, with very cold, snowy winters and warm to hot summers, during which there are quite frequent thunderstorms.
The city is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers (whose union gives birth to the Ohio River). The rivers flow at an altitude of 220 meters (720 feet), but many parts of the city are above 300 meters (1,000 ft). Lake Erie lies 180 km (110 mi) to the northwest.
most of the year, due to the constant clashes between the cold air masses coming down from Canada and the milder ones coming from the south. In summer, the quietest season, thunderstorms can break out in the afternoon.
of the coldest month (January) is of -1.8 °C (28.8 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 22.9 °C (73.2 °F).
amounts to 1,005 millimeters (39.6 inches) per year.
, from late November to early March, is very cold.
are frequent, and at times can be abundant. On average, 110 centimeters (44 inches) of snow fall per year. The heaviest snowfall in one day occurred on March 13, 1993, when 60 cm (23.5 in) of snow fell. However, the snowstorms that hit the east coast of the United States typically do not occur here.
are more intense, in fact, the temperature drops below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 °C) almost every year. The record cold, -30 °C (-22 °F), occurred in January 1994.
, from June to August, is hot and quite sunny, although thunderstorms can sometimes break out.
The summer in Pittsburgh is not as hot and humid as on the east coast or in the south of the United States, also due to the altitude, which slightly lowers the temperature compared to sea level.
, usually of short duration. Typically, the temperature reaches 33/35 °C (91/95 °F) on the hottest days of the year, although the record is 39 °C (102 °F), recorded in July 1988.
, from mid-March to May and from September to mid-November, are unsettled seasons, with fairly frequent rains and sudden changes in temperature. However, there are also stable and pleasant periods.
hours per year. The amount of sunshine is lower than that of New York and the east coast.
The best times to visit Pittsburgh are spring and fall, especially the months of May and September.
However, in summer it is generally not too hot, so after all you can also go in this season, especially in June and if you don't fear the heat.
From mid-October to early November, you can admire the beautiful colors of the trees losing their leaves (the phenomenon that is called
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-1.7 °C, with a minimum of
-5.9 °C and a maximum of
2.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-17 °C. However, it dropped to
-30 °C in January 1994.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
16.5 °C. However, it reached
22.2 °C in January 2002.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 17 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 3 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 31% of the time.
The average humidity is 72%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
14.4 kph.
February is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-0.3 °C, with a minimum of
-4.9 °C and a maximum of
4.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-15 °C. However, it dropped to
-23.3 °C in February 2015.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
17.5 °C. However, it reached
25.6 °C in February 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 14 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 36% of the time.
The average humidity is 68%.
The average wind speed is of
14.3 kph.
March is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4.3 °C, with a minimum of
-0.9 °C and a maximum of
9.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-11.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-20.6 °C in March 2015.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
23 °C. However, it reached
28 °C in March 1998.
Precipitation amounts to
80 mm, distributed over 14 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 42% of the time.
The average humidity is 63%.
The average wind speed is of
14.7 kph.
April is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10.9 °C, with a minimum of
4.8 °C and a maximum of
16.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4 °C. However, it dropped to
-8 °C in April 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27.5 °C. However, it reached
31 °C in April 2009.
Precipitation amounts to
85 mm, distributed over 14 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 46% of the time.
The average humidity is 58%.
The average wind speed is of
14.6 kph.
May is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
16.2 °C, with a minimum of
10.3 °C and a maximum of
22.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2 °C. However, it dropped to
-2.2 °C in May 2020.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
30.5 °C. However, it reached
33 °C in May 2006.
Precipitation amounts to
95 mm, distributed over 14 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 48% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
12 kph.
June is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20.8 °C, with a minimum of
15.2 °C and a maximum of
26.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
7 °C. However, it dropped to
3.9 °C in June 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32.5 °C. However, it reached
36.1 °C in June 1994.
Precipitation amounts to
105 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 0 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 54% of the time.
The average humidity is 68%.
The average wind speed is of
10.9 kph.
July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
22.9 °C, with a minimum of
17.4 °C and a maximum of
28.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
11.5 °C. However, it dropped to
8 °C in July 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33 °C. However, it reached
37.8 °C in July 1995.
Precipitation amounts to
110 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 40 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 56% of the time.
The average humidity is 68%.
The average wind speed is of
9.9 kph.
August is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
22.1 °C, with a minimum of
16.7 °C and a maximum of
27.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10.5 °C. However, it dropped to
8 °C in August 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32.5 °C. However, it reached
36.7 °C in August 1993.
Precipitation amounts to
90 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 54% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is of
9.3 kph.
September is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
18.3 °C, with a minimum of
12.7 °C and a maximum of
23.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
5.5 °C. However, it dropped to
1.7 °C in September 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31.5 °C. However, it reached
35 °C in September 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
85 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 53% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
9.7 kph.
October is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
11.9 °C, with a minimum of
6.5 °C and a maximum of
17.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1 °C. However, it dropped to
-5 °C in October 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
26.5 °C. However, it reached
31.7 °C in October 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 49% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
11.1 kph.
November is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
5.9 °C, with a minimum of
1.3 °C and a maximum of
10.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-7 °C. However, it dropped to
-11.7 °C in November 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
21.5 °C. However, it reached
26.1 °C in November 2003.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 3.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 33% of the time.
The average humidity is 68%.
The average wind speed is of
12.5 kph.
December is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
0.9 °C, with a minimum of
-2.9 °C and a maximum of
4.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-12 °C. However, it dropped to
-17.2 °C in December 2000.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
17 °C. However, it reached
22.8 °C in December 2001.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 15 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 20 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 2.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 26% of the time.
The average humidity is 73%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
13.3 kph.