Lake-Effect Snow — Crawford, Pennsylvania

2024-12-01 to 2024-12-03 · Crawford, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

After a break in the lake effect November 30th into December 1st, lake effect returned by the evening hours on December 1st as winds shifted out of the west-northwest, directing lake effect bands back into northern portions of Crawford County. Lake effect snow, heavy at times with rates in excess of 1 inch per hour within bands, continued through the early evening on December 3rd. This led to periods of reduced visibility and snow-covered roads, which impacted travel conditions, especially across northern portions of the county. A trained spotter in Venango Township reported 22.8 inches of snow from December 1st through 3rd, with 9.2 inches in Athens Township. This pushed 5-day snowfall totals from November 28th through December 3rd to 38 inches in Venango Township and 14.1 inches in Athens Township. Amounts quickly dropped off farther south across the county.

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 1260142. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.