First Snow in Pennsylvania: The Earliest & Latest First Snows on Record

Do you know when the first snow in Pennsylvania typically happens and what you might expect from their winter season? How much snow falls in Pennsylvania on average, and what about during years of abnormal weather? If you are planning a move to the great state of Pennsylvania, you may want to know how much it snows there!

In this article, we will go over everything you need to know about the first snow in Pennsylvania, including when the first few flakes start to fall. We’ll go over the average temperatures in this region as well as where you can go to enjoy the snow in Pennsylvania. Let’s get started and talk about winter in this state now. 

Understanding First Snow in Pennsylvania 

The state of Pennsylvania is divided by a large swathe of mountains, making the climate in this region particularly unique. For example, parts of Pennsylvania maintain an oceanic climate, given its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. However, other parts of the state are freezing for much of the wintertime, particularly the northern regions.

The average amount of snow seen by most of Pennsylvania ranges anywhere from 20 to over 100 inches. While this is a wide margin, it’s important to note that these numbers truly vary depending on where you are in the state. The Poconos Mountains, for example, are going to experience much more snowfall compared to the city of Philadelphia, located near the sea.

But when does snow typically fall in Pennsylvania? Let’s find out now!

Earliest and Latest Snowfalls in Pennsylvania 

When it comes to predicting the average first snowfall for the state of Pennsylvania, it typically happens during the middle to the end of November, if not the first week of December. However, there are always years that fall outside of these records. One such year is 2009, when the first snowfall in Pennsylvania occurred on October 15th. This is currently one of the earliest first snowfalls on record. 

In direct contrast, one of the latest first snowfalls that ever occurred in Pennsylvania was on December 17th, 2020. There are a number of first snowfall dates throughout the wintertime in Pennsylvania, so it is difficult to determine when the latest first snow occurred. There are enough varying weather conditions throughout the state that these dates are often random at best!

Largest and Smallest Snowfalls in Pennsylvania 

Given just how different various parts of the state of Pennsylvania are, snowfall amounts vary both annually as well as city by city. However, there are always years that stand out see, both in terms of the smallest and largest seasonal snowfall levels possible. When it comes to Pennsylvania, the largest and smallest snowfalls in the state’s history are vastly different from one another. 

For example, the smallest seasonal snowfall ever recorded in the state’s history was a mere five inches over the entire 2019 to 2020 season. By contrast, the 2009 to 2010 season, one decade prior, saw up to 217 inches of snowfall in a single season. This is data taken from two different locations in Pennsylvania, but it only goes to show you just how different the winters in Pennsylvania can be!  

Winter Temperatures in Pennsylvania 

The overall winter weather conditions in Pennsylvania deeply affect the state, given the fact that the northern regions border Canada and the southern regions border the Atlantic Ocean. However, the average winter temperatures in Pennsylvania range anywhere from 20 degrees Fahrenheit to over 45 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Southern locations are typically warmer compared to Northern regions, especially the city of Philadelphia. You can expect temperatures to be warmer here, but locations near the Great Lakes or even locations near the Poconos Mountains will be much colder and more likely to experience higher levels of snowfall as well! 

Winter Wildlife in Pennsylvania

Whether you plan on spending plenty of time in the great outdoors in Pennsylvania or not, you’re likely to run into some winter wildlife during this time of year. Animals are indeed active in Pennsylvania during the winter, particularly in national and state parks. Here are some of the animals that you may catch a glimpse of, depending on where your winter travel takes you: 

• Bats
• Red-tailed hawks
• Hares
• Black bears
• Canada geese
• Raccoons
• Minks
• Deer 
• Porcupines
• Foxes

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