When Could Pittsburgh See Its First Snowfall?

PITTSBURGH, PA - Those 85-degree days that were common as recently as last week in southwestern Pennsylvania are a thing of the past and likely won’t occur again until next May. In fact, we’ve now entered the portion of the fall calendar where, gulp, snowfall is possible.

The earliest measurable snow in Pittsburgh occurred twice on Oct. 18 , according to the National Weather Service. The area received 1.8 inches in 1972 and 1.3 inches in 1992.

Typically, the region receives an average of 0.4 inches of snow in October. But there are times when that average is greatly exceeded. Take Oct. 31, 1993, when 6.6 inches of snow fell. That was the largest October accumulation ever in Pittsburgh and gave trick-or-treaters a surrealistically Christmas feel to Halloween.

Also, 3 inches fell on Oct. 24, 1917; 2.2 inches accumulated on Oct. 22, 1925 and 2 inches fell on Oct. 30, 1925.

Could we see snow in October this year? Possibly. Temperatures have been below average for much of this week, and the National Weather Service expects that trend to continue through next week. Might want to keep your shovel handy.

File photo via Getty Images.

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