The Dog Days of Winter

 

Since the year has started, State College has seen a winter unlike those in recent years’ past. The month of January ended about three degrees below climatological average, which was the first month below average since 2022. Though much of the commonwealth lacked appreciable precipitation, Mother Nature has helped subside the deficit in the form of several winter storms in a sequence of many coming our way. The first winter storm arrived on Saturday, where overrunning warm air aloft created an environment prone to accumulating sleet and freezing rain. State College received 1.2″ of sleet, and locations within the Laurel Highlands topped out around a half an inch of freezing rain, which can be considered very impactful to travel.

Today, nature has hosted her first “intermission” of this busy winter pattern. Skies across the commonwealth are mainly blue with fair weather cumulus abound. Temperatures across the area begun below freezing for all, though as the day goes on much of the commonwealth will eclipse the 32 degree freezing threshold. While seasonable, temperatures will be kept down overnight due to the lingering snow (or even sleet) pack and clear skies in the evening.

Tomorrow, all of Pennsylvania will wake up to grey skies in preparation of a low pressure system moving through the Mid-Atlantic. Current model projections have the center of the storm staying South, which could lead to enhanced snow totals near the Mason-Dixon Line but the chance of no snow at all closer to the New York border. Unlike the last storm, all precipitation will remain snow. For these reasons, winter storm watches have been posted throughout Maryland, and Winter Weather Advisories are likely to be posted throughout Southern Pennsylvania as the storm grows closer. After this storm, our next chance for accumulating snowfall will arrive on Wednesday night.