Lake-Effect Snow — Northern Erie, Pennsylvania

2024-12-05 · Northern Erie, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

An arctic cold front blasted through Northwest Pennsylvania during the early morning hours of December 5th, accompanied by a band of moderate to heavy snow showers and gusty winds up to 40 MPH. Lake effect snow quickly developed into the morning of the 5th as winds shifted more northwesterly and temperatures fell into the 20s behind this front. The main window of impactful snow and blowing snow occurred through the mid-morning hours on the 5th with significant impacts to the morning commute. During the commute, 40 to 50 MPH wind gusts were common with a peak gust of 55 MPH measured at Erie International Airport. This, combined with moderate to heavy falling snow and tumbling temperatures lead to a period of near-blizzard conditions with very low visibility and extensive drifting snow. Travel was very difficult. Many local schools and businesses closed for the day, and numerous reports, pictures, and videos from local media, the public, and storm chasers showed whiteout conditions and snow-covered roads, with accidents and snowbound vehicles reported. After a lull during the late morning and early afternoon hours, some additional lake effect snow showers returned through the afternoon and into the evening of December 5th. Snow became lighter and more intermittent through the night, with some lingering snow showers on December 6th that did not reach heavy snow criteria. The heaviest snow fell inland from Lake Erie, with the strong winds further hampering measurement efforts. Snow amounts were marginal, with spotter reports ranging from 4.3 inches at Erie International Airport to 4 inches in Erie and Harborcreek, 3.8 inches in Northwest Harborcreek and 3 inches in Girard. While amounts of new snow were only a few inches, the extensive pre-existing snow pack and strong winds, along with timing during the morning commute, led to a period of high-impact winter weather. Some additional roof collapses were noted as new snow and strong winds combined with a heavy pre-existing snowpack.

Wider weather episode

An arctic cold front blasted through Northwest Pennsylvania during the early morning hours of December 5th, accompanied by a band of moderate to heavy snow showers and gusty winds up to 40 MPH. Lake effect snow quickly developed into the morning of the 5th as winds shifted more northwesterly and temperatures fell through the 20s behind this front. An initial burst of lake effect snow occurred during the early to mid-morning hours on the 5th, with rates up to 1 inch per hour and 35 to 45 MPH wind gusts common, with up to 55 MPH near Lake Erie. This led to significant impacts to the morning commute, with many local school districts and businesses closing for the day and whiteout conditions and drifting snow reported. After a lull, lake effect snow turned moderate to heavy again during the afternoon and evening hours, leading to impacts to the evening commute. The lake effect snow gradually became less intense and more disorganized by early in the morning on December 6th as winds also subsided significantly. The peak snowfall from this event was 29 inches, measured by a trained spotter in Union City. A CoCoRaHS observer in Corry measured 26.3 inches. Selected spotter reports include 20.7 inches in Venango Township, 17.9 inches in Edinboro, 17.8 inches in Cochranton, and 16.4 inches in Meadville.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1260154. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.