Ice Storm — Northern Centre, Pennsylvania

2013-11-26 to 2013-11-27 · Northern Centre, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

Snow changed to freezing rain during the afternoon on the 26th and resulted in significant winter weather impacts during the pre-Thanksgiving holiday travel. These included multiple vehicle accidents, road closures, downed trees/wires and power outages. A prolonged period of freezing rain produced ice accumulations between 0.25 and 0.50 inch by nightfall.

Wider weather episode

The first significant winter storm of the 2013-2014 winter season brought a mixed bag of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain to central Pennsylvania, just in time to adversely impact the pre-Thanksgiving travel. A strengthening low pressure area over the southeast states on 11/26 moved northeast across NJ on 11/27. Snow spread into the area rather quickly after midnight on the 26th with light accumulations over the southwest and central areas by mid-day. As warmer air moved in aloft, the snow changed to sleet and freezing rain during the afternoon with freezing rain and rain continuing across much of the area overnight. A transition back to snow was observed later on the 27th before the wintry precipitation ended. Snow accumulations were variable from 1 to 5 inches over central and south-central mountains to in excess of 6 inches in Warren County. Significant icing due to a prolonged period of freezing rain was measured over central and southwest areas with ice accumulations between 0.25 and 0.50 inch. After a relatively brief period of mixed wintry precipitation early in the day on the 26th, eastern areas such as the lower Susquehanna valley picked up between 1.5 to 2 inches of rain from the event. The adverse weather caused hazardous and even dangerous driving conditions across much of the area, resulting in numerous vehicle accidents. The pre-Thanksgiving increase in travel activity was a significant concern. The heavy icing caused trees and limbs to fall bringing down wires and sponsoring power outages. Many schools were closed over the central and western areas on 11/26.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 479190. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.