Western Pa. Wakes Up To Flooding After Heavy Overnight Storms

A series of violent storms rumbled across Western Pennsylvania overnight, flooding roads and basements and knocking out power to thousands.

Thunderstorms flooded several areas along state routes 51, 30 and 119 and spurred a brief tornado scare in parts of Westmoreland and Allegheny counties — including a reported sighting of a funnel in Elizabeth Township.

Rihaan Gangat of the National Weather Service in Moon said there was no official verification of a tornado forming in the area as of late Sunday, although he did not dispute the legitimacy of a resident’s video, which showed a dark, wedge-shaped object.

“So far there haven’t been any reports of touchdowns out of that area,” Gangat said at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday. “We did have a tornado warning out for the first storm because rotation was definitely seen but, because we lost daylight, it’s hard to tell if anything reached the ground.”

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/8567781-74/flooding-township-119#ixzz3dAMvXbmk
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Friday To Feel Like Siberia In Lancaster County, But Saturday Snowstorm Now Not Looking As Serious Here

Some of the coldest Siberian-like air of the winter is going to be hovering over Lancaster County for the next 24 hours.

The expected low Friday morning should be around -2 degrees, which could equal the coldest temperature of the year so far.

And it will feel even colder, as the wind chill should make it feel like minus-20 or even colder.

But there’s good news: This weekend’s anticipated snowfall is now looking a little less severe than first feared, Millersville University meteorologist Eric Horst said midday Thursday.

Read more:

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/update-friday-to-feel-like-siberia-in-lancaster-county-but/article_a4a72b96-b79f-11e4-b48d-23021d11af71.html

Montgomery County “Code Blue” Cold Weather Declaration

Norristown, PA – The Montgomery County Commissioners, on the advice of the
Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, have declared a Code Blue Cold Weather Emergency
for Montgomery County based on a review of forecasts from the National Weather Service.

The Code Blue Declaration has been issued for Montgomery County for the period beginning at
6:00PM on Thursday, February 12, 2015 until 12:00PM on Tuesday, February 17, 2015.

A Code Blue Cold Weather Declaration is made in Montgomery County when winter conditions pose a
threat of serious harm or death to individuals without shelter.  A Code Blue is called when the
combination of air temperature and wind chill is anticipated to be 20ºF or less.

For general cold weather information, check the Montgomery County Health Department website:
http://www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?nid=572.

Winter Storm Puts Northeast Pa. In Crosshairs

There will be snow and rain and everything in between.

The big unknown is how much of each.

Northeast Pennsylvania is under a winter storm warning through Thursday morning as a system developing along the mid-Atlantic coast pushes inland today with the potential for significant snow, sleet and freezing rain.

The National Weather Service said total snow accumulations could hit eight to 12 inches, with the higher amounts in the higher terrain and less in the valleys.

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/winter-storm-puts-northeast-pa-in-crosshairs-1.1799879

Let It Snow – A Buffalo “Frozen” Parody

Tornado Confirmed Near New Albany: Over 1,000 Customers Remained Without Power Wednesday

Map of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, USA with township and municipal bondaries. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down near New Albany Tuesday evening.

Tuesday’s storms blew a mobile home on Marsh Road off its foundation, collapsed a barn across the street, knocked down trees and power lines in several areas and caused the loss of power to thousands of electric customers, over 1,000 of whom were still without power Wednesday.

Downed trees and other storm damage was also reported in Overton Township, in the Wyalusing area and in Sullivan County.

A National Weather Service storm survey team confirmed Wednesday that a tornado occurred Tuesday in the New Albany area with damage of EF-1 magnitude, according to the NWS at Binghamton, N.Y. An EF-1 tornado has wind speeds of 86 to 110 miles per hour.

Read more: http://thedailyreview.com/news/tornado-confirmed-near-new-albany-over-1-000-customers-remained-without-power-wednesday-1.1716593

Nor’easter Gone, More Snow On Way

The nor’easter that crippled the region yesterday dumped more than 20 inches in parts of Chester County, according to newly revised figures – and a bit more could be on the way for the entire Philadelphia region.

The official National Weather Service reading at the Philadelphia International Airport was 11.5 inches of snow. But totals varied with Birdsboro, Berks County, recording 20 inches, and Allentown, Lehigh County, with 18.8 inches – good news for skiers on a long President’s Day weekend. Closer to the city, West Caln, Chester County recorded 18.7 inches.

New Jersey saw higher amounts farther north, with Florence, Burlington County, seeing 12.7 inches and Washington Township, Gloucester County, seeing 12.7 inches. The shore was largely spared snow.

See storm totals for your area here.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Noreaster_gone_leaves_big_headache.html#OxeMvtAK9VEwllXD.99

Tonight: Storm Is Strike 2; 3rd Hit Forecast For Weekend

The logo of the United States National Weather Service. The source page states that is not an “official” version but it looks very close to the version used on NWS’s website. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The nine inches of snow that fell across the region Monday was just the first part of a three-part recipe for winter misery that may well last through the weekend.

