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You getting desperate here Kat. 83F is the 'typical' high mark for both, and Minneapolis gets 2F higher on 'rare' occasions? Seems a very slim difference to me, and no indications on how these numbers are statistically derived. I expect better from you. What are the summer means/medians? That might be more revealing? I'm sure you can find these on NOAA and illuminate us. After all, you started it
Well, slap my hand, why don't you? You "expect better" from me? Have you ever been to Minneapolis in the summer? It can be pretty bad. Minneapolis has more 90 degree days on average than Pittsburgh. Number of Hot Days at US Cities in Summer - Current Results It's very humid there. The mosquitoes are dense and mean. It was 97 degrees the May day my daughter graduated from college in Northfield, just south of Minneapolis. Oh well, I was just agreeing that Pittsburgh has a pretty "tame" summer. But even when I agree with the prevailing opinion, I'm wrong and I could have done "better". What did I start? Not this dumb thread.
Quote:
Originally Posted by _Buster
well how can you not love a thread where people backhandedly suggest that Pittsburgh is a place where droughts are a big problem like in the west. In the same actual post where they are stating how cloudy and dreary it always is in Pittsburgh. Then when someone calls them on that obvious drought BS, they claim that they just don't understand "western water issues".
Really it doesn't get more ludicrous unless you go read a crack pipe forum or something.
1. I did not "backhandedly" suggest anything. I am, in fact, pretty straightforward. I was responding to someone who said Pittsburgh doesn't have droughts. I posted valid information. As one of your own illustrious posters once told me during a similar discussion (might even be embedded in this thread for all I know/care) a drought is a deficit in the expected precipitation.
What is a Drought? Definition of Droughts | LiveScience **Abnormally low rainfall is, of course, the primary cause of drought. But one can't say in general how little rainfall it takes for a region's Palmer index to sink into drought territory, because the index takes regional averages into account. For example, 20 inches of rainfall in a year is normal in West Texas, and would correspond to a Palmer index around 0; but 20 inches would be less than half the yearly average in Virginia, and would probably correspond to an index lower than -5.0, signifying an exceptional drought in the state.**
Please read and note that per the map, the western quarter of PA was in drought conditions in July of 2012 (as was most of the country). Your own media was calling the situation in Pittsburgh a drought.
2. Nor did I bring up western water issues, and then sanctimoniously declare that they couldn't be discussed b/c they don't pertain to Pittsburgh. Anyone who wants to discuss western water issues is free to visit this thread: //www.city-data.com/forum/color...out-water.html It was started about the same time as this inane Pittsburgh sunny days thread.
Quote:
Originally Posted by speagles84
Yeah agreed _Buster. Pittsburgh's droughts are the west's wet seasons, seriously. We never will run out of water.
Well, slap my hand, why don't you? You "expect better" from me? Have you ever been to Minneapolis in the summer? It can be pretty bad. Minneapolis has more 90 degree days on average than Pittsburgh. Number of Hot Days at US Cities in Summer - Current Results It's very humid there. The mosquitoes are dense and mean. It was 97 degrees the May day my daughter graduated from college in Northfield, just south of Minneapolis. Oh well, I was just agreeing that Pittsburgh has a pretty "tame" summer. But even when I agree with the prevailing opinion, I'm wrong and I could have done "better". What did I start? Not this dumb thread.
Sorry gorton, Kat is right here. Minnie is significantly hotter in the summer. No questions there. If you've spent time there, its warmer AND more humid. Like I said in my earlier post, few cities in the US have summers easier than Pittsburgh. 2+ million, only maybe Seattle and San Fran, just because they are on the coast.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
1. I did not "backhandedly" suggest anything. I am, in fact, pretty straightforward. I was responding to someone who said Pittsburgh doesn't have droughts. I posted valid information. As one of your own illustrious posters once told me during a similar discussion (might even be embedded in this thread for all I know/care) a drought is a deficit in the expected precipitation.
What is a Drought? Definition of Droughts | LiveScience **Abnormally low rainfall is, of course, the primary cause of drought. But one can't say in general how little rainfall it takes for a region's Palmer index to sink into drought territory, because the index takes regional averages into account. For example, 20 inches of rainfall in a year is normal in West Texas, and would correspond to a Palmer index around 0; but 20 inches would be less than half the yearly average in Virginia, and would probably correspond to an index lower than -5.0, signifying an exceptional drought in the state.**
Please read and note that per the map, the western quarter of PA was in drought conditions in July of 2012 (as was most of the country). Your own media was calling the situation in Pittsburgh a drought.
2. Nor did I bring up western water issues, and then sanctimoniously declare that they couldn't be discussed b/c they don't pertain to Pittsburgh. Anyone who wants to discuss western water issues is free to visit this thread: //www.city-data.com/forum/color...out-water.html It was started about the same time as this inane Pittsburgh sunny days thread.
I agreed with his early saying not this one. _Buster this one was out of line, sorry.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
Never say never.
Contradicting myself three times in one post, yes never say never is a good assumption here (at least in my lifetime [hopefully till 2080 ]). Pittsburgh, and the great lakes, sit above one of the best groundwater reservoirs in the nation, Kat.
