Believe it or not, Pennsylvania winters are getting shorter

It’s hard to believe, what with the blizzards and extended stretches of freezing temps we’ve endured in the commonwealth this winter, but analysis from a climate research organization shows that winter in some Pa. cities is shorter than it was 30 years ago.

Believe it or not, Pennsylvania winters are getting shorter, according to a new report from climate research organization Climate Central.

You’d be well within your rights to greet that news with skepticism, given the blizzards and icy conditions we’ve endured across the commonwealth since the beginning of the new year—not to mention the extended stretch of sub-freezing (sub-zero when you factor in wind chill) temperatures. But according to Climate Central’s analysis, winters are getting shorter in many locations across the country, not just Pennsylvania, due to climate change. 

Climate Central defined “winter” as a city’s coldest 90 days of the year in a row during the 1970-1997 period, then compared the frequency of those temperatures during the 1998-2025 period.

Compared to the 1970-1997 period, winters are now, on average, nine days shorter in 80% of the 245 cities analyzed in the report.

Climate Central’s analysis found that winters in Erie are now 15 days shorter than they were during the 1970-1997 period, and 11 days shorter in Philadelphia. 

Elsewhere, Climate Central’s analysis showed that winters are now 4 days shorter in Allentown, 5 days shorter in Harrisburg, 3 days shorter in Pittsburgh, 8 days shorter in State College, and 7 days shorter in Wilkes-Barre.