Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 2, 6:30 PM EST, 15 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 6:30 PM EST, 15 hours 30 minutes before
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</html>Lake-Effect Snow, Southern Erie
- When
- January 3, 10:00 AM EST to January 5, 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Southern Erie forecast zone
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 42.118, -80.098 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop during the late evening hours of January 3rd. The snow showers picked up in intensity during the early morning hours of the 4th. Periods of moderate to heavy snow then continued into the 5th. The worst of the snow was during the afternoon and evening of the 4th when visibilities were less than a half mile at times with snowfall rates greater than an inch per hour. The intensity and coverage of the snow showers diminished on the 5th with the snow ending completely by early evening. Northwest winds gusted to as much as 25 mph during this event causing much blowing and drifting. Some locations saw more than a foot of snow with most of it falling on the 4th. In Erie County the heaviest snow fell inland from Lake Erie with a peak total of 13.0 inches at Edinboro. Some accidents were reported during this event.
Lake-Effect Snow, Crawford
- When
- January 3, 10:00 PM EST to January 5, 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Crawford forecast zone
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 41.685, -80.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold northwest winds blowing across Lake Erie caused lake effect snow showers to develop during the late evening hours of January 3rd. The snow showers picked up in intensity during the early morning hours of the 4th. Periods of moderate to heavy snow then continued into the 5th. The worst of the snow was during the afternoon and evening of the 4th when visibilities were less than a half mile at times with snowfall rates greater than an inch per hour. The intensity and coverage of the snow showers diminished on the 5th with the snow ending completely by early evening. Northwest winds gusted to as much as 25 mph during this event causing much blowing and drifting. Some locations saw more than a foot of snow with most of it falling on the 4th. In Crawford County, most of the snow fell across the northern third to half of the county. A peak total of 18.7 inches was measured just south of the Erie County line near Drakes Mill. Other totals from Crawford County included 14.0 inches west of Meadville and 11.9 inches near Cambridge Springs. Some accidents were reported during this event.
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Heavy snow in bands downwind of a large lake as cold air crosses warmer water.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in North Carolina, January 3 to 4, 20183 deaths · $10,000 · 24 events
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in South Carolina, January 3, 20183 deaths · 11 events
- Winter Storm and Coastal Flood in North Carolina, January 3 to 4, 20182 deaths · 67 kt wind · 22 events
- High Surf in Oregon, January 3, 20181 death · 1 event
- Blizzard and Winter Storm in Virginia, January 3 to 4, 201834 events
- Heavy Snow in South Carolina, January 3, 201821 events
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Georgia, January 3, 201816 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Florida, January 3, 201815 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Maryland, January 3 to 4, 201815 events
- Winter Weather in Virginia, January 3 to 4, 201814 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Georgia, January 3, 201812 events
- Winter Storm and Coastal Flood in Florida, January 3, 201810 events
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: 733076, 733073.