Winter Weather — Southern Centre, Pennsylvania

2025-11-28 · Southern Centre, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

SNOW SQUALL. A snow squall impacted Interstate 99 near the NWS Office in State College where heavy snow, gusty winds, and near-zero visibilities occurred within the snow squall. A multi-vehicle pileup was observed on the northbound lane of Interstate 99 during the squall, closing the roadway for over an hour. Multiple first responders and spotters noted ice-covered roadways as the squall moved through the area.

Wider weather episode

A potent area of low pressure across the northern Great Lakes tracking into southern Canada allowed for enhanced westerly flow to begin during the early morning hours of November 27, 2025. This westerly flow promoted lake effect snow to occur across northwestern Pennsylvania during the early morning hours that continued throughout the day. The cold front associated with this area of low pressure tracked across the region during the morning and afternoon hours of November 28th, with ample instability and lift allowing for snow squalls to form across western Pennsylvania before moving into slightly more stable air and lowering the snow squall threat across south-central and eastern Pennsylvania. Visibilities within snow squalls were near-zero with multiple accidents observed due to icy road conditions as roadway temperatures above freezing dropped below freezing. Cold temperatures in the wake of the cold front allowed for continued icy roadways across Clearfield County, where multiple additional accidents were observed. Westerly flow in the wake of the cold front allowed for continued lake effect snow showers through the early morning hours of November 29th, when flow shifted more southwesterly, pushing lake effect snow into New York State.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1298082. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.