Strong to high southeast winds during the early morning and strong west winds during the late morning and afternoon buffeted Eastern Pennsylvania. Peak wind gusts averaged near 60 mph during the early morning in the local Philadelphia area and around 50 mph elsewhere during the early morning and in all places during the westerly flow in the late morning and afternoon. The morning winds downed trees and power lines and caused traveling delays during the morning rush due to closed roads. Garbage and recycling pails were strewn. Like the strong to high winds on the 14th and 15th the wet ground and in this case a different wind direction (southeast) during the early morning made it easier for trees to be uprooted. About 120,000 homes and businesses lost power in Eastern Pennsylvania with the greatest concentration (95,000) in the PECO Energy service area in and around Philadelphia. The downed trees caused major delays and disruptions on the commuter rail lines in Suburban Philadelphia. The SEPTA R-5 line between Thorndale (Delaware County) and Doylestown (Bucks County), the R-2 line in Willow Grove (Montgomery County) and the R-3 West Trenton Line (in Bucks County) all had fallen tree problems.In Bucks County, in Perkasie one person was injured by a downed tree. Two trees fell onto a home. U.S. Route 202 was closed near Solebury. Schools in Bensalem and Warminster Townships were closed due to power failures. In Montgomery County, the roof was lifted from a home in Norristown. The siding was also stripped from the home. Two adults and three children were displaced.  The Marlborough Township School district cancelled classes. Half of the PECO Energy outages occurred in Montgomery County. In the Lehigh Valley, about 18,250 homes and businesses lost power. Downed trees caused road closures in Upper Saucon Township (Lehigh County) and in Lower Nazareth and Lower Mount Bethel Townships. Measured wind gusts included 53 mph in Mount Pocono (Monroe County) and the Lehigh Valley International Airport, 49 mph at the Philadelphia International Airport and 39 mph in Reading (Berks County).    The strong and high winds were caused by an increasing southeasterly low level jet preceding a cold front during the early morning of the 18th. This feature intensified further east and caused the most damage once it reached New Jersey. The cold front moved through Eastern Pennsylvania between 7 a.m. EST and 10 a.m. EST on the 18th and strong west winds occurred behind the front from late in the morning through most of the afternoon before they diminished at night.

Strong Wind in BERKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 2K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in BUCKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 08:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 2K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in CARBON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 4K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 2K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in DELAWARE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 16K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

High Wind in MONTGOMERY, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 08:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 56 EG
Property damage: 160K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

High Wind in PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 08:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 50 EG
Property damage: 20K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in NORTHAMPTON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 3K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 08:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 3K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

High Wind in BUCKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 08:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 50 EG
Property damage: 20K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in LEHIGH, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 MG
Property damage: 2K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in MONROE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 06:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 MG
Property damage: 3K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in MONTGOMERY, PENNSYLVANIA
From 18-JAN-06 08:00:00 to 18-JAN-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 3K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER