Pennsylvania State Climate Records

NOTE: In general, these records represent official observations only, which generally started in 1888, but include a few stations from earlier years. Before the Civil War, the popular press repeatedly noted major off-season snowfalls in excess of these posted records and prior to the opening of most official stations. No official records exist for the "year without a summer," 1816, or any of the years in that decade, also exceptionally cold.

* On July 17, 1942, a great flood developed over the Smethport area, resulting in an estimated 34.50" of rain--in just one day, including 30.60" in only six hours, setting a world record. The official observing site, Smethport Highway Shed, reported only 13.08" for the entire month, because the flood consumed the guage after 6.68" of rain. The total results from the substitution of the official estimated amount for the amount measured. In July 1947, portions of Erie suffered a twenty-inch one-day deluge, although the reporting site received substantially less precipitation. The most rainfall officially recorded in July at an official reporting site is 17.89" at Wild Creek Reservoir, Carbon County in 1945--also during that same decade.