Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade Snow Accumulation Possible

PITTSBURGH, PA — While it won't rival the historic storm that hit the city's St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1993, some forecasters already are predicting a late-winter event could impact this year's parade.

The Weather Channel is calling for 1 to 3 inches of snow for Pittsburgh on Saturday. State College-based AccuWeather is predicting a more modest accumulation of 1.4 inches. The National Weather Service hasn't yet offered a specific accumulation amount, but is calling for snow in its Saturday forecast.

Of course, the predicted amounts won't deter those marching in or watching the parade. It did not in 1993 when a record 23.6 inches of snow fell, much of it during the parade.

In addition to the possibility of bad weather, Allegheny County 911 dispatchers could go on a one-day strike the day of the parade. County officials have said contingency plans are in place if the walkout occurs.

Pittsburgh has one of the nation's largest St. Patrick's Day parades, with more than 200 marching
units, bands and floats. The event usually attracts between 200,000 to 350,000 spectators.

Afterwards, revelers typically flood bars in many city and county neighborhoods.

Be the first to know what's happening in your community and region. With a free Patch subscription, you'll always be up to date on local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe.