A wintry mix of precipitation affected most of Eastern Pennsylvania (except for right around Philadelphia) from the morning of the 16th into the morning of the 17th. In spite of nearly twenty-four hours of precipitation, the intensity was mainly light. About 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulated before precipitation changed to freezing rain with ice accretions that averaged around two-tenths of an inch.
Across Philadelphia and the nearby suburbs precipitation started as light rain on the morning of the 16th. As the intensity increased, precipitation changed over to snow by Noon EST in the northwest Philadelphia suburbs. As warmer air moved in aloft, the snow changed over to freezing rain during the evening of the 16th and continued overnight. Precipitation changed over to plain rain just as it was ending. Across Berks County, the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos precipitation started as snow from around Noon EST in Berks County, during the late afternoon in the Lehigh Valley and the early evening in the Poconos. As warmer air moved in aloft, the snow changed over to sleet briefly and then freezing rain during the late evening of the 16th and continued overnight. The freezing rain ended between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. EST on the morning of the 17th.
The wintry mix caused numerous accidents and made traveling home difficult during the evening commute. Vehicles slid off roads, into each other and into ditches. Many after school activities were cancelled. Some schools even had delayed openings the morning of the 17th. In Berks County, minor accidents occurred on Pennsylvania State Routes 183, 501, 645 and Old U.S. Route 22 in northern Berks County. Pennsylvania State Route 183 was closed. In Lower Heidelberg Township, the Rebers Bridge Road was closed. In Bucks County, Pennsylvania State Route 313 was closed in Dublin after a two vehicle accident with injuries. A roadway in Solebury Township was also closed. Accidents were reported Hilltown, New Britain, Plumstead, Solebury, Doylestown, Dublin, Buckingham and Richland. In Montgomery County, about 1,000 homes and businesses lost power in and around the Pottstown area. In Chester County, after the precipitation ended a large tree limb fell down and took down wires on Pennsylvania State Route 724 in North Coventry Township.
Actual snow accumulations included 3.3 inches in Longswamp (Berks County), 3.1 inches in Lincoln Park (Berks County), 2.5 inches in Perkiomenville (Montgomery County), 2.2 inches in Perkasie (Bucks County), 2.1 inches in Forks Township (Northampton County), 2.0 inches in Schnecksville (Lehigh County) and Easton (Northampton County), 1.5 inches in East Nantmeal (Chester County), 1.2 inches in Jim Thorpe (Carbon County), 1.1 inches in Doylestown (Berks County), Royersford (Montgomery County) and the Lehigh Valley International Airport, 1.0 inch in Downingtown (Chester County) and 0.5 inches in Drexel Hill (Delaware County).
The wintry mix of precipitation was caused by a low pressure system that developed on a cold front in the Gulf Coast States on the morning of the 16th. It moved northnortheast and reached the Tennessee Valley early in the evening on the 16th and northeast Ohio at 1 a.m. EST on the 17th. The low pressure system then moved into the Great Lakes around sunrise on the 17th as a secondary low pressure system was forming off the New Jersey coast. The secondary low slowly intensified as it moved toward Cape Cod on the 17th as the primary low weakened over the Great Lakes. An arctic high pressure system moved across New York and New England on the 16th and provided a fresh supply of cold air near the surface that prevented temperatures from rising above freezing during this event across much of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Winter Weather in LEHIGH, PENNSYLVANIA
From 16-DEC-08 17:00:00 to 17-DEC-08 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in NORTHAMPTON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 16-DEC-08 17:00:00 to 17-DEC-08 06:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in MONTGOMERY, PENNSYLVANIA
From 16-DEC-08 12:00:00 to 17-DEC-08 04:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in CARBON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 16-DEC-08 19:00:00 to 17-DEC-08 09:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in MONROE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 16-DEC-08 19:00:00 to 17-DEC-08 09:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
From 16-DEC-08 11:00:00 to 17-DEC-08 04:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in BERKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 16-DEC-08 12:00:00 to 17-DEC-08 05:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in BUCKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 16-DEC-08 12:00:00 to 17-DEC-08 05:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter