Why is this winter so long? (Pittsburgh, Beaver Falls: home, wedding, high school)

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

I bolded that because the second, trout season, was more common than not, or at least flurries, for the first day when I lived up there. Snow at Halloween wasn't as common but not rare either.

As someone mentioned, this winter for you is more along the long term norm than not.

My childhood was filled with memories of having to choose a Halloween costume that would fit over a snowsuit.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

My childhood was filled with memories of having to choose a Halloween costume that would fit over a snowsuit.

Oh, yeah. But not as often as first day of trout.

Oh, a website with freeze dates:

https://davesgarden.com/guides/freez...q=pittsburgh#b

and a map:

Pennsylvania Interactive Average Last Frost Date Map

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

My childhood was filled with memories of having to choose a Halloween costume that would fit over a snowsuit.

Not mine in Beaver Falls. In fact, with the costume and the mask, it was often kind of hot in those costumes. The average high/low on October 31 in Pittsburgh is 60/37.
https://www.wunderground.com/history...ic=&reqdb.wmo=

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

What I described was both the median and mean (average) in this case. Average can be skewed by extremes, but if there are extremes on both ends (as Johnny C was describing with going from cold to heat without a moderate "spring"), the average won't be skewed. The variance will be high, but that's something different again.

"Average" temps are derived from years, decades really, of data, so the extremes flatten out over time. In April in Pittsburgh, the average increases by 11 degrees from the 1st to the 30th.
https://www.wunderground.com/history...yCalendar.html

[sky329]

John Snow and Khaleesi are standing at the west end overlook.. and John says to her “the winter is here”

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

"Average" temps are derived from years, decades really, of data, so the extremes flatten out over time. In April in Pittsburgh, the average increases by 11 degrees from the 1st to the 30th.
https://www.wunderground.com/history...yCalendar.html

They could (and do in other places) list the median temperature over decades of data. The extremes could flatten out over time with more data, but not always. Your link doesn't give enough information to tell. If April has more extreme temperatures than, for example, July, it will not flatten out as much. If the extremes are both high and low, the median and the mean will not differ by much.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

"Average" temps are derived from years, decades really, of data, so the extremes flatten out over time. In April in Pittsburgh, the average increases by 11 degrees from the 1st to the 30th.
https://www.wunderground.com/history...yCalendar.html

Very interesting, thanks for sharing! I was able to look at the weather on Halloween through my trick-or-treating years from about ages 4 to 11 and it looks like it only snowed on Halloween one time in that window.

Another interesting tidbit, it snowed on October 12, 1989 and also on April 17, 1990. That is a winter of Minneapolis length! (Though definitely not Minneapolis severity in terms of temps)...

[_Buster]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

Very interesting, thanks for sharing! I was able to look at the weather on Halloween through my trick-or-treating years from about ages 4 to 11 and it looks like it only snowed on Halloween one time in that window.

Another interesting tidbit, it snowed on October 12, 1989 and also on April 17, 1990. That is a winter of Minneapolis length! (Though definitely not Minneapolis severity in terms of temps)...

Don't complain - in Minnesota they occasionally get real snow accumulation in MAY

Historical May Snow Events in Twin Cities

[Debbie1125]

People don't say anything when Summer extends itself into October and sometimes November.

I would rather have below normal temperatures because once that heat arrives, it sticks around for at least 5 months.

Overall, we seem to be losing the 2 best seasons: Fall and Spring.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Debbie1125

Overall, we seem to be losing the 2 best seasons: Fall and Spring.

Maybe. I've lived here for eight years. I still think we have lovely Fall seasons.

Spring, which is my favorite season? I can't think of many years that I've lived here where I've said to myself "What a nice Spring!" because they've all been far too brief.

It seems like this year will be no exception. It won't feel like Spring until the end of April, and then by mid-June the heat will be on full blast.