HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — On this day in 1996, a “marquee meteorological event” took place in Pennsylvania during what NOAA called one of the more epic winters.
A storm formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Jan. 6, where it collided with an arctic high-pressure snow blast. With the help of a favorable snow track, this funnel of moist air mixing with frigid arctic air created piles of snow that fell from the Ohio Valley through the southern New England corridor.
Meteorologist Steve Knight noted that 22.2 inches of snow fell in the Harrisburg area, marking the third-largest on record. Ice jams caused flooding, and on Jan. 20, the Walnut Street Bridge collapsed after a big warm-up caused the snow to melt…