Snowfall history / Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh snowfall history: biggest storms and recent winters
Pittsburgh International Airport, the official National Weather Service station for Pittsburgh, recorded 51.6 in of snow in winter 2025-26, which is 7.5 inches above the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 44.1 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 ranged from 16.3 in (2023-24) to 59.8 in (2017-18). These are totals at one station, and snowfall varies across the Pittsburgh area.
Updated October 6, 2026. By Weather Decision Solutions. All guides
Pittsburgh snowfall over the last three winters at Pittsburgh International
Each winter is counted from July 1 to June 30. The totals are National Weather Service observations at Pittsburgh International Airport, added up day by day.
| Winter | Snowfall at Pittsburgh International | NOAA 1991-2020 normal | Compared with normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 16.3 in | 44.1 in | 27.8 in below |
| 2024-25 | 34.0 in | 44.1 in | 10.1 in below |
| 2025-26 | 51.6 in | 44.1 in | 7.5 in above |
The normal is the NOAA 1991-2020 average season snowfall for the same station. Over the ten winters from 2016-17 through 2025-26, Pittsburgh International averaged 37.2 in a season.
The biggest Pittsburgh snowstorms of the last ten winters
These are the five largest storms at Pittsburgh International from winter 2016-17 through winter 2025-26. Each total is the heaviest three-day stretch of a storm, taken from daily observations, with no day counted twice. A storm that fell in one or two days shows the days it snowed.
| Rank | Dates | Snowfall at Pittsburgh International |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan. 25-27, 2026 | 12.0 in |
| 2 | Dec. 16-18, 2020 | 11.0 in |
| 3 | Mar. 20-21, 2018 | 10.5 in |
| 4 | Mar. 11-12, 2022 | 9.7 in |
| 5 | Jan. 16-18, 2022 | 9.5 in |
This is a ten-winter window, not the full record. For earlier storms, the National Weather Service Pittsburgh office keeps longer histories. The late-January 2026 storm measured 11.8 in at Pittsburgh International, covered in the January 24-26, 2026 recap. For the latest winter across major cities, see winter 2025-26 snowfall totals by city.
Why Pittsburgh snowfall varies across the metro
Western Pennsylvania has hills, valleys and ridges, and storms treat them differently. NWS Pittsburgh describes the January 16-17, 2022 storm this way. Heavy snow, in places more than a foot, fell along the Pennsylvania-Ohio border and northeast into northern Pennsylvania counties. A dry slot, with periods of sleet and freezing rain, cut snowfall to 3 to 6 inches near the foothills of the Laurel Ridges, and some topographic enhancement prolonged the snow at higher elevations.
A quieter storm can be much more even. For December 2, 2025, the office wrote that the placement and track of the low put a 3 to 5 inch snow band over just about the entire forecast area. Which of those patterns a storm follows depends on its track and on whether warm air reaches the ground.
The Pittsburgh International Airport station sits at about 1,200 feet above sea level, so its record is a good picture of the winter and only a rough guide to a neighborhood at a different elevation.
How to get the snow total for a specific Pittsburgh address
A Free Snow Report calculates the total for the street address and storm dates you enter, from nearby stations and trained observers, and emails it as two PDFs.
- Open the request page and verify your email. There is no password.
- Enter the street address, then pick the storm dates. One storm per report, up to three days, within the last ten years, and the last day must be at least two days ago.
- Get the Verified Report and the Full Report by email.
Each verified email gets three free reports. After that, a report is $39, and a ZIP pass covers many reports in one ZIP code for 12 months. Details are on the pricing page.
About these numbers
All station totals come from the official National Weather Service record for Pittsburgh International Airport, read through the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Where the preliminary climate report and the final archive differ by a few tenths on one day, this page uses the final archive. They are totals at one station. They are not an estimate for an address, and they are not a certified copy of the record. For certified copies, NOAA NCEI sells them through its data certification service.
Questions people ask
How much snow did Pittsburgh get last winter?
At Pittsburgh International Airport, the official National Weather Service station, winter 2025-26 (July 1 to June 30) brought 51.6 in of snow. That is 7.5 inches above the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 44.1 in. Snowfall changes across the metro, so a given neighborhood can differ from the station.
What are the Pittsburgh snowfall totals by year?
At Pittsburgh International Airport: 2023-24 16.3 in, 2024-25 34.0 in and 2025-26 51.6 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 averaged 37.2 in, from 16.3 in (2023-24) to 59.8 in (2017-18). For other years, use NWS NOWData or NOAA Climate Data Online.
What was the biggest snowstorm in Pittsburgh in the last ten years?
At Pittsburgh International, the largest three-day totals from 2016-17 to 2025-26 were Jan. 25-27, 2026 (12.0 in), Dec. 16-18, 2020 (11.0 in), Mar. 20-21, 2018 (10.5 in). This page covers those ten winters only. For earlier decades, use the National Weather Service Pittsburgh office.
What is the normal annual snowfall in Pittsburgh?
The NOAA 1991-2020 normal at Pittsburgh International Airport is 44.1 in a season. The last ten winters averaged 37.2 in.
Why do Pittsburgh snow totals vary by neighborhood?
Hills and ridges, and whether sleet or freezing rain mixes in, change the totals. NWS Pittsburgh reported that in the January 16-17, 2022 storm, a dry slot with sleet and freezing rain held some areas to 3 to 6 inches while other places received more than a foot, and higher elevations kept snowing longer. In other storms, such as December 2, 2025, a 3 to 5 inch band covered nearly the whole area.
Does the Pittsburgh International total apply to my address in the Pittsburgh area?
Not exactly. It is one measurement at one site. Snow can differ by several inches across a metro area in the same storm, depending on terrain, distance from water and where bands set up. For a specific property, a report for the street address calculates the total for that spot.
How do I find out how much snow fell at my address in Pittsburgh?
Request a Free Snow Report at freesnowreport.com/request. Enter the street address and the storm dates, and the total for that spot arrives by email as two PDFs. Each verified email gets three free reports, then a report is $39 or a ZIP pass covers many.
Where do these Pittsburgh snowfall numbers come from?
They are official National Weather Service observations at Pittsburgh International Airport, read from the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Normals are the NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
Sources
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers: ACIS station data (official National Weather Service records)
- National Weather Service: daily climate data (used to check season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: daily summaries archive (second check on season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
- National Weather Service: NOWData climate data
- National Weather Service Pittsburgh office
- National Weather Service Pittsburgh: January 16-17, 2022 winter storm review
- National Weather Service Pittsburgh: December 2, 2025 snow event
- NOAA NCEI: Climate Data Online