Heavy Snow — Somerset, Pennsylvania

2025-01-06 · Somerset, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

A winter storm produced 5 to 7 inches of snow across Somerset County with localized amounts of 11 inches across the higher elevations of Somerset County from the early morning hours and throughout the day of January 7, 2025.

Wider weather episode

Surface low pressure stationed south of Pennsylvania gradually progressed east during the day on January 6, 2025 with enhanced upper flow allowing for a significant surge of moisture into the area. Snowfall began during the early morning hours across the Laurel Highlands with precipitation struggling to make it further east until after sunrise, with the bulk of snowfall being limited to the southern tier where ample moisture was collocated with the best frontogenetic forcing. Enhanced westerly flow behind the shortwave was optimal for orographically induced snowfall to continue across Somerset and Cambria Counties into the late evening hours. The heaviest snowfall from this event was located across Somerset County, where upslope locations received up to 11 inches of snowfall with much of the county receiving between 5 to 7 inches of snowfall. Further east, observations ranged between 2 to 4 inches of snowfall across much of the southern tier of Pennsylvania.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1224207. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.