Is central PA’s ‘snow drought’ over? See how much State College got and what’s next
If Saturday’s winter storm felt like the first snow State College received in ages, you’re not far off.
Centre County observed a few inches of much-needed snow Saturday afternoon and evening, causing closures in the area, but offering ample opportunities for winter fun. More importantly, the storm ended what nearly became a year-long drought of measurable snow for the State College area.
With more winter weather already in the short-term forecast, here’s what you need to know about State College’s “snow drought.”
How much did it snow in Centre County?
Estimated totals from the National Weather Service suggest State College received roughly 5 inches of snow over the weekend.
Some other Centre County locales received slightly higher snowfall totals. Philipsburg, for example, reported roughly 5.7 inches of snow, while Snow Shoe settled in with about 5.3 inches. State College’s Park Forest Village neighborhood observed a slight uptick from the borough with 5.2 inches of reported snow.
(1/2)️The first winter storm of 2024 brought locally higher amounts of snowfall to the southern ridges, with multiple reports exceeding 8" by the end of the event. Snow mixing into rain across SE PA brought noticeably lower snowfall totals. #PAwx pic.twitter.com/2gPk2KWggs
— NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) January 7, 2024
The heaviest snowfall totals in came to Centre County’s south. Areas near McConnellsburg and Three Springs received upward of 8 inches of snow, the NWS reports. The agency says southeastern Pennsylvania’s snowfall totals tapered off as warmer temperatures turned some snow into rain.
Though a lack of snow persisted in central Pennsylvania for nearly a year, the area is not experiencing true drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Some areas in Pennsylvania, specifically the commonwealth’s northwestern and south-central counties, are categorized as “abnormally dry,” according to the agency’s latest map released Jan. 4.
Is State College’s snow drought over?
It sure seems so.
According to the local NWS office, Saturday’s storm marked the first time State College measured at least 1 inch of snow in 346 days.
That 345-day streak without at least 1 inch of measurable snow was the longest on record for State College, the NWS reports. The previous record (319 days) occurred twice — one streak from Feb. 20, 1979, to Jan. 4, 1980, and another streak from March 16, 2006, through Jan. 28, 2007.
This weekend’s storm helped alleviate similar snow droughts in other Pennsylvania locales. Harrisburg, for example, received about 3.3 inches of snow and ended a 345-day streak without more than a trace of snow. That stretch marked the largest stretch of snowless weather in Pennsylvania’s capital since NWS records began in 1888, the agency says.
State College is slowly working its way back toward normal levels of snow accumulation this winter season. The area has observed roughly 5.7 inches of measurable snowfall so far this season, falling well short of the 12.4 inches it observes in an average year by early January.
No season saw more snow between early November and early January than the 1995-96 season, which observed approximately 68.8 inches of measurable snowfall in State College during that span. The 2015-16 winter season set a record low for the roughly two-month span with no measurable snowfall.
Lighter snowfall totals could continue this season as El Niño, a notable climate pattern that can significantly affect weather by altering jet streams and climate systems, is expected to continue this winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. Much of the U.S., including Pennsylvania, can likely expect a warmer, drier winter with above-normal temperatures.
Central Pennsylvania is likely in store for a milder winter compared to average, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Bob Smerbeck told the Centre Daily Times in November.
What’s next for Centre County?
If this week’s forecast holds, more rain, snow and winter weather are on the way to the State College area.
Centre County could observe between 1 and 3 inches of snow starting around 10 a.m. Tuesday before precipitation transitions to heavy rain in the afternoon. Ice and freezing rain are not expected from Tuesday’s storm, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines told the Centre Daily Times.
The NWS issued a flood watch for much of Centre County in anticipation of Tuesday’s storm. Kines says delayed runoff and melting snow could elevate water levels in rivers and creeks, as well as low-lying areas.
“The combination of heavy rain and snow melt is probably going to raise the streams and creeks quite a bit,” Kines said Monday. “Yes, there’s certainly potential that there could be flooding.”
More snow and rain could be on deck for Friday, Kines added. AccuWeather’s current forecast projects snow and rain Friday afternoon before rain becomes heavier at night.
