The first widespread major snowstorm of the season blanketed most of Eastern Pennsylvania with 5 to 12 inches on December 30th. Snow began falling during the predawn hours and fell heavy at times into the early afternoon. The western edge of the heaviest snow cut across the western parts of the Philadelphia suburbs, Lehigh Valley and the Poconos. For example, in Chester County, accumulations ranged from around 6 inches in the far eastern parts of the county to only an inch along its western border with Lancaster County. The city of Philadelphia declared a snow emergency, permitting only emergency vehicles to drive through Center City. About thirty flights were cancelled at Philadelphia International Airport. Amtrak cancelled its Metroliner Service along the northeast corridor. Snow emergencies were also declared in a few municipalities in Montgomery and Monroe Counties. Dozens of businesses never opened as heavy snow had already fallen by 10 a.m. EST. Because the heavy snow started early in the day and it was a Saturday morning (the 30th), the number of traffic accidents were relatively low.Accumulations included 12 inches in Souderton (Montgomery County) and Perkasie (Bucks County), 11 inches  in Morgan Hill (Northampton County) and Hatfield (Montgomery County), 10.2 inches in Saylorsburg (Monroe County), 10 inches in Warrington (Bucks County), 9 inches at the Philadelphia International Airport and Levittown (Bucks County),  8.5 inches in Pocono Summit (Monroe County), 8.2 inches in King of Prussia (Montgomery County), 8 inches in Bristol (Bucks County) and Franklin Mills (Philadelphia County), 7 inches in Newtown (Delaware County) and Norristown (Montgomery County), 6.4 inches in Clifton Heights (Delaware County), 6 inches in Allentown, 5 inches at the Lehigh Valley International Airport, 4 inches in Green Lane (Montgomery County) and Valley Forge (Chester County), 2.2 inches in Reading (Berks County), 2 inches in West Chester (Chester County), 1.8 inches in Pottstown (Montgomery County) and 1 inch in Glenmoore (Chester County). The low pressure system responsible for the heavy snow developed just east of Elizabeth City, North Carolina during the evening of the 29th. By 5 a.m. EST it was located about 75 miles east of Cape Charles, Virginia and by 9 a.m. EST it was located about 50 miles east of Delaware Bay Buoy. At this point, the low started to intensify more rapidly and by 5 p.m. EST on the 30th as it crossed the Twin Forks of Long Island, it had dropped to a 992 Mb low, a 10 millibar drop in an eight hour period.

Heavy Snow in BUCKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 30-DEC-00 04:30:00 to 30-DEC-00 21:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
From 30-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 30-DEC-00 21:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in DELAWARE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 30-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 30-DEC-00 21:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in LEHIGH, PENNSYLVANIA
From 30-DEC-00 05:00:00 to 30-DEC-00 21:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MONROE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 30-DEC-00 06:00:00 to 30-DEC-00 21:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MONTGOMERY, PENNSYLVANIA
From 30-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 30-DEC-00 21:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in NORTHAMPTON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 30-DEC-00 05:30:00 to 30-DEC-00 21:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
From 30-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 30-DEC-00 21:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER