000
NOUS41 KCTP 201659
PNSCTP
PAZ004>005-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>034-037-041>042-045>046-
049>053-056>059-063-065>066-210400-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
SPOTTER REPORTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1152 AM EST FRI NOV 20 2009

THE FOLLOWING ARE UNOFFICIAL STORM TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS FOR
AMOUNTS GREATER THAN 1 INCH OVER THE PAST 2 DAYS FROM THE STORM
SYSTEM THAT AFFECTED OUR REGION. THANKS TO PUBLIC AND COOP SPOTTERS
FOR YOUR REPORTS. THIS SUMMARY CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR HOME PAGE AT
HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/CTP

********************STORM TOTAL RAINFALL********************

LOCATION          STORM TOTAL    TIME/DATE    COMMENTS
                     RAINFALL       OF
                     (INCHES)   MEASUREMENT


PENNSYLVANIA

...BEDFORD COUNTY...
   BUFFALO MILLS         1.03   700 AM   11/20   COOP

...CAMBRIA COUNTY...
   EBENSBURG             1.48   700 AM   11/20   COOP

...CLEARFIELD COUNTY...
   GRAMPIAN              1.25   700 AM   11/20   COOP

...COLUMBIA COUNTY...
   BENTON                1.28   700 AM   11/20   COOP

...LANCASTER COUNTY...
   QUARRYVILLE           1.01   700 AM   11/20   COCORAHS
   HOLTWOOD              1.00   700 AM   11/20   COOP

...LEBANON COUNTY...
   LEBANON               1.01   700 AM   11/20   COCORAHS

...LYCOMING COUNTY...
   HUGHESVILLE           1.42   930 AM   11/20   PUBLIC

...NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY...
   SUNBURY               1.06   700 AM   11/20   COOP

...SNYDER COUNTY...
   SELINSGROVE           1.09   700 AM   11/20   COOP

...SOMERSET COUNTY...
   GLENCOE               1.03   700 AM   11/20   COOP

...WARREN COUNTY...
   CHANDLERS VALLEY      1.44   700 AM   11/20   COOP
   WARREN                1.06   700 AM   11/20   COOP

$$

EVANEGO

000
NOUS41 KCTP 201539
PNSCTP
PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-
056>059-063>066-202000-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1030 AM EST FRI NOV 20 2009

...WINTER INFORMATION WEEK 2009: NOVEMBER 16TH THROUGH NOVEMBER 20TH...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS FEATURED A DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL
TOPIC EACH DAY DURING WINTER INFORMATION WEEK. TODAYS TOPIC:

  SPECIAL SNOW SQUALL STATEMENTS.

EVERY WINTER SEASON...STRONG SNOW SQUALLS AND LAKE EFFECT SNOW
BANDS MOVE OVER CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

THE SNOW SQUALLS CAN DROP THE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO IN JUST A
MINUTE...AND DEPOSIT SNOW AT THE RATE OF UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR.
VERY HEAVY SQUALLS TYPICALLY OCCUR ON DAYS WHEN THERE ARE ALSO
BREAKS OF SUN THROUGH THE CLOUDS. THE SUN CAN ADD AN ADDITIONAL
HAZARDOUS CONDITION. IF THE SNOW FALLS ON WARM ROADS...THE SNOW
CAN MELT QUICKLY AND THEN FREEZE AGAIN AS A COATING OF ICE.

THE RAPID CHANGES IN CONDITIONS INSIDE SNOW SQUALLS CAN CREATE A
DANGEROUS TRAVEL SITUATION...ESPECIALLY FOR DRIVERS WHO ARE NOT
FAMILIAR WITH OUR REGION AND FOR THOSE THAT MAY NOT BE PREPARED
FOR THE DRASTIC CHANGES IN CONDITIONS. THOUSANDS OF TRAVELERS FROM
OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY...ESPECIALLY LONG-HAUL TRUCKS...MOVE
THROUGH OUR STATE EACH DAY USING OUR INTERSTATES.

