Three-Day Storm Was Southeastern PA's Biggest In 5 Years

Norristown PA

03 February, 2021

5:45 PM

Description

SOUTHEASTERN PA — When all was said and done, a lingering and persistent snowstorm delivered three days of accumulation to the greater Philadelphia area, leaving behind the largest totals the region has seen in years. Not since the winter of 2016 has more snow fallen than the past few days. A storm in late Jan. 2016 dumped more than 19 inches in Philadelphia and even greater amounts in the suburbs. The totals over the past several days ranged from nearly two feet in many parts of the immediate suburbs, to nearly a foot in Philadelphia, according to the National Weather Service. Quakertown got 22 inches, Ambler got 15, Valley Forge saw 14.7, East Vincent Township got 13.5, and Upper Darby and Villanova got 9. Multiple parts of Philadelphia itself recorded between 9 and 10 inches, including 10 in Fox Chase, 9 in Manayunk. The airport measured less, at 8.1. Meanwhile, not since 2003 has the area received more than an inch per day for three straight days, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report. Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield put the storm in the context of recent severe and unusual weather patterns, comparing it last summer's flooding, like Tropical Storm Isaias. "That can very quickly overcome local resources, and create challenges," Padfield said. Climate change impacts are associated with more frequent and more intense weather events, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And as officials noted, unusual weather patterns are becoming quite usual for the region. The greater Philadelphia area and many other parts of the state are coming off a winter just a year ago in which nearly no snow accumulated. Historical weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that this storm still fell well short of the all-time high, which many residents remember now in legend as the Blizzard of '96. The largest ever one-day snowfall was 24 inches on Jan. 8, 1996. In Pennsylvania as a whole, the record goes to Wayne County, when it snowed 41 inches on Feb. 6, 1958. That compares to records in neighboring counties: Chester County, 35.3 inches: Feb. 13, 1899Montgomery County, 30 inches: Jan. 8, 1996Delaware County, 27.6 inches: Jan. 7, 1996Bucks County, 22 inches: Feb. 12, 1983 With reporting from Patch correspondent Max Bennett Be the first to know what's happening in your town and area. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss a minute of local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe