Pennsylvania, 2025

Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, December 13 to 15, 2025

December 13 to 15, 2025 · NWS PBZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy lake effect snow was forecast due to strong cold advection in the wake of a crossing clipper system. Snow ratios were near 20:1 on average with dry/fluffy snow characteristics.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 PBZ wrote it up.

Heavy lake effect snow was forecast due to strong cold advection in the wake of a crossing clipper system. Snow ratios were near 20:1 on average with dry/fluffy snow characteristics. Embedded snow bands resulted in locally higher amounts.

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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 13, 1:41 PM EST, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 13, 1:41 PM EST, 2 hours 19 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 13, 12:58 PM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
1258 PM EST Sat Dec 13 2025

OHZ057>059-068-069-PAZ021-029-031-073>076-078-WVZ002>004-012-021-
509>513-141800-
Muskingum-Guernsey-Belmont-Noble-Monroe-Allegheny-Washington-Greene-
Westmoreland-Higher Elevations of Westmoreland-Fayette-
Higher Elevations of Fayette-Higher Elevations of Indiana-Brooke-
Ohio-Marshall-Wetzel-Marion-Monongalia-
Ridges of Eastern Monongalia and Northwestern Preston-Preston-
Eastern Preston-Western Tucker-
1258 PM EST Sat Dec 13 2025

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST SUNDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Ohio, southwest
Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

OHZ039>041-048>050-PAZ013-014-020-022-077-WVZ001-141800-
Tuscarawas-Carroll-Columbiana-Coshocton-Harrison-Jefferson OH-
Lawrence-Butler-Beaver-Armstrong-Indiana-Hancock-
1258 PM EST Sat Dec 13 2025

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST SUNDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Ohio, southwest
Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

WVZ514-141800-
Eastern Tucker-
1258 PM EST Sat Dec 13 2025

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST SUNDAY...
...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM SUNDAY TO 9 AM EST
MONDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern West Virginia.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.
   Cold Weather Advisory.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

PAZ007-008-141800-
Mercer-Venango-
1258 PM EST Sat Dec 13 2025

...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
7 AM EST MONDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Lake Effect Snow Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Lake Effect Snow Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

PAZ009-015-016-141800-
Forest-Clarion-Jefferson PA-
1258 PM EST Sat Dec 13 2025

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
7 AM EST MONDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest Pennsylvania and
western Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Weather Advisory.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

RACKLEY

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 13, 3:42 PM EST, 18 minutes before
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Local storm report, Dec 13, 3:56 PM EST, 4 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

1 lake-effect snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Lake-Effect Snow, Venango

When
December 13, 4:00 PM EST to December 15, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Venango forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.401, -79.758 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Widespread snow accumulation generally ranging from 4-6 inches was reported across the county with the highest total of 6 inches reported near Franklin.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, December 2025

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: 1308604.