Pennsylvania, 2019

Winter Storm in Pennsylvania, November 11 to 12, 2019

November 11 to 12, 2019 · NWS CLE · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

On November 10, weak low pressure developed across the Upper Midwest, extending a cold front from the Rockies towards the Upper Great Lakes. As the cold front progressed eastward across the Ohio Valley, a secondary low pressure system developed along the front in the Tennessee Valley and tracked northeast, reaching southwest Pennsylvania on the evening of November 11.

Where it happened

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
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$20,000
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS CLE wrote it up.

On November 10, weak low pressure developed across the Upper Midwest, extending a cold front from the Rockies towards the Upper Great Lakes. As the cold front progressed eastward across the Ohio Valley, a secondary low pressure system developed along the front in the Tennessee Valley and tracked northeast, reaching southwest Pennsylvania on the evening of November 11. Meanwhile, a high pressure system from the north brought an arctic air mass down into the central United States behind the cold front. With the cold front, precipitation first fell as rain on November 11 throughout much of Northwest Pennsylvania before changing over to snow as arctic air began to surge into the region. A widespread 3 to 10 inches of snow fell across Northwest Pennsylvania with this synoptic event for a brief period from late November 11 to early November 12. A maximum total of 11.5 inches of snow fell in Greene Township. Erie International Airport reported a total of 5.5 inches of snow for the duration of the event. Other selected storm totals include: 11 inches in Colt Station, 10 inches in Greenfield Township, 8.5 inches in Corry, 7.5 inches in Wattsburg, 7 inches in North East Township, Union City, and Girard.

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 Nov 11, 10:04 AM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 11, 10:04 AM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Southern Erie

When
November 11, 12:00 PM EST to November 12, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Southern Erie forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.118, -80.098 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On November 10, weak low pressure developed across the Upper Midwest, extending a cold front from the Rockies towards the Upper Great Lakes. As the cold front progressed eastward across the Ohio Valley, a secondary low pressure system developed along the front in the Tennessee Valley and tracked northeast, reaching southwest Pennsylvania on the evening of November 11. Meanwhile, a high pressure system from the north brought an arctic air mass down into the central United States behind the cold front. With the cold front, precipitation first fell as rain on November 11 throughout much of Northwest Pennsylvania before changing over to snow as arctic air began to surge into the region. A widespread 3 to 10 inches of snow fell across Northwest Pennsylvania with this synoptic event for a brief period from late November 11 to early November 12. A maximum total of 11.5 inches of snow fell in Greene Township. Other selected storm totals include: 11 inches in Colt Station, 10 inches in Greenfield Township, 8.5 inches in Corry, 7.5 inches in Wattsburg, 7 inches in North East Township and Union City.

Winter Storm, Northern Erie

When
November 11, 12:00 PM EST to November 12, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Northern Erie forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.118, -80.098 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

On November 10, weak low pressure developed across the Upper Midwest, extending a cold front from the Rockies towards the Upper Great Lakes. As the cold front progressed eastward across the Ohio Valley, a secondary low pressure system developed along the front in the Tennessee Valley and tracked northeast, reaching southwest Pennsylvania on the evening of November 11. Meanwhile, a high pressure system from the north brought an arctic air mass down into the central United States behind the cold front. With the cold front, precipitation first fell as rain on November 11 throughout much of Northwest Pennsylvania before changing over to snow as arctic air began to surge into the region. A widespread 3 to 10 inches of snow fell across Northwest Pennsylvania with this synoptic event for a brief period from late November 11 to early November 12. A maximum total of 7.4 inches of snow fell in North East. Erie International Airport reported a total of 5.5 inches of snow for the duration of the event. Other selected storm totals include: 7 inches in Girard and almost 6 inches in Harborcreek and Lake City.

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, November 2019

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 866587, 866588.