Winter Storm — Eastern Chester, Pennsylvania

2021-02-18 to 2021-02-19 · Eastern Chester, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

Heavy snow fell on the morning of the 18th as a band of snow with rates in excess of an inch per hour affected the area for several hours. Precipitation decreased in intensity and turned to light freezing rain and drizzle on the overnight of the 18th, before additional light snow fell on the 19th. A maximum storm total snowfall report of 10.2 inches was received from Malvern, with several other 6 to 9 inch reports. Trained spotters in both West Chester and near Exton reported 0.10 inches of ice accretion.

Wider weather episode

Weak low pressure passed offshore of the mid-Atlantic on February 18. Another weak, secondary wave of low pressure tracked along a similar path along a frontal zone trailing behind the primary low on the 19th. Strong high pressure over New England provided a cold air mass over the mid-Atlantic, leading to wintry precipitation as these areas of low pressure tracked offshore. The heaviest precipitation occurred with the primary wave on the 18th, with many areas seeing snow, some locally heavy, with a change to sleet and rain towards coastal areas. A narrow but intense band of precipitation provided a maximum in snowfall over portions of southeast Pennsylvania and central New Jersey. By the overnight of the 18th and into the 19th, precipitation became lighter, with a mix of light snow and light freezing rain or drizzle providing some additional accumulations and impacts. The system finally pulled away entirely by the late afternoon and evening of the 19th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 934914. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.