Winter Storm Gail Buried Pennsylvania, New York, New England With Feet of Snow (RECAP)

Twenty-six locations from northern Pennsylvania into central New York, Vermont and New Hampshire picked up a whopping 40 inches of snow or more, primarily occurring within a 24-hour period from Dec. 16-17.

Gail shattered all-time snowstorm records in Binghamton, New York (40 inches), and Williamsport, Pennsylvania (24.7 inches).

(IN DEPTH: Gail Was an All-Time Record Snowstorm in a Couple Areas)

As in many snowstorms, this prolific snowfall occurred in thin bands overnight on Dec. 16 from northern Pennsylvania into central New York, continuing into Dec. 17 from New York's Hudson Valley into Vermont, New Hampshire and southern Maine.

Snowfall rates of 5 inches per hour were documented in Binghamton and an incredible 7 inches per hour was observed in central New Hampshire, among the highest snowfall rates we've seen documented anywhere in the U.S. outside of lake-effect snowbelts or mountainous terrain.

Gail was also a top 10 snowstorm of record in Albany, New York, where just shy of 23 inches was measured at the city's airport.

It was the heaviest snowstorm in almost 18 years in State College, Pennsylvania.

While not nearly as prolific a snowfall, the Interstate 95 urban corridor finally was blanketed by its first significant snow in over a year.

Generally, 8 to 12 inches of snow fell in the New York City Tri-state area. New York's Central Park tallied 10.5 inches, their heaviest snowstorm since their all-time record 27.5-inch snow blitz in late January 2016.

At times, snow fell at the rate of an inch per hour at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark-Liberty Airports. Lighter accumulations occurred in southern and eastern Long Island, where sleet and rain mixed in.

While most of the snow moved east by Dec. 17, some strange bands of light snow formed and delivered a final dusting to parts of the Tri-state. The Weather Channel storm analyst Greg Postel suggested these weird bands may have been caused by gravity waves.

Snow fell at the rate of one inch per hour in Philadelphia, where 3 to 7 inches of snow was measured in the city before rain and sleet started to mix in. Philadelphia International Airport reported 6.6 inches, 22 times their entire seasonal snowfall in 2019-20, a mere 0.3 inch.

Two to three-inch-per-hour snow rates were common across southeast Pennsylvania and central New Jersey, according to the National Weather Service.

Two inches of snow quickly accumulated at Washington-Dulles International Airport on the afternoon of Dec. 16, with the snow falling in large clumps or aggregates, according to video posted in social media. Precipitation then changed to rain within a few hours.

Ice accumulation of one-quarter inch was reported in Blacksburg, Roanoke and Lynchburg, Virginia, Wednesday. Numerous accidents were reported on Interstate 81 near Christiansburg, Virginia, Wednesday morning.

Limbs and power lines were downed due to ice in Saluda, North Carolina, south-southeast of Asheville, early on the morning of Dec. 16, before precipitation changed to rain.

Generally less than 4 inches of snow has already fallen in parts of the Midwest, from Illinois and Indiana into western Ohio and southeast Michigan.

Peak Snowfall Reports By State

Delaware: 5.7 inches near Talleyville; 0.47 inches of ice at New Castle County Airport

Indiana: 4.5 inches in Marion

Kansas: 8 inches near Blakeman

Maine: 28 inches near Acton

Maryland: 12.1 inches near Sabillasville; 0.35 inches of ice near Long Green

Massachusetts: 24 inches in Florida

New Hampshire: estimated 44 inches in Croydon

New Jersey: 12.3 inches in Highland Lakes

New York: estimated 44 inches near Newark Valley; 40 inches near Binghamton

North Carolina: 0.40 inches of ice at North Wilkesboro

Ohio: 7.5 inches at Bridgeport

Oklahoma: 10 inches near Woodward

Pennsylvania: 43.3 inches near Alba; 0.23 inches of ice at Philadelphia International Airport

Rhode Island: 14 inches near Glocester

Vermont: up to 42 inches in Landgrove; 41 inches at Ludlow

Virginia: 11.5 inches at Basye; 0.60 inches of ice near Pipers Gap

West Virginia: 12 inches estimated near Hambleton; 0.28 inches of ice near Stanaford

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