As we have witnessed over the last couple months, Greene County endures winters that are as unpredictable as they are dramatic. From historic snowstorms that buried roads and stalled lives to brutal cold snaps that tested human endurance, we have witnessed some memorable winter extremes.
I grew up listening to my parents’ generation always dismissing the latest blizzard as “nothing compared to the big Thanksgiving snow of 1950.” My family’s photo album had several old black and white photos of the event showing the snow piled high in the unplowed streets.
As it turns out, they were correct….. sort of. The most intense snowfall ever documented in Greene County occurred on November 25, 1950, when a powerful winter storm dropped 25 inches of snow in a single 24-hour period. (27.4 inches total from the three-day storm) This remarkable event still stands as the county’s 24-hour snowfall record.
For residents at the time, the storm wasn’t just a statistic. It was a life-altering experience. Schools closed, farm work ceased, and even essential travel became perilous as drifts built up and plows struggled to keep roads passable. Back then, with fewer snow-clearing machines and more reliance on human effort, communities depended on neighbors helping neighbors, forging winter memories that still get passed down through generations.
However, human nature being what it is, I’m sure that generation listened to their grandparents say that blizzard was nothing like the one in 1890. That storm dumped 25.9 inches from December 16–18, way before snowplows were around.
Although storms like the one in 1950 are rare, significant snow events have punctuated other winters as well. In January 1978, Greene County saw 20 inches of snow over a two-day period, contributing to a 35-inch monthly total. It was the heaviest January snowfall in decades. The combination of deep snow and strong winds made travel almost impossible.
Even spring isn’t immune from winter’s reach. In 1987, what meteorologists called “the worst April snowstorm in nearly a century” dropped about a foot of snow across the region. While this may seem modest compared to the 1950 record, its timing made it far more disruptive. Lawns and budding trees were suddenly buried, and spring hopes were put on hold.
Two years later, on March 7, 1989, the county was paralyzed by the worst ice storm in memory. Much of the country received a foot of snow, but southwestern Pennsylvania got ice. In the tri-county area over 8,100 homes were without power as lines snapped under the weight. Schools and businesses were closed for days, and the Mon River rose to dangerous levels because of jams.
I recall being stuck at home for three days. Fortunately, I was one of the few people in town who had power, but the cable was out. I binge watched (before that was a thing) the entire series of Lonesome Dove, which I had recorded on multiple VHS tapes.
However, I’m sure anyone over the age of 40 remembers March 12-14 of 1993. The “Storm of the Century” was no ordinary snow event. It was a Category 5 nor’easter that was extraordinary in scale and intensity. As it tracked up the Eastern Seaboard, it brought recordbreaking snow, hurricaneforce winds, and bitterly cold temperatures.
The 23.6 inches on March 13 remains the official record for the most snow Pittsburgh has ever received in one calendar day. However, I remember the totals around here substantially succeeded that amount.
In recent years, Greene County has continued to see notable winter storms. On February 5-6, 2010, 22.1 inches of snow fell overnight. What became known as Snowmageddon shut down the area and caused massive power outages for over a week. The one thing that stands out in my mind about that storm was the power returned for most people just in time to watch the Super Bowl.
That month, also had single day snowstorms that dumped 11 inches and 10 inches respectively, making it our snowiest month ever. Schools went almost to the end of June to complete their required days.
Unsurprisingly, our three snowiest winters were 1950-51 (82 inches), 2009-2010 (77.4 inches), and 1992-93 (76.6 inches)
The cold that accompanies winter storms has its own history in Greene County. Data compiled for Greene County shows that record low temperatures in the area have dipped as low as -27 °F to -29.9 °F.
The 1980s and early 1990s were especially noteworthy for cold snaps. One particularly severe winter saw temperatures plunge to -18° F in January 1983, matching a record cold set in 1963.
Christmas Day, 1984 was especially brutal: temperatures fell to -12 °F, but wind-chill values plunged much lower (between -50°F and -70°F) enough to cause frostbite in minutes.
One thing I remember about that day is the fact that a group of young men always played a touch football game on Christmas Day called the Toilet Bowl. Despite the general absence of common sense in this group of men, even they cancelled the time-honored tradition due to the dangerously cold temperatures and spent the day around the tree with their families.
Another brutal cold spell the following month brought readings as low as -17 °F, again with severe wind chills.
Though our topography and location make our weather somewhat milder than the nearby Appalachians or northern plateau, we do see our rough patches. Modern plows, salt trucks, and improved forecasting mean fewer surprises when storms hit; however, the memory of historic snowfalls and bone-chilling cold remains part of the county’s lore.
