Pennsylvania, 2025

Ice Storm in Pennsylvania, February 6, 2025

February 6, 2025 · NWS CTP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A low-level jet approaching west-central Pennsylvania, coupled with a shortwave trough, allowed for ample warm air advection in the lower-levels with relatively cold air at the surface. This allowed for freezing rain and freezing drizzle to occur across the Laurel Highlands beginning during the evening hours of February 5, 2025 and continuing into the morning of February 6th.

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

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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 CTP wrote it up.

A low-level jet approaching west-central Pennsylvania, coupled with a shortwave trough, allowed for ample warm air advection in the lower-levels with relatively cold air at the surface. This allowed for freezing rain and freezing drizzle to occur across the Laurel Highlands beginning during the evening hours of February 5, 2025 and continuing into the morning of February 6th. Significant icing began to occur across Cambria County during this timeframe with portions of Lancaster County also experiencing ice accumulation. A quick warming trend in temperatures emerged during the late morning hours of February 6th, allowing for a quick transition back into rain.

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 State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 5, 10:57 PM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 5, 10:57 PM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 5, 4:46 AM EST, 19 hours 14 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 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Cambria

When
February 6, 12:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where
Cambria forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
40.495, -78.714 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An ice storm impacted Cambria County on February 6, 2025. Total freezing rain accumulation generally ranged from 0.15 inches to 0.3 inches, though locally higher amounts were reported. The largest ice accumulation was reported at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport where the ASOS measured 0.38 inches of ice.

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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, February 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1233748.