The record
Everything the slot carries, as measured. Series arrays are drawn above and listed here in full.
| event_type | Heavy Snow |
|---|---|
| ncei_event_id | 5,551,644 |
| episode_id | 2,037,252 |
| begin_utc | 1996-02-16T11:30:00+00:00 |
| end_utc | 1996-02-17T07:00:00+00:00 |
| state | PENNSYLVANIA |
| cz_type | Z |
| cz_name | PHILADELPHIA |
| deaths_direct | 0 |
| deaths_indirect | 0 |
| injuries_direct | 0 |
| injuries_indirect | 0 |
| episode_narrative | A low pressure system lingered over North Carolina on the 15th and developed quickly once it reached Cape Hatteras during the early morning hours of the 16th. It then moved northeast over the Western Atlantic reaching the Gulf of Maine the morning of the 17th. Its storm track was far enough offshore to keep cold air in place and to locate its axis of heaviest snow over Delmar and New Jersey. While heavy snow fell in Southeast Pennsylvania, only one to three inches fell in the Reading/Allentown areas and the Poconos. One snow related death occurred in Delaware County as a 59-year-old male suffered a fatal heart attack while shoveling snow. Four persons were critically injured in a multi vehicle head-on collision in Pottstown. A school crossing guard was injured after being struck by a pickup truck in Bridgeport. Snow began during the morning commute on the 16th and fell steadily through the evening before tapering off after midnight. Accumulations averaged around 4 inches in the upper portions of Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties to close to 10 inches along the Delaware River. The 7.5 inches of snow that fell at Philadelphia International Airport pushed the seasonal total to a RECORD BREAKING 55.9 inches. The previous record of 55.4 inches was set in 1898-99. Other snowfall accumulations included 10.3 inches in Wynnewood, 9 inches in Glenmoore, 8 inches in Secane and Willow Grove, 7 inches in Downingtown, New Hope and Perkasie, 5 inches in Honey Brook and 4.5 inches in Pottstown. Unlike the previous snow storms this winter, this one's timing during the Friday of an upcoming three day weekend was not good. Other snow storms this winter either occurred on the weekend or were nasty enough by the morning commute to keep most people at home. In the Philadelphia area travel was described as the worst commuting problems of the year. The Schuylkill Expressway (Interstate 76) became a 17 mile long parking lot from Center City Philadelphia to King of Prussia. The eastbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) were blocked for three hours during the morning of the 16th after a multi tractor trailer accident occurred between Valley Forge and Downingtown. A school bus was involved in an accident in Cheltenham, but none of the children were seriously injured. Two vehicles overturned on snowy roadways in Brookhaven. Even in the Allentown/Reading areas snow covered roads caused several accidents involving injuries. Philadelphia International Airport remained open during the storm, but 25 percent of all flights were cancelled. |
| year | 1,996 |
Provenance
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Storage: spine