Pittsburgh Winter Categorized as "Extreme" by Climate Center

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According to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center, Pittsburgh's winter has been categorized as "extreme" based on factors like temperature, snowfall, and snow depth. The area has experienced a colder and snowier winter compared to average, with the recent winter storm and cold snap in late January pushing the season into the extreme category.

Why it matters

Pittsburgh's extreme winter conditions this year highlight the increasing variability and intensity of weather patterns in the region due to climate change. The classification could have implications for infrastructure, transportation, energy usage, and other aspects of daily life for residents.

The details

So far this winter, the average temperature in western Pennsylvania and the Upper Ohio Valley has been 26.6 degrees, making it the 22nd coldest on record. The region has also received 36.5 inches of snow, the 12th snowiest to date. A winter storm in late January, accompanied by several days of bitterly cold temperatures, including two record lows, was enough to push this winter into the "extreme" category based on the climate center's criteria.

• The winter storm occurred on January 25 and 26.
• Record low temperatures were set on Friday, January 27 and Saturday, January 28.

What’s next

The current "extreme" winter classification is not the final call, as the time series used by the climate center concludes at the end of May. Last year, the Pittsburgh area was near the edge of an "average" to "severe" winter at this point in the season.