If forecasters are right, you’ll wake up to three-to-six inches of snow that is forecast to fall overnight.

That forecast also calls for the snow to have been subsequently blended with sleet and topped off with an icing of ice and freezing rain.

Specifically, the area may get a quarter- to half-inch of ice from freezing rain throughout Wednesday morning, likely lasting until early afternoon, according to the National Weather Service forecasts.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140204/tonight-storm-is-strike-2-3rd-hit-forecast-for-weekend

Snowstorm Leads To Closures, Traffic Accidents Throughout Berks

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

That darn groundhog.

Within 24 hours of forecasting six more weeks of winter, large dense snowflakes began falling in Berks County early Monday, and the storm continued to drop about an inch an hour before tapering off to flurries about 2:30 p.m.

Blame Phil if you were stuck in traffic behind one of the numerous crashes that occurred through the day or lost power from outages, but remember he wasn’t the only messenger.

Forecasters at AccuWeather, near State college, predicted this storm would bring wet, heavy snow that would affect the morning commute, and did it ever. By 11 a.m., with temperatures hovering around 32 degrees, at least a half a foot of snow had fallen in Berks County.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/news/article/snowstorm-leads-to-closures-traffic-accidents-throughout-berks#.UvA5BvRDsxI

Bolaris: Snow Amounts Climbing A Bit

Snow has been falling at rates of 1-2 inches per hour, with some places, such as northern Chester County counting 7 inches as of 11 a.m., and Horsham and Worcester in Montgomery County and West Rockhill Township in Bucks County, counting 6 inches.

Some places in Lehigh Valley are reporting 6 inches, as well.

Closer to the City of Philadelphia, Brookhaven in Delaware County, near the airport, was reporting 3.5 inches as of 10:30 a.m.

Just across the river, as of 11:15 a.m., the rain-snow line has halted, and actually in Haddonfield has changed back to some rain and sleet as that line oscillates around 10 miles south and east of the city.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Bolaris_Snow_amounts_looking_like_4-8_inches.html#4O5Kac2dYdbyZwqk.99

January Could End Up As One Of The Coldest Months In Recent Memory

The mercury hasn’t hit bottom yet.

January ranks as one of the most bitingly cold months Western Pennsylvanians can remember, though certainly not a record. A cold snap early in the month made the temperature plummet to 9 below zero near Pittsburgh International Airport with a wind chill that felt like 30 below.

State College-based AccuWeather predicts a low of 10 below zero on Tuesday as part of the latest bone-chilling cold spell, one that will extend through at least Jan. 31.

“We’ve been selling a lot of winter tires. People who have decided to try and wait to see how the winter goes, I think finally pulled the trigger,” said Nick Lenhart, manager of Lenhart’s Service Center in North Huntingdon. “They realized it’s not just going to be a one and done.”

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/5469509-74/cold-january-weather#ixzz2rKwZi8jZ
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Bolaris: Old Man Winter To Drop Bombogenesis

BOMBOGENESIS (a rapidly intensifying storm) will take place Tuesday afternoon off the Virginia coast.

Computer models had an extreme reversal on the intensity and track of this storm over the last 24-36 hours, and that’s why snow amounts were jacked up Monday as computer models came late to the snow party.

Hinting started to take place late Sunday as my forecast called for a significant storm for some with 4+ inches of snow possible across parts of New Jersey. But a big uptick in moisture being fed into the storm combined with a piece of the polar vortex sending another package of severe cold. This time, it gets pulled into the storm’s circulation leading to rapid intensification and high snow ratios.

Normally we receive a 10-1 ratio, with one inch of liquid equaling 10 inches of snow, but in this case we have an overall ratio of 13-1, to as much as 15-1, meaning more snow with less liquid.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Bolaris_Old_Man_Winter_to_drop_a_bombogenesis.html#3R4LGxSgscHmB4Od.99

Snow Causes Accidents, School Cancellations

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(UPDATED 10:45 a.m.) An Atlantic Clipper snowstorm traveling across the East Coast Tuesday could drop up to 9 inches of snow in some areas, causing some schools to close and others to institute early dismissal.

Boyertown, Daniel Boone, Owen J. Roberts and the Spring-Ford School District all cancelled classes and all afterschool activities.

Pottstown, Phoenixville, Upper Perkiomen, and the Pottsgrove school districts were all dismissing students early as the snowstorm was expected to worsen in the afternoon.

Collegeville, East Greenville, Spring City Borough, Lower Pottsgrove, and Upper Pottsgrove townships declared snow emergencies Tuesday morning. The snow emergency in Spring City was declared for 9 a.m. and will be in place until noon Wednesday.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140121/updated-snow-causes-accidents-school-cancellations

Parking In Downtown Pottstown – Snow Rules Reminder

PLEASE REMEMBER SNOW RULES IF YOU ARE PARKING ON HIGH STREET IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS.

