Pittsburgh weather (York, Oil City, Austin: house, employment, casino)

[Katarina Witt]

Here in Colorado the weather is wierd, but we expect it to be that way. 70 degrees on New Year's Day and 70 on the 4th of July is not uncommon in metro Denver.

Acutally, back to Pittsburgh's weather, I don't think it is too bad, except for the gloom. Temps are pretty moderate, in my opinion. You haven't seen bitter cold till you've spent a winter in the midwest, even Illinois. So what to do? I have no answers.

[Need_affordable_home]

Originally Posted by sealerpal

A couple of years ago I was down in Houston and it snowed almost a foot...IN HOUSTON!

Either thats a gross exaggeration or a major record(miracle even). Can you prove this? I didnt think it can even snow in Houston, let alone this much!


Were supposed to get 90-100 degree weather here in south FL in the summer. Gonna be one of the hottest summers and in scared

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

Either thats a gross exaggeration or a major record(miracle even). Can you prove this? I didnt think it can even snow in Houston, let alone this much!

It Christmas Eve 2004: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/projects/xmasevesnow04.htm (broken link)

[Need_affordable_home]

with accumulations in Houston generally ranging from a dusting to around an inch.

That is nowhere 12 inches. 12 inches fell but not in Houston.

[sealerpal]

We were running around all over that day, so I don't know exactly where we were. Granted, we were not in downtown Houston, but still close enough. It was funny to see how everyone reacted. Especially on the roads. At least the kids who live there and may never move away got to see what snow was like, if for only a short time. That was nice.

[RachelleP]

I live in Los Angeles(it's 75 degrees right now)and am considering a move to Pittsburgh because of the much lower home prices.Am I nuts to think my family can handle the Pittsburgh weather?We have only had like 3 inches of rain in the last 6 months or so.Is it really that bad?

[claremarie]

Yes, it is really that bad.
There is a 50% chance of precipitation on any given day in Pittsburgh.
It is the 3rd most cloudy city in the country. Only Seattle and Rochester NY (or perhaps Buffalo) have more cloudy days than Pittsburgh.
And it's not just gloomy and grey in the winter. Many summer days start out with sun, but cloud over long before lunchtime. I can remember many a childhood "summer" day freezing at North Park pool.
There is a reason that the housing prices are much lower in Pittsburgh.....
If you're tired of endless sunshine, then by all means move to Pittsburgh!

[RachelleP]

Thanks Claremarie for the reality check...know of any place that is warmer(than Pittsburgh) and inexpensive :-)

[sealerpal]

Originally Posted by claremarie

Yes, it is really that bad.

Yes, claremarie is correct. The weather here is horrific. There is almost always some form of water falling from the sky. Usually it's of the "light" variety though. I drive quite a bit for my work, and I have to change windshield wiper motors almost as much as I change the wipers themselves...which is about once every two months. An actual "sunny day" with zero clouds is about as rare as seeing a leprechaun.

The rain, even in the summertime, is bone-chilling. For about two weeks in the heat of July you may find it refreshing. Aside from that it's numbingly cold. Also, during those couple of hot weeks usually in mid-July, when it rains it gets very humid. It makes breathing difficult for many people.

Winters are also incredibly long here. It starts "feeling like winter" in mid-late
October (leaves gone from trees, cold, damp, 100% overcast). Usually the snow and ice don't start until mid-January, but by that time you're happy to be seeing white instead of gray for a change. The "deep freeze" (temps constantly below freezing) usually lasts from mid-January until the first or second week of March. Then comes the mud and rain. Snow is still possible here until the end of April, although usually it's only a dusting or one-incher here and there. The trees do not bloom until late April/early May.

Springtime in Pittsburgh is infamously wet. While it might not be a downpour everyday, a day without some form of rain during the spring is a rare treat. Springtime is a little less overcast than winter, but sunshine is still very rare. It's not uncommon to have a couple of days even in May where high temps plummet into the 40's with lows in the 20's. However when that happens, they of course re-bound quickly because at that point the Earth is too close to the sun to support those cold temps for very long.

Summer is almost non-existent here, aside from those couple of "hot" weeks I mentioned before that occur in July. June is about the same as May. Wet, chilly, and overcast. July is our most pleasant month. I would say we might get 15 dry, warm days in July. Highs in July usually range from 70-80, but 90's
are possible, and do occur from time-to-time. Lows can range from the 60's to
the 40's. I've watched many 4th of July fireworks while wearing a jacket, and sometimes a winter coat.

August is a mixed bag. The beginning is usually nice like July, then it starts to
get crappy towards the end. The end of August usually ushers in our "Fall" type weather.

Our Fall is usually very wet. Almost as wet as Spring. It's also chilly...but I wouldn't describe it as downright cold. Again, it rains almost everyday in Fall. We have about 2 weeks where the leaves are "pretty". Then they are gone completely within a couple of days.

That's our weather!

[Need_affordable_home]

Are you serious? Is the weather that bad? I thought the weather up north was wonderful. Short summers so you dont stay hot for long then the falls are beautiful with highs of 60s and lows of 40s, not cold enough for heat or a heavy jacket. Winters are mild with temperatures in the 20s and sometimes teens. Rarely gets bitter cold. Then spring is wonderful with temperatures a few degrees cooler than falls. Whats so bad about rain? Keeps your skin nice and soft. One reason im not really interested in the midwest, its too dry.