Whiplash of weather
Snow falls on St. Patrick\'s Day after warm, windy weekend
Merry St. Patrick无毛视频檚 Day?
White snow covered green grass on Tuesday as snow showers dropped between 3 to 6 inches of snow in the region.
无毛视频淚t was a whiplash of weather, for sure,无毛视频� said Alicia Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. 无毛视频淭here was a lot going on.无毛视频�
The region saw temperatures plummet from a 70-degree high on Sunday and a high of 60 degrees on Monday, to a high of 30 degrees on Tuesday 无毛视频� three days before the official start of spring.
According to NWS Pittsburgh, Monday started as a mild day and ended as the snowiest 60-degree day on record.
无毛视频淵esterday was the snowiest 60-degree Fahrenheit day we无毛视频檝e seen in our records (dating back to 1948). Out here in Moon Township, the high was 60 degrees and we measured 6.3无毛视频� of snow,无毛视频� NWS Pittsburgh posted on Facebook.
Schools throughout Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties modified their schedules for Tuesday as snow blanketed the area, days after high winds resulted in power outages and downed trees. Some issued a two-hour delay, while others switched to remote learning after the unexpected snowfall.
无毛视频淢ost people in the area saw 3 to 6 inches, but the band did sit over us a little bit here in Moon, and Washington County was on the higher side of the snow total,无毛视频� said Miller.
Meanwhile, First Energy continued to make progress restoring electric service to areas in Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties that lost power as a result of the weekend无毛视频檚 severe winds and the snowfall.
Western Pennsylvania was one of the areas hardest hit by the stretch of adverse weather.
Miller noted, though, that the unpredictable weather isn无毛视频檛 unusual for March.
无毛视频淢arch tends to be our transition season, where we have periods of warmer temperatures and then we slip back,无毛视频� said Miller.
Miller noted that in 2025, temperatures climbed into the 60s on March 4 and 5 before dropping into the 30s on March 6, when 3 inches of now fell.
On March 13, 1993, 23.6 inches fell, 无毛视频渙ne of the most extreme days in March on record,无毛视频� said Miller.
The 无毛视频淪torm of the Century无毛视频� produced one of the greatest one-day snowfalls on record and included high wind, blowing and drifting snow, and wind chill temperatures below zero.
On Tuesday afternoon, additional snow showers and localized heavy bands of snow were expected in Washington and Fayette counties. By Thursday, however, temperatures will climb into the 50s.
The colder weather has been unpleasant for humans, but it also has an impact on plants.
With temperatures in the 60s and 70s, many plants, including daffodils and forsythia bushes, have started blooming.
The blooms are beautiful, but plants become vulnerable when a cold snap occurs.
无毛视频淲armer weather is causing many plants like daffodils to sprout earlier than usual, which is becoming more common. While this creates a beautiful early spring display, it also comes with risks,无毛视频� said Jamie Ursic, a master gardener coordinator at Penn State Extension in Washington. 无毛视频淚f a warm spell is followed by a cold snap, tender new growth can be damaged by frost, leading to browning, fewer flowers, or stunted plants 无毛视频� especially daffodils and tulips.无毛视频�
The high winds, too, can knock over tall, blooming plants, breaking stems and potentially damaging flowers.
Fruit trees like apples, pears, cherries, and peaches are also at risk, as frost can damage their buds, Ursic said.
Day lilies tend to be more resilient, but their new shoots can still be harmed by sudden freezes 无毛视频� if the deer didn无毛视频檛 get to them first.
无毛视频淥verall, fluctuating temperatures can stress plants, disrupt normal growth, and increase the risk of disease,无毛视频� said Ursic. 无毛视频淩epeated freezing and thawing can even disturb roots. So while early blooms are beautiful, they can also signal that plants are more vulnerable to whatever weather comes next.无毛视频