Showers and thunderstorms will continue along and ahead of a cold front for the eastern third of the country. The rainfall for the Great Lakes region could prolong the ongoing flooding. Much cooler weather will filter in behind this cold front along and east of the Rockies. Where the rain is needed, the Southern High Plains, critical fire weather concerns through this weekend. Read More >
Overview
On primarily January 23rd, a significant winter storm impacted the Commonwealth. In regards to Pennsylvania, South Central PA saw the most action. On the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS), this blizzard was rated Category 4 (out of 5) with a NESIS value of 7.66, putting it in the "crippling" category.
Snow/Ice
Somerset, Franklin, & East Cumberland Counties received the majority of snow accumulation ranging from 30-36 inches.
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Radar/Satellite
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January 23rd 3AM to 12PM EDT: MOSAIC Radar Courtesy: SPC Mesoanalysis Archive |
January 23rd 9:30 AM to 5 PM EDT: Visible GOES EAST Satellite Courtesy: SPC Mesoanalysis Archive |
Storm Reports (PNS)
732
NOUS41 KCTP 232308
PNSCTP
PAZ004>005-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>034-037-041>042-045>046-
049>053-056>059-063-065>066-241108-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTER REPORTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
608 PM EST SAT JAN 23 2016
OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
THIS SUMMARY IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR HOME PAGE AT
WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE
********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL********************
LOCATION STORM TOTAL TIME/DATE COMMENTS
SNOWFALL OF
/INCHES/ MEASUREMENT
PENNSYLVANIA
...ADAMS COUNTY...
3 W ORRTANNA 27.0 502 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
1 W GETTYSBURG 26.5 411 PM 1/23 COCORAHS
YORK SPRINGS 26.0 604 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
1 S CASHTOWN 25.0 406 PM 1/23 CO-OP OBSERVER
ABBOTTSTOWN 23.0 400 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...BEDFORD COUNTY...
3 W MANNS CHOICE 30.0 351 PM 1/23 AMATEUR RADIO
IMLER 30.0 536 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
MANNS CHOICE 28.0 349 PM 1/23 AMATEUR RADIO
BEDFORD SPRINGS 27.0 351 PM 1/23 AMATEUR RADIO
BEDFORD 24.0 349 PM 1/23 AMATEUR RADIO
REYNOLDSDALE 22.0 350 PM 1/23 AMATEUR RADIO
CHANEYSVILLE 19.0 540 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
WOODBURY 18.0 350 PM 1/23 AMATEUR RADIO
...BLAIR COUNTY...
ALTOONA 19.4 440 PM 1/23 NWS EMPLOYEE
BELLWOOD 10.7 246 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...CAMBRIA COUNTY...
PATTON 9.0 455 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...CENTRE COUNTY...
3 ESE BOALSBURG 10.0 308 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
1 E BOALSBURG 7.7 415 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
1 SE PINE HALL 6.5 330 PM 1/23 NWS EMPLOYEE
JULIAN 6.0 457 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
WADDLE 4.5 227 PM 1/23 NWS EMPLOYEE
...COLUMBIA COUNTY...
CATAWISSA 14.0 547 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
BLOOMSBURG 12.0 250 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
ALMEDIA 10.0 530 PM 1/23 AMATEUR RADIO
3 NE BENTON 1.8 408 PM 1/23 CO-OP OBSERVER
...CUMBERLAND COUNTY...
PINE GROVE FURNACE 34.0 533 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
5 W MOUNT HOLLY SPRI 32.0 532 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
BOILING SPRINGS 31.0 451 PM 1/23 PUBLIC
7 S NEWVILLE 31.0 443 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
CARLISLE 27.0 407 PM 1/23 EMERGENCY MNGR
LEMOYNE 26.5 237 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
NEW CUMBERLAND 26.0 410 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
2 N ENOLA 25.0 542 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...DAUPHIN COUNTY...
HERSHEY 26.0 525 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
PROGRESS 26.0 501 PM 1/23 SUSQUEHANNA TWP
MIDDLETOWN 25.0 231 PM 1/23 PUBLIC
MILLERSBURG 24.6 245 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
SKYLINE VIEW 23.8 440 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
HANOVER HEIGHTS 23.5 521 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
DAUPHIN 23.5 300 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
HARRISBURG 23.0 445 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
PILLOW 20.0 443 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...FRANKLIN COUNTY...
