Central PA Spring 2026 Discussion/Obs Thread

[Mount Joy Snowman]

Low of 41.  Rain totals again being cut back down this way for tomorrow.

[Itstrainingtime]

1 hour ago, Mount Joy Snowman said:

Low of 41.  Rain totals again being cut back down this way for tomorrow.

Sunday PM to Monday AM is trending to be much wetter than tomorrow's system. We shall see. 

[canderson]

2 hours ago, Mount Joy Snowman said:

Low of 41.  Rain totals again being cut back down this way for tomorrow.

Seems to be the norm, doesn’t it? 

[TheDreamTraveler]

This weather sucks in May. If this was before May I wouldn't have any problem with it but I just want it to be in the 70s/80s and be outside without wind/clouds/rain every other day

[Mount Joy Snowman]

Low of 53. Looks like the rain should hold off just enough to get in our son’s 9am baseball game. 

[pawatch]

50 degrees and rain. .10” today so far.
kicking around firing up the coal stove again. Supposed to be in the 30’s Monday morning.

NWS on daily description: Rain then rain likely 

[Voyager]

2 hours ago, TheDreamTraveler said:

This weather sucks in May. If this was before May I wouldn't have any problem with it but I just want it to be in the 70s/80s and be outside without wind/clouds/rain every other day

Yup. It's getting quite old...

And yet ANOTHER semi crappy weekend day today. Chilly, damp and drizzly.

[mahantango#1]

20 minutes ago, Voyager said:

Yup. It's getting quite old...

And yet ANOTHER semi crappy weekend day today. Chilly, damp and drizzly.

[canderson]

Supposed to go the Senators game tonight. I trust it’ll be played. 

[WmsptWx]

My ten day shows 49 for the high next Thursday before the heat shows up for next weekend. 

 

Next weekend is opening weekend at Delgrosso's in Tipton, which is basically a babysitter for the true central. Last year opening weekend was cloudy and damp with 50s for highs. I'll take next weekend's current outlook 

 

[ChescoWx]

We have some light rain around this morning here in NW Chester County a cool day is on tap with some showers. Highs will struggle to reach the lower 60's. Nice but brief warm up tomorrow for Mom's Day with highs reaching the mid 70's with sunshine. Much cooler again with below normal temperatures all week. We will have additional rain chances both Sunday night and Monday and again Wednesday through Friday.

[Blizzard of 93]

I realized that I never put out my Winter grade for this past season…so here we go, better late than never…

Overall Grade:  B+

Each met Winter month at MDT had well below normal temperatures. We had sustained deep Winter feel, with minimal breaks. The cold began right around Thanksgiving & lasted through early March.

Monthly Average Temps at MDT

December -4.8

January -4.2

February -4.4

Snow total at MDT for the season ended up at 23.8 , which is 6.1 below seasonal average of 29.9. We got off to a really good snow start in December & January. Then in February, we couldn’t get any storms of note until the February 23rd storm, which then unfortunately under performed & only produced 3 inches at MDT while Philly, NYC & eastern New England  cashed in with double digit amounts. The main issue in Each Winter month was the overall lack of precipitation. We had temperatures cooperate most of the time, but could not get the storm chances to provide more snow. The other issue is that yet again, we got no measurable snow in March. When we were sitting at 20 inches at the end of January, I thought that we were well on our way to an above normal season, but the end game was disappointing.

Monthly snow totals at MDT

December  5.0

January  15.2

February 3.6

If we would have reached climo average for the snow total, this Winter would have gotten an A from me, thanks to the sustained cold & snow/sleet cover lasted for over a month.

This Winter provided several “What ifs” that could have made this season even more memorable with slightly better storm tracks or air mass cooperation.

Here are a few “What Ifs”:

-The Boxing Day ice storm tracked just 50 to 75 miles further southwest, we could have got the 3 or 4 inches of snow that Allentown & NYC received.

-The mid January trough that set up that produced a couple of inches of snow at MDT with a few rounds of light precip, what if it consolidated into 1 significant snow event or if the track was more favorable with the actual events that produced 6 inches or more in Allentown & northeast PA.

-The major snow/sleet storm in late January that produced 12 inches at MDT… what if the sneaky marginal warm layer that caused the flip to sleet due to the weak primary low that tracked into WV was offset by an earlier or stronger coastal low that could have reduced or eliminated the sleet mix…This storm was the only heavy precip producer of the season. It would not have taken much to get a widespread 18 inches of snow in the LSV.

-the February storm that gave us 3 inches from the late developing Miller B… what if it developed just 100 miles further southwest… we could have received the 10 to 20 inch amounts that Philly & NYC scored.

There are a few more chances that ended up not in our favor, especially in the first half of March, but no such luck.

