This month was Pittsburgh's least snowiest February on record
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - We've arrived at the end of February 2023. The start of meteorological spring is Wednesday, March 1, and the arrival of astronomical spring is merely a few weeks away.
Nobody is waiting around for the calendar to mark that event because we've already enjoyed shorts and t-shirt weather so many days during this wild and mild winter.
February 2023 will go into the record books for several reasons, but first on the list is for the lack of snow. February 2023 is now officially the least snowiest February on record in Pittsburgh with a paltry 0.2 inches measured for the month. While some folks north of Allegheny County and closer to I-80 did pick up a couple more inches of snow over the past month, the official measurement for Pittsburgh stands at 0.2 inches of snow.
The previous record was set in 1909 when a mere 0.5 inches of snow fell that February. If you're wondering, the most snow ever measured in Pittsburgh in February was in 2010 when a whopping 48.7 inches of the white stuff blanketed the area.
For the month, Pittsburgh is 11.1 inches below normal for snowfall. For the entire season, that deficit stands at more than 20 inches.
As for temperature, it's been a very warm month. Pittsburgh wound up with an average monthly temperature in January that was 8.1 degrees warmer than normal. February is rivaling that with an average temperature for the month standing at 39.6 degrees. That is 8.3 degrees warmer than normal and ties 1882 for the fifth warmest February on record in Pittsburgh.
The warmest February on record in Pittsburgh happened back in 1871 with a monthly average temperature of 42.7 degrees.
If that's not enough warm winter data for you, here's another weird fact: We hit 70 degrees or warmer for a daytime high three times in February. That is the first time we've ever measured that many 70-plus degree days in Pittsburgh in February. Those high temperatures were 70 on Feb. 9, 71 on Feb. 15 and 70 on Feb. 23. 4 For reference, Pittsburgh historically only sees a temperature above 70 degrees about once every ten years.
The warmest temperature recorded in Pittsburgh in February ever was 78 degrees in 2018 and we hit 76 degrees a day in February 2016.
As we begin March, it looks like it will come in like a lamb with highs in the 60s and sunshine with above normal highs again Thursday. Don't let that fool you, however, as we know all too well that March around here can turn cool, wet and even snowy.
If you're just too used to the warm temperatures and ready for spring to even think about a chance for snow this month, here's a warm March fact for you: The warmest temperature recorded so early in the year in Pittsburgh was 78 degrees back on March 5 in 2004.