Parking areas should be left free of cars along High Street WHEN THE STORM ENDS – we do all we can to clear those areas, quickly and efficiently.

Any questions, feel free to contact Sheila Dugan at 484-948-6061. PLEASE USE THE LOTS AVAILABLE. Thank you in advance!

PS. Don’t forget to warm up this Saturday at The Soup Bowl Fund Raiser – www.ARTFusion19464.0rg

Bolaris: Sunday Storm, Then More Bitter Cold

The next storm will arrive later in the day Sunday. It might start as a mix, but then go all liquid on Sunday night. Northwest of Philadelphia, you could see a prolonged period of a wintry mix.

In the wake of that storm, another bitterly cold airmass will invade the region on Monday and Tuesday, and temperatures on Tuesday might actually turn out COLDER than today with highs of 10-15 degrees.

However, I will leave you with some good news. We could see milder temperatures by mid-January as the January thaw tries to kick in.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Bolaris_Sunday_storm_then_more_bitter_cold.html#MxoeSqhqEx60peK6.99

Winter Storm Brings 2 Feet Of Snow, Kills At Least 9

BOSTON — A storm dropped a blanket of light, powdery snow across the Northeast and ushered in frigid temperatures Friday that were unusual even for cities accustomed to blasts of winter weather. The storm, which shut down major highways temporarily and grounded flights, was blamed for at least nine deaths in the eastern half of the country.

The nor’easter was accompanied by plummeting temperatures that on Friday morning reached 8 degrees below zero in Burlington, Vt., with a wind chill of 29 below and 2 degrees in Boston, with a wind chill of minus 20. It dumped 23 inches of snow in Boxford, Mass., and 18 inches in parts of western New York near Rochester. Thirteen inches of snow fell in Boston, while Lakewood, N.J., got 10 inches and New York City’s Central Park got 6.

On a mostly empty Main Street in Concord, N.H., Kathy Woodfin hustled to work, a tall iced coffee turning to caramel-colored slush in her left hand. It was 7 degrees at 9 a.m. and the wind zipping through alleyways blew a fine, stinging snow in her face.

“I just run from heated car to heated building,” the New Hampshire native said. “It’s just like down South, where they run from air conditioned car to air conditioned building.”

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140103/winter-storm-brings-2-feet-of-snow-kills-at-least-9

Digging Out As High, Frigid Winds Settle In

The snow came as forecast Thursday, walloping the area with five to seven inches through the evening and overnight, closing area schools and reducing travel to a crawl on area roads.

PennDOT worked through the night, clearing highways across Pennsylvania as the first winter storm of 2014 ushered in frigid temperatures and strong, bone-chilling winds.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140103/digging-out-as-high-frigid-winds-settle-in

Expect Heavy Snow But Not Blizzard In Lehigh Valley, Northwest New Jersey, Experts Say

A snowstorm headed toward the Lehigh Valley will likely fall short of becoming a blizzard locally, but meteorologists are expecting heavy snow to arrive Thursday evening and Friday morning.

The National Weather Service is putting out a winter storm warning for Lehigh, Northampton and Warren counties. The three counties under the warning could face 6 to 10 inches of snow and wind gusts ranging from 15 to 25 miles an hour, according to the weather service.

Snow is expected to start around 1 p.m. in the three counties, according to the service.

The same report placed Hunterdon County under a winter storm watch, saying it could see 3 to 7 inches of snow beginning around 2 p.m.

Read more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2014/01/reports_project_between_4_to_1.html

Montgomery County Declares Code Blue Due To Cold

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORRISTOWN, PA – Color Montgomery County blue once again. Code blue, that is.

County commissioners heeded the advice of the Department of Public Safety and have declared a Code Blue Weather Emergency that will run until 9 a.m. on Monday.

A Code Blue Weather Emergency is when there is “extreme, life-threatening weather, defined as a windchill factor of 20 degrees or below,” the county’s website says.

The declaration triggers expanded social services for people, such as homeless adults and families, who are more vulnerable to the frigid weather.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20140102_Montgomery_County_declares_Code_blue_due_to_cold.html#8oUEGxXZ6PUebMrR.99

Three Different Weather Services, Three Different Snowfall Forecasts

Three different weather services are predicting three different snowfall totals, making it difficult to forecast how much accumulation we will get when a storm hits Thursday in time for the afternoon commute.

Accuweather is offering the most conservative estimate, predicting 2 to 4 inches of the white stuff from the time the storm begins around 3 p.m. and ends about 12 hours later early Friday morning.

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J., the regional headquarters of the government weather forecasting agency, at 5 p.m., was predicting 6 to 8 inches.

Finally, the Eastern PA Weather Authority, weighed in with a 6- to 10-inch snowstorm.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article/20140101/NEWS/301019943#.UsWpy_RDsxI