Overall, there was non stop Winter storm tracking from Thanksgiving to mid March. I was satisfied with this Winter, but also frustrated, mainly due to all of the what ifs that I mentioned. If one or two of those broke in our favor, this Winter would have been great. 
This Winter was our best season since 20–21 & much better than the last few seasons.

[mahantango#1]

2 hours ago, Blizzard of 93 said:

I realized that I never put out my Winter grade for this past season…so here we go, better late than never…

Overall Grade:  B+

Each met Winter month at MDT had well below normal temperatures. We had sustained deep Winter feel, with minimal breaks. The cold began right around Thanksgiving & lasted through early March.

Monthly Average Temps at MDT

December -4.8

January -4.2

February -4.4

Snow total at MDT for the season ended up at 23.8 , which is 6.1 below seasonal average of 29.9. We got off to a really good snow start in December & January. Then in February, we couldn’t get any storms of note until the February 23rd storm, which then unfortunately under performed & only produced 3 inches at MDT while Philly, NYC & eastern New England  cashed in with double digit amounts. The main issue in Each Winter month was the overall lack of precipitation. We had temperatures cooperate most of the time, but could not get the storm chances to provide more snow. The other issue is that yet again, we got no measurable snow in March. When we were sitting at 20 inches at the end of January, I thought that we were well on our way to an above normal season, but the end game was disappointing.

Monthly snow totals at MDT

December  5.0

January  15.2

February 3.6

If we would have reached climo average for the snow total, this Winter would have gotten an A from me, thanks to the sustained cold & snow/sleet cover lasted for over a month.

This Winter provided several “What ifs” that could have made this season even more memorable with slightly better storm tracks or air mass cooperation.

Here are a few “What Ifs”:

-The Boxing Day ice storm tracked just 50 to 75 miles further southwest, we could have got the 3 or 4 inches of snow that Allentown & NYC received.

-The mid January trough that set up that produced a couple of inches of snow at MDT with a few rounds of light precip, what if it consolidated into 1 significant snow event or if the track was more favorable with the actual events that produced 6 inches or more in Allentown & northeast PA.

-The major snow/sleet storm in late January that produced 12 inches at MDT… what if the sneaky marginal warm layer that caused the flip to sleet due to the weak primary low that tracked into WV was offset by an earlier or stronger coastal low that could have reduced or eliminated the sleet mix…This storm was the only heavy precip producer of the season. It would not have taken much to get a widespread 18 inches of snow in the LSV.

-the February storm that gave us 3 inches from the late developing Miller B… what if it developed just 100 miles further southwest… we could have received the 10 to 20 inch amounts that Philly & NYC scored.

There are a few more chances that ended up not in our favor, especially in the first half of March, but no such luck.

Overall, there was non stop Winter storm tracking from Thanksgiving to mid March. I was satisfied with this Winter, but also frustrated, mainly due to all of the what ifs that I mentioned. If one or two of those broke in our favor, this Winter would have been great. 
This Winter was our best season since 20–21 & much better than the last few seasons.

I wonder what the upcoming winter will bring? Knowing our luck maybe several freezing rain events. 

[mahantango#1]

.33 rain today, was more than I was expecting.

[canderson]

Beautiful afternoon 

[mahantango#1]

KEY MESSAGE 2: Frost/freeze risk Monday night/Tuesday morning
over the western and central Alleghenies

Almost a slam dunk for a widespread frost for more than half the
CWA tomorrow night (N and W) - and a freeze in the nrn mtns.
Dewpoints will be 25-30F - just low enough to allow the temps to
be able to drop, but not too dry to keep frost away. Confidence
in frost is near 100 pct, but for freeze is about 49 pct. Due
to increasing confidence, frost advy and freeze warnings seem
likely, but the consensus among the regional offices on this
(midnight) shift was to allow at least one more forecast cycle
for that to happen.

[Mount Joy Snowman]

Low of 48 with .11” of rain. Happy Mother’s Day to all the momma bears out there! 

[pawatch]

48 for the low and foggy. 
picked up .29” of rain yesterday.

[mahantango#1]

Heard yesterday a local orchard very near me had significant damage from the frost and freeze a few weeks ago.

 

 

 

 

[canderson]

We leave for Alaska Thursday. I guess it’s time to start following that wild weather lol

[canderson]

1 minute ago, mahantango#1 said:

Heard yesterday a local orchard very near me had significant damage from the frost and freeze a few weeks ago.

 

 

 

 

I forget the name, but a Lancaster County one is closed for the season. 

[mahantango#1]

3 minutes ago, canderson said:

I forget the name, but a Lancaster County one is closed for the season. 

Yes I seen that too and there was one in Lebanon County also. Shame as most of these orchards these people own are their only source of income.