TheClimateChanger

The Philadelphia "normal" was based on the mean of 44 years. We had plenty of data then.

Limiting the analysis to O'Hare records and including all the way back to 1958-59 [well before it became the official observation site], this would be the lowest tally on record at that location. The 10.4" figure for 1997-1998 is missing a number of days. Actual snowfall that winter was 29.6 inches. Interestingly, 3 of the 4 lowest seasonal totals since 1958-59 were the last three winters.

Haven't really been keeping up with this, but 2024-2025 still on pace for a top 5 finish. Current tally is 17.6 inches, giving a 0.4" cushion on current #5, a 0.6" cushion on #6 and 1.3" on #7. In any case, unless 2.2" falls, it will be the lowest official amount since 1948-49.

Not the same. Even in colonial times, they had fireplaces to keep warm. And it cost nothing to make a fire.

I extended this out to 1978, and it does indeed turn into a cooling trend at that time due to a series of cold years. One oddity - maximum temperatures still show a solid warming trend with linear regression, while minimum temperatures show a very large cooling trend. I suspect the maximum temperature trends are more reliable, and the minimum temperature trends are a result of changes in the siting and exposure of the instruments. That supports @chubbscontention of a cooling impact around 1970. I will say the Daily Local News is identified as the observer from ~1964 onwards. Did the location of their office change at some point in the 1970s?

Wow, and that month was an outright torch nationwide, with most of the Midwest from 9 to 12 degrees warmer than normal! For the record, this is before they started juicing the "normals" to disguise the secular warming trend from the public. So, Philadelphia's 57.3F was considered to be 6.5F above normal, whereas today, it would only be considered to be 2.8F above normal.

Florida and Texas were rural backwoods before A/C. Such temperatures were not just unpleasant, but deadly.

Keep in mind, many places in the world are much colder than America. My wife is from the United Kingdom, and even a very cold summer in Detroit would be considered oppressively hot there.

Here is 1922 to 1970, excluding 1957, 1967 & 1968 due to missing data. This looks like a solid warming trend, and this is during the so-called pause in global warming. And the observation time went from 5 pm EST to 6:30 EST / 5:30 EDT to 8 am EST, which would introduce a cooling bias. What do NOAA and the official @ChescoWx data sets show for this period?

From 1940 to 1970, there doesn't appear to be much of a trend. Slight cooling, likely do to change in observation time. From the beginning of this period through 1955/56, Saylor was the observer and he observed at 5:30 or 6:30 each day. Afterwards, Dean took over and the observation time moved to 8 am. Somewhere around 1964, the observer became "The Daily News" continuing observations at 8 am.

Where do you guys get your data for West Chester? Is it West Chester 2NW? xmACIS2 has the following values for that site. I excluded 1957, 1967 & 1968 since they all had entire months of missing data. Year Mean AVG Temperature Missing Count 1940 50.8 10 1941 53.6 8 1942 53.3 11 1943 53.5 2 1944 53.2 0 1945 53.6 0 1946 54.6 0 1947 53.3 0 1948 53.1 1 1949 55.7 2 1950 53.2 1 1951 54.1 0 1952 54.4 0 1953 55.6 0 1954 54.5 0 1955 54.3 15 1956 53.3 8 1957 M 113 1958 52.4 20 1959 54.9 13 1960 53.2 24 1961 52.5 10 1962 54.0 47 1963 50.8 7 1964 52.5 4 1965 52.1 4 1966 52.8 3 1967 M 154 1968 M 155 1969 52.9 4 1970 55.3 90

Very warm evening across the Ohio Valley, with temperatures in the upper 70s at 11 pm exceeding all records from the month of April for that hour. More akin to a warm July night than April 2nd.

Looks like a second round of severe weather possible overnight.

Exceptional warmth out of ahead of the line of thunderstorms. Might not see the typical weakening due to loss of diurnal heating. The temperature of 82F at Louisville is the highest ever observed at this hour in the month of April. Very impressive, considering its only April 2nd. Many other locations are within a degree or two of the highest temperature observed at the 10 o'clock (PM) hour in the month of April.

Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 1103 AM EDT Wed Apr 2 2025 OHZ039>041-048>050-057-058-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>022-029-073-074- 077-078-WVZ001-002-021715- Tuscarawas-Carroll-Columbiana-Coshocton-Harrison-Jefferson OH- Muskingum-Guernsey-Mercer-Venango-Forest-Lawrence-Butler-Clarion- Jefferson PA-Beaver-Allegheny-Armstrong-Washington-Westmoreland- Higher Elevations of Westmoreland-Indiana- Higher Elevations of Indiana-Hancock-Brooke- Including the cities of New Philadelphia, Dover, Carrollton, Malvern, East Liverpool, Salem, Columbiana, Coshocton, Cadiz, Steubenville, Zanesville, Cambridge, Sharon, Hermitage, Grove City, Oil City, Franklin, Tionesta, New Castle, Ellwood City, Butler, Clarion, Punxsutawney, Brookville, Aliquippa, Beaver Falls, Ambridge, Monaca, Pittsburgh Metro Area, Kittanning, Ford City, Washington, Canonsburg, Murrysville, Greensburg, New Kensington, Lower Burrell, Latrobe, Monessen, Ligonier, Donegal, Indiana, Armagh, Weirton, Follansbee, and Wellsburg 1103 AM EDT Wed Apr 2 2025 ...Thunderstorms with Small Hail Possible through Early this Afternoon... Scattered thunderstorms moving into the region through the mid- afternoon hours will bring the potential for small hail. Remain weather aware and seek shelter indoors until any strong thunderstorms pass. $$ MLB