The first winter storm of the season dropped between six and ten inches of snow across Eastern Pennsylvania. In the immediate Philadelphia area, this was more snow than fell all of last winter. Snow spread from south to north between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. EST across the region. The heaviest snow fell between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. EST and fell at lighter rates until it ended during the evening of the 5th. Schools were canceled.The first winter storm of the season which also coincided with a work day (Thursday) caused over one thousand accidents and large traffic jams on the interstates and expressways. Hundreds of other vehicles skidded into ditches. Government offices, courthouses, shopping malls and businesses all closed early. The city of Philadelphia declared a SnowCat4, its most severe winter storm designation. About one quarter of all arriving and departing flights at Philadelphia International Airport were cancelled. Flights were delayed up to three hours. There were a few flight cancellations at Lehigh Valley International Airport. Around the Philadelphia area, about 10,000 PECO customers lost power, mainly from vehicles crashing into poles. Two crashes alone caused power outages to 4,000 customers. A tractor trailer crash in Coopersburg (Lehigh County) caused 1,800 PPL customers to also lose power. Otherwise, the snow was very powdery and caused few power line problems. In the Philadelphia area, a jackknifed tractor trailer in the southbound lanes of the Northeast Extension slowed the entire morning commute. In Montgomery Township (Montgomery County), a tractor trailer blocked one northbound lane of U.S. Route 422 for the entire morning. Large traffic jams were also reported on the Schuylkill Expressway. In Delaware County, there were 80 disabled vehicles alone. Eleven people suffered minor injuries when a SEPTA bus skidded into an embankment in Chester (Delaware County). In Middletown (Delaware County), 10 passengers on a Fair Acres Geriatric Center bus were injured when it crashed. A man slipped and fell onto the SEPTA regional line track in Primos (Delaware County). In general the average 15 minute commute turned into one hour for many people. Farther north in the Lehigh Valley, U.S. Route 309 was closed between Coopersburg (Lehigh County) and Springfield Township (Bucks County) after a tractor trailer plowed into a utility pole. In Upper Saucon Township (Lehigh County), three tractor trailers were stuck trying to drive on a hilly road. In Northampton County, there were 130 accidents by 3 p.m. EST and 50 vehicles were disabled on Interstate 78 and Pennsylvania State Route 33. Shoveling snow caused three Chester County men (ages 55, 68 and 86) to die from heart attacks.  Specific Accumulations included 9.5 inches in Wyomissing (Berks County) and Ambler (Montgomery County), 9.2 inches in Horsham (Montgomery County), 9 inches in Manayunk (Philadelphia), Kidder Township (Carbon County), Newtown Square (Delaware County), Perkasie (Bucks County) and Thorndale (Chester County), 8 inches at the Lehigh Valley International Airport, Bossardville and East Stroudsburg (Monroe County), Bethlehem and Forks Township (Northampton County), Palm (Montgomery County), Southampton (Bucks County) and Exton (Chester County), 7.5 inches in Reading (Berks County) and Levittown (Bucks County),  7 inches at the Philadelphia International Airport, Lehighton (Carbon County), Blakeslee (Monroe County), Upper Chichester Township (Delaware County), Downingtown (Chester County), Morgantown (Berks County) and Neshaminy Falls (Bucks County), 6.8 inches in Salisbury Township (Lehigh County) and Easton (Northampton County). The low pressure system responsible for the winter storm formed over Texas on the 3rd and moved eastnortheast and reached Louisiana the morning of the 4th, Cape Hatteras the morning of the 5th and then accelerated quickly offshore during the day on the 5th.

Heavy Snow in BERKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 05:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 22:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in BUCKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 05:30:00 to 05-DEC-02 22:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in CARBON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 07:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 18:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 04:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 20:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in DELAWARE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 04:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 20:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in LEHIGH, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 05:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 21:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MONROE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 07:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 18:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MONTGOMERY, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 05:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 19:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in NORTHAMPTON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 05:00:00 to 05-DEC-02 21:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
From 05-DEC-02 04:30:00 to 05-DEC-02 20:00:00 (EST)
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER