Lake-Effect Snow — Crawford, Pennsylvania

2024-12-05 to 2024-12-06 · Crawford, 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 initial window of impactful snow and blowing snow occurred through the mid-morning hours on the 5th with significant impacts to the morning commute. 30 to 40 MPH wind gusts combined with moderate to heavy falling snow and tumbling temperatures to lead to significantly reduced visibility and very difficult travel conditions. Many local schools closed for the day. After a relative lull during the late morning and into the afternoon hours, additional lake effect snow bands developed late in the afternoon, persisting into the nighttime hours. Snow gradually lost organization and intensity through the early morning hours of the 6th, with snow showers producing generally light accumulation continuing through the 6th. Selected reports from trained spotters include 20.7 inches in Venango Township, 17.8 inches in Cochranton and 16.4 inches near Meadville. A Cooperative Observer in Titusville measured 14.8 inches of snow, with a CoCoRaHS observer in Conneaut Lake reporting 11.1 inches.

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 1260159. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.