Summer 2010 heat: a recap

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The weather stations throughout the area vary in average temp readings over time due to factors such as heat island effect or altitude/latitude.

Rural stations typically receive slightly colder readings and urban stations warmer. A better official weather station for those of us who live in or near the city, is Allegheny County Aiport which regularly posts readings a couple of degrees warmer than Pittsburgh International in the winter months.

Also as an example, in southwestern PA, daytime average January highs range from approximately 34F to 40F depending on where the station is. That can make a big difference between percip. falling as rain or snow. Very generally speaking, if you live closer to the city or a built up area or close to a river you will experience slightly warmer average temps (up to five degrees) than if you live in the country in a rural area.

In the record freeze of January1994 the Pittsburgh airport recorded an all time low of -22F while the Emsworth Lock weather station reported only -13F. That is almost ten degrees difference due to Emsworths location near the city and on the river.

Downtown (if there were actually a weather station there ) would have surely recorded an even milder temp that night. On hot summer nights, heavily built-up urban areas such as downtown and Oakland, and southside etc truly can be 10 degrees or more warmer than the airport's official low reading.

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Originally Posted by Little Mizz Pittsburgh

Me too. I was FREEZING, on Saturday, when it was 65 degrees out..omg.

65!? Man, it was 60 yesterday, and it was SO nice!!! It lasted two days. I'm speaking from a time when temperatures haven't gone above 40 or even 30 degrees for months... I hate Winter. Bah humbug.