Latest storm adds to ‘impressive’ winter season in Centre County. How much snow fell?
More than a foot of snow fell between Sunday and Tuesday in State College, marking only the ninth time in history and first time since 1995-96 that Happy Valley had at least two 12-inch storms in a season.
Four of the nine winter seasons with multiple storms of at least one foot have been reported since 1992-93. Weather records date back to 1893.
“Generally speaking, for the State College area to get multiple six-inch storms is somewhat of a rarity,” National Weather Service State College lead meteorologist Matt Steinbugl said Tuesday. “But to get two 12-inch storms is even more impressive.”
The top of Centre Hall mountain received 15 inches of snow from the lumbering nor’easter as of 11 p.m. Monday, the most in Centre County.
That was followed by Zion (13.3 inches), State College (12.5 inches), Port Matilda and Pine Grove Mills (11.8 inches), Boalsburg (11 inches), Philipsburg (10 inches) and Bellefonte (9.8 inches), according to the NWS.
State College’s total matched the borough’s average January snowfall amount, according to NWS data.
About 28.8 inches of snow fell between November and January in State College. The borough’s average through January is 22.9 inches.
“This was kind of a boring storm,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines said. “The snow never really went to town, so to speak. We really didn’t get the real heavy, heavy snow. It just snowed for so long that it just gradually built up.”
About five inches of snow has already been added to February’s tally, the second snowiest month of the year. More could be on the way Sunday.
Both meteorologists refrained from offering snowfall totals for the potential weekend storm, though Kines said weather patterns “favor a storm in the northeast.”
There is more certainty, however, that Monday and Tuesday could be frigid. High temperatures are expected to be in the mid- to-upper teens, and the wind chill could be below zero.
“It does look like a pretty significant shot of cold air is coming down into us by early next week,” Steinbugl said. “... Temperatures have been pretty mild, but this could be one of the colder days of the year.”
This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 12:28 PM.