SEVERAL CHAIN-REACTION ACCIDENTS RESULTING IN FATALITIES HAVE
OCCURRED ON I-80 DURING BLINDING SNOW SQUALLS IN THE RECENT YEARS.
IN RESPONSE TO THESE TRAGEDIES...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS
BEGUN TO WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH PENN DOT AND THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE
POLICE. THIS COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR AGENCIES IS AN EFFORT TO
REDUCE THE RISK OF ACCIDENTS...ESPECIALLY THOSE MULTI-VEHICLE
ACCIDENTS...AND MINIMIZE THE DAMAGES AND LOSS OF LIFE THAT MAY
OCCUR DUE TO THESE SNOW SQUALLS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASSISTS THE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES OF
THE STATE IN TWO MAIN WAYS. FIRST...A DAY OR SO IN ADVANCE OF WHEN
WE EXPECT SNOW SQUALLS OR SNOW BANDS TO OCCUR ALONG THE I-80
CORRIDOR...WE INFORM THEM OF THE POTENTIAL FOR DANGEROUS SQUALLS.
THIS ACTION HELPS THESE AGENCIES TO PREPARE FOR THE SQUALLS...AND
PLACE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WHERE THEY MAY BE NEEDED MOST.

ALSO...WHEN SQUALLS ARE IDENTIFIED ON RADAR...WE ISSUE TIMELY AND
SPECIFIC FORECAST STATEMENTS. THESE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS
HIGHLIGHT THE EXPECTED MOVEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL SNOW SQUALLS OR BANDS
THAT COULD PRODUCE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. WE ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE
HAZARDS WE EXPECT IN THAT PARTICULAR SQUALL. IN THE TEXT OF THE
STATEMENTS...WE ALSO INCLUDE THE INTERSTATE MILE MARKERS WHERE THE
DANGER WILL BE HIGHEST. THESE STATEMENTS HELP THE AGENCIES PINPOINT
VERY SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE PROBLEMS MAY ARISE...AND RESPOND WITH
APPROPRIATE TREATMENTS AND RESOURCES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. MILE
MARKER INFORMATION CAN ALSO HELP TRAVELERS WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH
THE LOCAL TOWNS AND ROAD NAMES TO PREPARE BEFORE THEY GET INTO A
SQUALL.

THESE STATEMENTS CAN BE USEFUL TO YOU...JUST AS THEY ARE TO THE
PENN DOT ROAD CREWS...HIGHWAY PATROL AND FIRST RESPONDERS. YOU CAN
USE THE STATEMENTS TO PLAN YOUR TRAVEL AND TO REMAIN ALERT FOR THE
POSSIBILITY THAT YOU SHOULD DELAY TRAVEL...CHANGE YOUR ROUTE...OR
SIMPLY MODIFY YOUR DRIVING HABITS.

KEEP IN MIND ALL THE SAFETY TIPS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS WEEK...
AND CONSIDER USING A NOAA WEATHER RADIO TO KEEP YOU INFORMED OF THE
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS.

THIS WINTER SEASON...WE PLAN TO ADD THESE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS
TO THE LIST OF ITEMS THAT WILL AUTOMATICALLY SET OFF SPECIFIC AREA
MESSAGE ENCODING SYSTEM ALERTS...OR SAME ALERTS...ON NEWER
SAME-EQUIPPED NOAA WEATHER RADIOS. IF YOU HAVE A CITIZENS BAND RADIO
OR WEATHER RADIO WITH SAME CAPABILITY IN YOUR VEHICLE...YOU MAY WANT
TO PROGRAM THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT CODE INTO THE RADIO. SEE
YOUR OWNERS MANUAL FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO THIS.

FOR THOSE WHO KEEP THEIR SAME-EQUIPPED NOAA WEATHER RADIO PRIMARILY
AT HOME OR IN THEIR PLACE OF WORK MAY NOT WANT TO PROGRAM THIS CODE
IN...AS THE STATEMENTS ARE GEARED TOWARD TRAVELERS AND MAY BE ISSUED
NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE DAYS WITH HIGH SNOW-SQUALL DANGER.

$$