Sorry, Kat is right here. Minnie is significantly hotter in the summer. No questions there. If you've spent time there, its warmer AND more humid. Like I said in my earlier post, few cities in the US have summers easier than Pittsburgh. 2+ million, only maybe Seattle and San Fran, just because they are on the coast.
I've only spent a week there in May outside of winter, so not really got much personal experience. I wasn't really arguing with Kat, just stating that on the numbers she quoted, the differences were absolutely minor (same averages, 3 days a year more above 90f). This certainly doesn't equate to significantly hotter, as you say above. And well, pulling a Kat on you , the numbers from the weather channel don't really bear out your assessment. Have a look at this delightful comparison.
I am happy to believe NOAA. Averages are essentially the same in summer, and MN gets on average 3 days a year more over 90f than here, and the record highs are a fair bit higher there. On average the highs are hotter here, but its cooler here at night. If that's significantly hotter in your book, then so be it. I'm good with that.
And playing with the link above, you might find local comparisons of Pittsburgh to places like Boston, Buffalo, New York,
Portland, and for the hell of it, even Denver and San Diego quite illuminating. Interpretations left to the reader ....
Last edited by gortonator; 02-13-2014 at 05:28 AM..
1. I did not "backhandedly" suggest anything. I am, in fact, pretty straightforward. I was responding to someone who said Pittsburgh doesn't have droughts. I posted valid information. As one of your own illustrious posters once told me during a similar discussion (might even be embedded in this thread for all I are that they couldn't be discussed b/c they don't pertain to Pittsburgh. Anyone who wants to discuss western water issues is free to visit this thread: //www.city-data.com/forum/color...out-water.html It was started about the same time as this inane Pittsburgh sunny days thread
Here is the post you responded to:
"I like the weather here. And in my mind a HUGE advantage we have over sunnier part of the country is that we don't have to worry about droughts. We have terrible problems with this in my home country and people try to move away from drought-impacted areas. Here people are moving to Colorado and Nevada and California. Americans do not seem as worried about this as they should be, in my opinion."
You were clearly responding in a lame attempt to pretend that people in Pittsburgh need to worry about droughts.
Nobody asked for a definition of a drought, or whether they occur in Pittsburgh. The whole point was it's not something people worry about causing big problems, whereas in the west it obviously is. You can try to hide behind semantics or definitions, but you are arguing around the point like a 5 year old.
But we just don't know much about western water issues.
Note these are not the only drought years, as this link is from 2012, which had a drought. It's hard to find this information. For one thing, even if you use the term "rain drought", you still get hits about the Pirates.
As I think you're suggesting, dry years may not necessarily result in droughts, and other years may be wetter but droughty, all depending on the distribution of the rainfall throughout the year. So I aprreciate the difficulty in finding this info, especially with the Pirates
But it does look like dry years are relatively infrequent aberations. Presumably these 13 were selected because they were below some threshold? Doesn't really matter, I guess .... and what's the bet these dry years were sunny
As I think you're suggesting, dry years may not necessarily result in droughts, and other years may be wetter but droughty, all depending on the distribution of the rainfall throughout the year. So I aprreciate the difficulty in finding this info, especially with the Pirates
But it does look like dry years are relatively infrequent aberations. Presumably these 13 were selected because they were below some threshold? Doesn't really matter, I guess .... and what's the bet these dry years were sunny
These are just the driest 13. I don't know how they came up with that number. Maybe someone just likes "13". You never know.
There was a great article in the Post Gazette a while back by Brett Yasko, a designer in Pittsburgh who decided to test the stats on Pittsburgh's number of sunny days per year. This should clear up all those questions about Pittsburgh's climate.
I figured i would get back on topic and comment on the OP's post. That article is a total crock. I also think an average of 59 sunny days/year seems a bit high. Do you honestly think we had 59 days last year that had NO overcast conditions or very few if any clouds in the sky? Just a sea of blue? Even when you combine our "partly cloudy" days, we still average less than 50% of days with moderate sunshine. It's mostly cloudy days with occasional peeks of sunshine throughout the day or totally gray days with no sun. Those are the FACTS. Pittsburgh's sunshine levels are similar to Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Seattle, Portland, Syracuse, Scranton etc. They all average less sunshine than national average 12 MONTHS a year. You might as well call them the nation's "Cloud Belt." On a worldwide scale, Pittsburgh may be in the middle for sun, but someone moving from an American city that receives only national average for sunshine will still find Pittsburgh very cloudy and gray. If you like sunshine, don't move here! If you like gloomy darkness, come on down
I figured i would get back on topic and comment on the OP's post. That article is a total crock. I also think an average of 59 sunny days/year seems a bit high. Do you honestly think we had 59 days last year that had NO overcast conditions or very few if any clouds in the sky?blah blah blah...
Yes we DID, and I experienced it myself. But by all means continue trolling away. Anyone arguing against the FACTS like the ones in that article are on the same level of the climate change deniers, for all I'm concerned.
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, the numbers from the weather channel don't really bear out your assessment. Have a look at this delightful comparison.
