Winter Weather — Somerset, Pennsylvania

2025-12-31 · Somerset, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

Heavy snow began across Somerset County during the afternoon hours of December 31st and continued into the evening hours of January 1st. Light snow was mainly observed from December on December 31st, with two to three inches of snowfall. Upslope snowfall across the western ridges of Somerset County became heavier on January 1st, allowing for storm-total snowfall accumulations between 8 and 9 inches, with other portions of the county approaching 5 to 6 inches of snowfall.

Wider weather episode

Northwesterly flow behind a departing area of low pressure allowed for lake effect snowfall across portions of northwestern Pennsylvania beginning on December 29, 2025 and continuing through January 1, 2026. Ample moisture in place from Lake Erie and continued northwesterly flow allowed for a long-duration, but light snowfall between December 29th and December 31st before heavier lake effect snow ramped up on January 1st across Warren and McKean counties. As a potent cold front moved across the area on December 31st and into January 1st, winds began to shift westerly, allowing for heavy upslope snow showers across Somerset County to allow for snowfall beginning December 31st and into January 1st. No impacts were reported with the heavy lake effect and upslope snow.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1306184. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.