Pennsylvania city breaks records with almost 5 feet of snow in just two days
Get those shovels out, Pennsylvanians.
The city of Erie is operating under a "snow emergency" declaration in the wake of a storm that kicked off shortly after 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve. As of 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26, total accumulation had reached 56.5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
It's the state's largest-ever snowfall over a two-day period. Data from the NWS puts Erie's Christmas 2017 accumulation ahead of a 1958 storm in Morgantown, which saw 44 inches pile up over the same period.
CARD ID: 307064
The Erie snowfall also knocks out Pennsylvania's 13-day total snowfall record. The previous record, set in early 1999 (technically, the timeframe started on Dec. 31, 1998), was 52.8 inches.
Let that sink in for a moment. Erie saw more snow pile up over a two day period than any other location in the state of Pennsylvania had seen previously during a 13-day period.
It was a lot of snow.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The high level of accumulation is a product of lake-effect snow. When frigid, dry Arctic air blows across the warmer and unfrozen Great Lakes, the resulting moisture in the air forms long, thin bands of intense snow.
The resulting thick and powdery snow falls in downwind areas, and the storms that deliver it can be quite intense. Sometimes, they'll even produce lightning and thunder -- resulting in the rare, wonderfully named weather event known as "thundersnow."
As you might imagine, with so much snow falling in Erie, Pennsylvanians were out in force to document the historic event on social media.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
