Strong Wind — Delaware, Pennsylvania

2015-02-02 · Delaware, Pennsylvania

Wider weather episode

Strong, gusty northwest winds occurred in the wake of a departing and intensifying low pressure system during the late afternoon and early evening on the 2nd in Eastern Pennsylvania. One motorist was killed by a downed tree in Delaware County. Peak wind gusts average around 50 mph and knocked down weak trees, tree limbs and wires. Power outages occurred. This was further exacerbated by snow and ice on tree limbs. In Chester County alone, about 8,000 homes and businesses lost power.

A 54-year-old man was killed in Radnor Township (Delaware County) driving along Sproul Road when a falling tree crushed and compressed the roof into the vehicle's passenger compartment. The vehicle before stopping struck another vehicle, but the occupants of the other vehicle were not hurt. Peak winds included 53 mph in Lenhartsville (Berks County), 48 mph at Northeast Philadelphia Airport, 47 mph in Mount Pocono (Monroe County), 46 mph at the Philadelphia International Airport, Reading (Berks County) and Doylestown (Bucks County) and 45 mph at the Lehigh Valley international Airport.

The strong winds occurred as a low pressure system south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts started to intensify more rapidly as it moved northeast on the evening of the 2nd. This increased the pressure gradient (difference) between it and an approaching high pressure system from the central Mississippi Valley. As the low pressure system approached the Canadian Maritimes during the second half of that evening, the pressure gradient weakened and winds started to slowly decrease.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 556469. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.