WINTER STORM SUMMARY FOR
DECEMBER 08, 2013 TO DECEMBER 9, 2013 EVENT

Synopsis

A complex low pressure system moved into the Lower Great Lakes Region during the night of Sunday December 8th. A wave of low pressure developed along an old frontal boundary to the south of our area and moved up the Middle Atlantic Coast on Sunday December 8th.

Watches/Warnings/Advisories

A Winter Weather Advisory was issued at 403 PM on Saturday December 7th for the following counties: Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Annes and Talbot in Maryland; Hunterdon, Morris, Sussex and Warren in New Jersey; Berks, Lower Bucks, Upper Bucks, Carbon, Eastern Chester, Western Chester, Lehigh, Monroe, Eastern Montgomery, Western Montgomery and Northampton in Pennsylvania. Winter Weather Advisories were expanded at 1122 AM on Sunday December 8th to include the following counties: New Castle in Delaware; Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Northwest Burlington, Salem, Somerset and Western Monmouth in New Jersey; Delaware and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

The Winter Weather Advisory was upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning at 1241 PM on Sunday December 8th for the following counties: New Castle in Delaware; Cecil in Maryland; Camden, Gloucester, Northwestern Burlington and Salem in New Jersey; Delaware, Eastern Chester and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. A Winter Storm Warning was also issued at this time for Ocean and Southeastern Burlington counties in New Jersey. Winter Weather Advisories were also issued at this time for the following counties: Kent and Sussex in Delaware; Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland in New Jersey. The Winter Storm Warning was downgraded to a Winter Weather Advisory at 839 PM on Sunday December 8th for the following counties: New Castle in Delaware; Cecil in Maryland; Camden, Gloucester, Northwestern Burlington, Ocean, Salem and Southeastern Burlington in New Jersey; Delaware, Eastern Chester and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

The Winter Weather Advisory was cancelled at 1003 PM on Sunday December 8th for the following counties: Sussex in Delaware and Cape May in New Jersey. The Winter Weather Advisory was cancelled at 1248 AM on Monday December 9th for the following counties: Kent in Delaware; Caroline, Kent, Queen Annes and Talbot in Maryland; Atlantic and Cumberland in New Jersey. The Winter Weather Advisory was cancelled at 348 AM on Monday December 9th for the following counties: New Castle in Delaware; Cecil in Maryland; Camden, Gloucester, Northwestern Burlington, Ocean, Salem, Southeastern Burlington and Western Monmouth in New Jersey; Delaware, Eastern Chester and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. The Winter Weather Advisory was cancelled at 632 AM on Monday December 9th for Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties in New Jersey. The Winter Weather Advisory was cancelled at 910 AM on Monday December 9th for the following counties: Hunterdon in New Jersey; Upper Bucks, Lower Bucks, Western Chester, Eastern Montgomery and Western Montgomery in Pennsylvania. The Winter Weather Advisory was cancelled at 1107 AM on Monday December 9th for the following counties: Morris and Warren in New Jersey; Berks, Lehigh and Northampton in Pennsylvania. The final Winter Weather Advisory for Sussex County in New Jersey and Carbon and Monroe Counties in Pennsylvania was cancelled at 105 PM on Monday December 9th.

Precipitation/Temperatures/Winds

Precipitation started to move into the region on the morning of Sunday December 8th. It took a while for the precipitation to reach the surface as there was plenty of dry air in place across the region. As the precipitation pushed eastward, an intense band of snow set up across northern Maryland and continued to push to the east. This heavy band of snow moved directly across northern Maryland, northern Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania and into New Jersey. The heavy snow continued to fall for several hours and areas under this band received in excess of 6 inches of snow, with the heaviest amounts up near a foot. Within this band, snowfall rates reached 2 to 3 inches per hour. Outside of this area, most places received between 1 and 4 inches of snow.

In addition to the snow, there was a changeover to freezing rain with ice accretion reported across the region. Ice accumulations were in the one tenth to one quarter inch range, mainly from the Interstate 95 corridor on north and westward.

Significant Impacts/Aspects

Heavy snow fell across much of the Philadelphia metro area, causing bridges to be closed for several hours in order for the snow to be removed, including the Delaware Memorial Bridge. The Philadelphia Eagles game versus the Detroit Lions experienced 'white-out' conditions as heavy snow fell causing impacts during the course of the game. Numerous car accidents were reported across the region.

Notes

Information contained in this summary is preliminary. More complete and/or detailed information may be contained in subsequent monthly NOAA storm data publications.