Winter Weather — Berks, Pennsylvania

2009-01-19 · Berks, Pennsylvania

Wider weather episode

A couple of upper-level disturbances moved near the area on the 19th. One clipped the New Jersey coast with a period of mainly light snow, however a secondary one, which was tied to a main disturbance in the eastern Great Lakes, produced an area of moderate to locally heavy snow across portions of eastern Pennsylvania. The enhanced snowfall rates along with temperatures below freezing, produced very slippery conditions. The snow tapered off from southwest to northeast during the early evening hours of the 19th.

Dozen of people were left stranded for several hours during the night of the 19th in the Hamburg Field House (Berks County) following a multivehicle accident on Interstate 78 between the Lenhartsville and Hamburg Exits, which forced State Police to close a 17-mile stretch of the highway for about six hours. No serious injuries were reported in the crash, which occurred just after 4:00 PM EST on the 19th when a tractor-trailer jackknifed on the icy roadway. It was reported that vehicles struck the tractor-trailer, concrete median and one another. Some crashed and flipped, then landed on top of other vehicles. A total of 23 vehicles were involved in the chain-reaction crash. The highway was reopened at 9:45 PM EST on the 19th. A five-car accident occurred moments earlier in the westbound lanes and may have led the unidentified trucker to brake, potentially setting off the chain-reaction crash.

Some snowfall totals included; 5.0 inches in Towamencin (Montgomery County), 4.5 inches in Phoenixville (Chester County), 4.3 inches in Eagleville (Montgomery County), 3.5 inches in East Nantmeal Township (Chester County), 3.5 inches in Lansdale (Montgomery County), 3.2 inches in Downingtown (Chester County), 2.8 inches in Furlong (Bucks County), 2.0 inches in Bernville (Berks County), 1.7 inches in Williamsport (Northampton County), 1.4 inches in Somerton (Philadelphia County), 1.4 inches 1.3 miles southeast of Rockledge (Philadelphia County), 1.2 inches at the Lehigh Valley International Airport (Lehigh County), 1.1 inches in Fleetwood (Berks County), 1.1 inches in Drexel Hill (Delaware County) and 0.8 inches at the Philadelphia International Airport (Philadelphia County).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 149323. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.