Snowiest Day On Record: The Day Philly Saw The Most Snow

PHILADELPHIA — Only a few centenarians may remember April 15, 1921, the day it snowed 76 inches in Boulder County, Colorado. Snowfall records for a single day aren’t quite as impressive in Philadelphia, according to an analysis of government weather data.

Historical weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows every state in the country, even tropical Hawaii, has seen snow. A February 1936 storm that dumped 6½ inches of snow on Maui was impressive even by Midwest and Northeast standards. The only other time that Hawaii had an extreme snowfall was in December 1958, when the Big Island got 4½ inches.

In Philadelphia, the biggest one-day snowfall was 24 inches on Jan. 8, 1996. In Pennsylvania, the record goes to Wayne County, when it snowed 41 inches on Feb. 6, 1958.

That compares to records in neighboring counties:

• Chester County, 35.3 inches: Feb. 13, 1899
• Montgomery County, 30 inches: Jan. 8, 1996
• Delaware County, 27.6 inches: Jan. 7, 1996

With two months of winter left, there are plenty of chances to break those records. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted a cold, snowy winter throughout much of the United States, with at least seven big snowstorms from one coast to the other.

In our state, the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a "wet and wild" winter.

The competing Farmers’ Almanac predicts that the eastern two-thirds of the United States can expect a snowy ride through the rest of the winter.

In the short term, the seven-day National Weather Service forecast for our area calls for a chance of snow again next weekend, with cold temperatures and clear skies until then. Highs are expected to be in the 40s each day this week, with lows dipping down to a chilly 19 degrees Tuesday night and the 20s the rest of the week.

Friday night, forecasters call for a chance of rain before 1 a.m., then a chance of rain and snow between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. There's an 80 percent chance of rain on Saturday, followed by another chance of snow on Sunday.