Winter Weather — Lehigh, Pennsylvania

1999-01-08 to 1999-01-09 · Lehigh, Pennsylvania

Wider weather episode

A low pressure system developed over Texas during the morning of the 8th. A broad southwest flow of air preceding it overran a frontal boundary over the central Appalachians and spread snow into the region the morning of the 8th. Enough warm air moved in aloft to change the snow to sleet and freezing rain. Since the low pressure system tracked across western Pennsylvania, the onshore flow brought in milder air into the eastern part of the state and changed the freezing rain to plain rain. The freezing rain lasted the longest in the valleys of the northwest Philadelphia suburbs as well as in Berks County and the Lehigh Valley. The change to plain rain occurred during the early morning hours of the 9th and all locations were above freezing by 9 a.m. EST. Snow began around 6 a.m. EST on the 8th in Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia Counties, spread northeast and reached the Poconos by around 10 a.m. EST. Sleet started to mix in with the snow around 1 pm. EST in and around Philadelphia and precipitation changed over to freezing rain around 4 p.m. EST. The mixing with sleet and changing to freezing rain took longer farther north and west in Pennsylvania and occurred mainly during the evening hours. The change to plain rain occurred between 3 a.m. EST and 7 a.m. EST in most areas and occurred last in the valleys. Accumulations averaged between 2 and 5 inches with some higher amounts in the Poconos. Ice accretions were generally one-tenth of an inch or less, except around one quarter of an inch in the Poconos.The wintry precipitation occurred on a Friday day and led to numerous accidents. In Berks County icy conditions and accidents forced numerous road closures in Brechnock and Greenwich Townships including Interstate 78. In Brechnock Township, Pennsylvania State Route 568 was closed twice as vehicles became stuck on a hill. Schools were dismissed around noon. In the Lehigh Valley on the night of the 8th a truck driver was seriously injured after the truck crashed through a guardrail heading west on the Interstate 78 bridge over the Delaware River and plunged over 100 feet. Several vehicles drove into trees in Allentown. On the morning of the 9th a 66-year-old Emmaus woman froze to death in her unheated home. Around the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area over a thousand accidents occurred. Hundreds of minor accidents occurred in Montgomery and Bucks Counties alone. Two thousand people lost power after a Ford Aerostar slid into a pole. Many school districts dismissed their children early. In Chester County, government offices and businesses sent their employees home early. Snow emergencies were declared in three Montgomery County municipalities. From 9 p.m. EST until Midnight (while freezing rain was occurring) EST two multi-vehicle accidents shut down Interstate 95 from the Commodore Barry bridge to the Delaware State line. Numerous accidents also occurred on the Schuylkill Expressway, U.S. Route 202, the Blue Route and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In Delaware County, two 70-year-old men died of heart attacks after shoveling the snow. Accumulations included 6 inches in Long Pond (Monroe County), 4 inches in Spring City (Chester County) and Clifton Heights (Delaware County), 3.5 inches in Broomall (Delaware County), Wynnewood (Montgomery County), West Chester (Chester County) and Fricks and Neshaminy Falls (Bucks County), 3 inches in Vinemont (Berks County), Philadelphia, Perkasie (Bucks County), Lehighton (Carbon County) and Upper Macungie Township (Lehigh County) and 2.5 inches in Bath (Northampton County) and Lincoln Park (Berks County).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5684789. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.