9 years since an EF2 tornado touched down in northeastern Pennsylvania

It was almost 70 degrees on that February afternoon day; then a line of severe storms moved through.

PENNSYLVANIA, USA — It was a rare February tornado, but everything about that February day was rare. It was a record high 68 degrees and sunny in the WNEP backyard that afternoon, but just before 3 p.m., everything changed when a line of severe thunderstorms, later confirmed to be a tornado, passed right over the station in Moosic.

February 25, 2017, was a Saturday, and of course, many folks were outside enjoying the nice weather that day. But then a strong cold front moved through, prompting several severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. 

According to a later report from the National Weather Service, the tornado touched down near Bald Mountain Road in Plains Township at 2:35 that afternoon and was on the ground for about 15 minutes, for 12.8 miles, finally lifting off the ground north of Lake Scranton. Based on the damage, meteorologists estimated maximum wind speeds of 120 mph, which made it an EF2 tornado. 

Newswatch 16 covered stories for days and even weeks after the tornado hit. Some of the most extensive damage was to this metal horse barn in Bear Creek Township. Thankfully, the 30 horses that would have been staying there were down south for the winter. In Pittston Township, this home on Chapel Road lost its roof and chimney. 

The significant tree damage at Lake Scranton was visible for years after the storm, the path of the tornado so clear. The walking trail around the lake was closed for several months in 2017 as crews worked to clear away all the debris.

On Montage Mountain, the ski resort lost about a hundred trees. Those trees aren’t just for aesthetics along the slopes, but are important in helping preserve the snow pack, too. The downed trees also took out the water line. No water meant no snow making, not ideal for a ski resort in February. 

It’s estimated that nearly 30 homes in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties were damaged in the storm, and thousands of trees were lost, but miraculously, no injuries were reported.