MERCERSBURG 29.0 450 PM 1/23 PUBLIC
CHAMBERSBURG 29.0 310 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
STATE LINE 27.0 543 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
NEW FRANKLIN 27.0 220 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
QUINCY 27.0 316 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
METAL 26.5 424 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
WILLOW HILL 24.0 222 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...FULTON COUNTY...
MCCONNELLSBURG 22.0 400 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...HUNTINGDON COUNTY...
HUNTINGDON 23.0 544 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...LANCASTER COUNTY...
REINHOLDS 28.0 553 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
LITITZ 27.0 430 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
ELIZABETHTOWN 25.0 250 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
MARIETTA 23.0 351 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
2 W LANCASTER 22.5 500 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
WILLOW STREET 20.0 213 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...LEBANON COUNTY...
LEBANON 28.0 423 PM 1/23 PUBLIC
MYERSTOWN 27.0 417 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
JONESTOWN 22.5 537 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...MIFFLIN COUNTY...
LEWISTOWN 15.8 428 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY...
MOUNT CARMEL 21.0 543 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
8 E SUNBURY 17.5 302 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
NORTHUMBERLAND 10.5 459 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
1 N MILTON 5.0 605 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...PERRY COUNTY...
NEW BUFFALO 24.0 442 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
NEW BLOOMFIELD 23.0 341 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
5 E NEW BLOOMFIELD 21.0 215 PM 1/23 PUBLIC
...SCHUYLKILL COUNTY...
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN 24.0 535 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
CRESSONA 24.0 500 PM 1/23 PUBLIC
SHENANDOAH 20.0 336 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
GIRARDVILLE 18.0 412 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...SNYDER COUNTY...
SELINSGROVE 14.0 459 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...SOMERSET COUNTY...
SOMERSET 35.5 350 PM 1/23 CO-OP OBSERVER
CAIRNBROOK 32.3 437 PM 1/23 PUBLIC
...UNION COUNTY...
WINFIELD 15.0 555 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
KELLY CROSSROADS 7.0 537 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
...YORK COUNTY...
HANOVER 29.0 530 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
EAST YORK 28.0 315 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
YORKLYN 27.0 413 PM 1/23 EMERGENCY MNGR
DALLASTOWN 26.5 453 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
1 NW EAST YORK 26.5 433 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
SHREWSBURY 26.0 411 PM 1/23 TRAINED SPOTTER
YORK 25.0 539 PM 1/23 SOCIAL MEDIA
$$
Surface & Upper Air
Surface Analysis
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January 22nd 8:15 PM EDT: The Cyclone began its rapid evolution on the Carolina coasts. Courtesy: WPC's Surface Analysis Archive |
January 23rd 5:27 AM EDT: The cyclone worked its way North on the East coast. Courtesy: WPC's Surface Analysis Archive |
January 23rd 11:39 AM EDT: This is when mass accumulation of snow began in South Central PA. Note the occlusion that took place in the cyclone. Courtesy: WPC's Surface Analysis Archive |
Surface Wet Bulb Temperature (SWBT)
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1/22 7PM to 1/23 7PM EDT: Note the very prevalent cyclogenesis. The low pressure cyclone deepened dramatically as it moved North up the East coast. This is classic Nor'easter behavior. Surrounding isobars tightened up, allowing for the wind speeds that justified the blizzard title. Strong Northeasterly flow that punched moisture into regions of lower heights was the perfect formula for dense and wet snow. Courtesy: SPC Mesoanalysis Archive |
300mb Height, Divergence (purple contours), & Wind (barbs)
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1/22 7PM to 1/23 7PM EDT (6hr Intervals): Note the abundance of upper level divergence in the affected region throughout the majority of this event. Courtesy: SPC Mesoanalysis Archive |
Storm Details
Special Weather Statements (SPS)
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| 1/23/2016 9:15 AM EDT | 1/23/2016 12:30 PM EDT | 1/23/2016 3:45 PM EDT |
Mesoscale Discussions (MCD)
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MCD #57 Courtesy: NWS SPC |
MCD #59 Courtesy: NWS SPC |
MCD #60 Courtesy: NWS SPC |
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Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged! Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site. |
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