Low pressure developed over the southeastern United States, sliding northeastward and off the Mid-Atlantic Coast near the Tidewater of Virginia and continuing northeastward and out to sea. This system brought a period of snow across central Pennsylvania, with 6 to 7 inches falling along the I-81 corridor.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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.
Low pressure developed over the southeastern United States, sliding northeastward and off the Mid-Atlantic Coast near the Tidewater of Virginia and continuing northeastward and out to sea. This system brought a period of snow across central Pennsylvania, with 6 to 7 inches falling along the I-81 corridor. Southeast of I-81, some rain mixed in with the snow early in the event and lowered snowfall totals a bit.
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 Mar 3, 2:38 PM EST, 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service State College PA 238 PM EST Sun Mar 3 2019 .SYNOPSIS... Low pressure over Louisiana will race northeast today, passing off the Mid Atlantic coast tonight. An anomalous upper level trough will then pivot across the northeast CONUS next week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Showers continue to spread eastward over the region as the storm moves to the northeast. 19Z radar has light to moderate snowfall over Johnstown and Altoona. The biggest forecast question during this period is snowfall amounts. There are a few plumes that have Lancaster in rain briefly, however given the temperatures and forcing aloft, the rain/snow line should be south and east of Lancaster county which should keep the region as snow. The heaviest snowfall this afternoon will be through the western counties of Somerset, Bedford and Fulton. However the surface axis should shift to the east, along with the winds, which will mean after 00Z the heaviest precipitation will be through the Lower Susquehanna river valley. Have increased QPF and snowfall amounts for the southwest central counties, however have kept those counties in an advisory. There could be some localized heavier amounts in the central mountains that could reach warning criteria, upwards of 6 to 8 inches with highest amounts on ridgetops. Ensemble mean qpf, combined with snow/water ratios ranging from around 12/1 over southeast Pa to 18/1 over the northwest counties, supports storm totals ranging from around 2 inches over Warren/Mckean counties, to between 6-8 inches south of I-81. Snow should taper off from west to east roughly between 03Z-07Z, as surface low exits the coast. Northwest winds should pick up late tonight, behind departing storm, but gusts of 15-20mph based on bufkit soundings should not be high enough to cause blowing/drifting issues. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... Chilly but dry weather is expected Monday and Monday night, as surface ridging builds into the region. Some limited lake effect snow shower activity will affect the northwest mountains Monday, but low inversion heights and dry air mass crossing the Grt Lks should limit accumulations to a dusting at best. Model soundings are well mixed to 850mb, supporting max temps from around 20F over the northwest mountains, to the mid 50s over the Lower Susq Valley. Diminishing winds, clearing skies and a fresh snow cover will allow temps to plummet Monday night. Current guidance is for lows in the single digits most places to low teens southeast. However, these numbers could be optimistic based on conditions so favorable for radiational cooling. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Anomalous upper trough will pivot across the northeast conus next week, supporting a high confidence of cold, though mainly dry, weather. Low-pwat, arctic air mass and surface ridging/low inversion heights suggest there will be very little lake effect activity across the western mountains. The best chance of snow showers will come with the passage of shortwaves Tuesday PM and again Thursday AM. The coldest air will likely arrive Wednesday, as axis of upper trough passes over Pa. Ensemble 850 temps of around -18C translate to expected max temps Wednesday of just the teens over the Allegheny Plateau and the mid 20s over the Susq Valley. Moderating temperatures appear likely by late week, as upper trough begins to lift out. However, uncertainty ramps up with regard to potential precip Friday. Bulk of guidance indicates a clipper will be approaching from the midwest, but may pass too far south to affect Pa. For now, will maintain mention of possible light snow Friday. 00Z NAEFS and ECENS both indicate an increasing chance of precipitation the second half of next weekend, as low pressure tracks west of Pa into the Grt Lks. This scenario would favor mixed precip, possibly changing to rain. && .AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... 18z update... As snow overspreads central PA this afternoon, conditions will quickly deteriorate, with widespread IFR to alternate required restrictions developing. Late this afternoon and early evening (generally from about 22z-05z), occasional moderate-heavy snow will lower conditions to near airport minimums at times. After 05-07z, steadier snow will exit the region to the east, with conditions improving to fuel alternate or MVFR at most sites. At KBFD and KJST, lower ceilings and snow showers will keep things down in the IFR range. Monday morning, as drier air sweeps in from the W-NW, most sites will further improve to VFR. Restrictive conditions will likely last longer at KBFD and KJST. Light surface winds (mostly 5 kt or less) through most of tonight, will shift into the W-NW during the pre-dawn hours at 5-10 kt. W-NW winds on Monday will average 8-10 kt, with occasional gusts to near 20 kt. Outlook... Tue-Thu...Mainly VFR. KBFD and KJST will likely see occasional restrictions, with lower clouds and snow showers. Fri...More widespread restrictions may develop, with snow or mixed precipitation perhaps overspreading the region. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 2 AM EST Monday for PAZ006-011- 012-037-041-042-045-046-049>053. Winter Weather Advisory until 1 AM EST Monday for PAZ010- 017>019-024>028-033>035. Winter Storm Warning until 3 AM EST Monday for PAZ036-056>059- 063>066. && SYNOPSIS...Fitzgerald/Ceru NEAR TERM...Ceru SHORT TERM...Fitzgerald/Ceru LONG TERM...Fitzgerald AVIATION...Jurewicz/Martin
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service State College PA 432 AM EST Sun Mar 3 2019 PAZ036-056>059-063>066-040945- Franklin-Perry-Dauphin-Schuylkill-Lebanon-Cumberland-Adams-York- Lancaster- 432 AM EST Sun Mar 3 2019 ...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 3 AM EST MONDAY... 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. Winter Storm Warning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. PAZ006-011-012-037-041-042-045-046-049>053-040945- Potter-Cameron-Northern Clinton-Tioga-Northern Lycoming-Sullivan- Southern Clinton-Southern Lycoming-Union-Snyder-Montour- Northumberland-Columbia- 432 AM EST Sun Mar 3 2019 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 2 AM EST MONDAY... 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. Winter Weather Advisory. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. PAZ010-017>019-024>028-033>035-040945- Elk-Clearfield-Northern Centre-Southern Centre-Cambria-Blair- Huntingdon-Mifflin-Juniata-Somerset-Bedford-Fulton- 432 AM EST Sun Mar 3 2019 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 1 AM EST MONDAY... 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. Winter Weather Advisory. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. PAZ004-005-040945- Warren-McKean- 432 AM EST Sun Mar 3 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Pennsylvania. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Light snow will fall over the region late this afternoon into the evening hours, accumulating around 2 inches. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
A winter storm produced up to 6 inches of snow across Adams County from March 3-4, 2019.
A winter storm produced up to 6 inches of snow across Cumberland County from March 3-4, 2019.
A winter storm produced up to 6 inches of snow across Dauphin County from March 3-4, 2019.
A winter storm produced up to 7 inches of snow across Franklin County from March 3-4, 2019.
A winter storm produced up to 7 inches of snow across Lancaster County from March 3-4, 2019.
A winter storm produced up to 7 inches of snow across Lebanon County from March 3-4, 2019.
A winter storm produced up to 6 inches of snow across Perry County from March 3-4, 2019.
A winter storm produced up to 7 inches of snow across Schuylkill County from March 3-4, 2019.
A winter storm produced up to 7 inches of snow across York County from March 3-4, 2019.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, March 2019
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: 810751, 810752, 810753, 810754, 810755, 810756, 810757, 810758, 810759.