PENNSYLVANIA - The "Deep Freeze" of January 2026 has finally moved off the coast, leaving Pennsylvania buried under its most significant snowfall in years. While Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley are digging out from impressive totals, the true "snow king" of the Commonwealth lies in the western mountains.
According to official storm reports from the National Weather Service, the highest recorded snowfall total in the state belongs to Laurel Summit in Somerset County, which was buried under a staggering 24.7 inches of snow.
The Top Contenders
While Laurel Summit took the top spot, the storm dropped 20+ inches of snow across several western and northern counties. Here is who topped the charts:
- Laurel Summit (Somerset County): 24.7 inches
- New Bethlehem (Clarion County): 23.0 inches
- Clintonville (Venango County): 22.0 inches
- Clymer (Indiana County): 20.5 inches
- Rowland (Pike County) & West Mayfield (Beaver County): 20.0 inches
Regional Breakdown: How Did Your Area Fare?
The storm was notable not just for the totals in the mountains, but for how widespread the heavy snow was.
- Philadelphia & Suburbs: The city officially recorded 9.3 inches at Philadelphia International Airport. While this pales in comparison to Somerset County, it is a major milestone—marking the city's largest single-storm snowfall in exactly 10 years (since the blizzard of January 2016).
- The Poconos & Lehigh Valley: As expected, higher elevations in the east saw heavy accumulation. Saylorsburg (Monroe County) and Bushkill Township (Northampton County) both reported 16.8 inches.
- Central PA: The State College area also saw significant accumulation, with Port Matilda reporting 15.5 inches.
Why Laurel Summit?
It is no accident that Laurel Summit took the crown. Located in the Laurel Highlands, this area is geographically predisposed to high snow totals due to "orographic lift"—a phenomenon where moist air is forced up the side of the mountain ridge, cooling rapidly and dumping its moisture as snow.
With temperatures expected to stay well below freezing for the remainder of the week, that two-foot snowpack in Somerset County isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
