Usually the eastern states do better than that, too. It's uncommon for the major highways like interstates to close, and rarer still for them to remain closed for too long. I guess the problems in this case may be compounded by a semi truck or two wedged sideways across the road, and maybe in a location or position such that recovery is really difficult.
Sometimes it's not the amount of snow that makes the biggest difference, but its consistency and temperature. An inch or two of slushy snow that then freezes into ice is rather more treacherous than a foot of powder.
Mind you, I'm not suggesting that the Pennsylvania DOT is in any way covering themselves in glory here!
