Lake-Effect Snow — Northern Erie, Pennsylvania

2024-12-01 to 2024-12-02 · Northern Erie, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

After a brief break in the lake effect during much of the day and into the night of November 30th, lake effect returned by early in the morning December 1st as winds shifted out of the west-northwest, directing lake effect bands back onshore across Erie County. Lake effect snow, heavy at times with rates in excess of 1 inch per hour within bands, continued into early December 2nd. Lighter and less organized lake effect continued at times through the rest of December 2nd and 3rd, though this snow did not reach heavy snow criteria. On top of the already significant impacts felt from the lake effect that occurred at the end of November, this additional snowfall prolonged snow removal and general recovery efforts, while also leading to additional damage caused by the weight of the snow on structures, with additional roof collapses reported as snow continued to add up the first days of December. A trained spotter in North East reported 12 inches of snow December 1st into the 2nd. Other select spotter reports include 10 inches in Northwest Harborcreek and 9 inches in Erie. Erie International Airport reported 6 inches of snow. This pushed 5-day snowfall totals, including the first lake effect event that began on November 28th and some lingering activity through December 3rd, to over 5 feet in parts of Erie County. Selected 5-day totals include: 63.8 inches in Girard, 59.7 inches in North East Township, 55.2 inches in Northwest Harborcreek and 50 inches in Erie. Erie International Airport measured 49.4 inches of snow between November 28th and December 3rd.

Wider weather episode

After a brief break in the lake effect during much of the day and into the night of November 30th, lake effect returned by early in the morning December 1st as winds shifted out of the west-northwest, directing lake effect bands back onshore across Northwest Pennsylvania. Lake effect snow, heavy at times with rates in excess of 1 inch per hour within bands, continued through December 3rd. On top of the already significant impacts felt from the lake effect that occurred at the end of November, this additional snowfall prolonged snow removal and general recovery efforts, while also leading to additional damage caused by the weight of snow structures, with additional roof collapses reported as snow continued to add up the first days of December. A trained spotter in Edinboro reported an additional 25.5 inches of snow with this second portion of the prolonged lake effect event. Other select spotter reports include: 24.8 inches in Greenfield Township, 22.8 inches in Venango Township, and 16.6 inches in North East Township. This pushed 5-day snowfall totals, including the first lake effect event that began on November 28th and some lingering activity through December 3rd, to over 5 feet in parts of Erie County. Selected 5-day totals include: 63.8 inches in Girard, 61 inches in Greenfield Township, 59.7 inches in North East Township, 50 inches in Erie, 45.5 inches in Edinboro, and 38 inches in Venango Township.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1260140. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.