‘Rare’ Avalanche Leaves Pennsylvania Road ‘Impassable’ During Winter Storm Fern

Extreme winter weather from Winter Storm Fern triggered an unusual avalanche in Pennsylvania, temporarily shutting down a road in Luzerne County.

Authorities were notified on Sunday, Jan. 25, around 2:30 p.m. about an avalanche blocking Coxton Road, according to Duryea Fire and Police in a Facebook post. Responders arrived to find a “large snow slide” — also known as an avalanche — about 1.5 miles from the Lackawanna County border, covering both lanes and stopping traffic.

Snow slides of this severity are uncommon in Pennsylvania, Fox29 reported. The outlet noted that Luzerne County recorded an estimated 12 to 16 inches of snow accumulation.

Officials said no vehicles were damaged, but the roadway was left “impassable.” Drivers were asked to avoid the area unless travel was “absolutely necessary,” Duryea Fire and Police said.

A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation crew was sent out soon after and cleared the road, making it passable again. However, Duryea Fire and Police warned that parts of the route remained “very narrow” due to “snow drifts accumulated on either side.”

Following the incident, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation issued a reminder about winter driving dangers, noting that snowy, slushy, or ice-covered roadways led to 8,329 crashes, 29 fatalities, and 2,959 injuries last winter.

“Eleven of the people who died weren’t wearing a seat belt, and 17 of the fatalities were in crashes where a driver was going too fast for conditions and drove out of their lane,” the warning said.

Winter Storm Fern has brought dangerous cold, snow, and ice across large portions of the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of customers remained without power, and by the time of publication, at least 30 storm-related deaths had been reported nationwide, according to the Associated Press.