Pennsylvania climate a moderate phenomenon
On any given day, temperatures across our state will vary widely.
Erie in the northwest corner of the state may be 20 degrees with fierce winds and heavy snow and, in the southeast, Philadelphia is 50 degrees and sunny.
As part of the Mid-Atlantic tier of states, we get much of our weather from alternating periods of cold and dry weather from Canada and warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. The clash of these two differing air masses produces a variety of interesting weather across our state.
In the summer, hot and humid air lingers a bit longer in the Southeast. Philadelphia averages some 23 days with temperatures of 90 degrees or better, while Pittsburgh averages 8 and Erie just 3. In the fall, the northern counties experience frost and freeze in early October, while Philadelphia sometimes holds off until late November. Snowflakes start falling in Erie in mid-October and again it can be late December before Philadelphia has their first snow.
Two features that contribute to the variety of weather over Pennsylvania are the mountains and Lake Erie. Wintertime precipitation is greatly enhanced by both of these features, and Lake Erie is responsible for much of the dreary winter skies we experience, especially in the western part of the state.
Cold dry air crossing the lake in the winter picks up moisture as it moves over the warmer body of water and when it encounters the hills and mountains of Western Pennsylvania, it deposits some impressive snowfalls. Areas east of the mountains generally don鈥檛 participate in these lake effect snows, and they experience much more sunshine and milder temperatures. Snowfall averages for the winter season are 81 inches in Erie, 40 inches in Pittsburgh and just 22 inches in Philadelphia.
Our Chalk Hill area just east of Uniontown receives on average of 88 inches of snow per season due to the increased elevation and the lake effect. The lake effect also enhances rainfall in the mountains with the total at Chalk Hill of 54 inches per year, while Pittsburgh averages 38 inches and Wellsboro on the east side of the mountains has the driest location in Pennsylvania with just 33 inches per year on average.
While Pennsylvania does get its share of a variety of weather and some extremes, we seem to get less of the bad stuff than other areas of the country. We have a few weeks of hot and humid and a few of cold and snowy, however, most of the year the climate is rather moderate and pleasant just as it has been for much of this year. Wildfires, droughts, floods, tornadoes and earthquakes seem to be in the news quite often, but usually are moderated by the time they reach Pennsylvania.
October is a great month to enjoy the outdoors in our state. The changing colors will begin in the northern counties this week and spread south and east by month蘑菇视频 end. Sunny days and cool nights are in the forecast with scattered frost later in the month.