Winter in Pennsylvania can be downright brutal. Combine bitterly cold temperatures with consistent snow, and some winters earn their place in our memories as the worst of our lives. Pennsylvanians are tough, though, and we know how to adapt to those rough winter days. However, one January proved to be especially brutal. The coldest January in Pennsylvania wasn’t all that long ago.

Just a few days into 1994, Pennsylvania got a brutal taste of winter with all corners of the state experiencing frigid temperatures. That January is said to be the coldest in Pennsylvania history.
Flickr/camera_obscura (busy)
Only a week into the New Year, temperatures plunged in Philadelphia, leading to an epic ice storm that hit Eastern Pennsylvania and the East Coast on January 7-8, 1994. Philadelphia’s temperatures plummeted to a record-breaking -18 degrees Fahrenheit. That record stands to this day.
Flickr/Alex Brey
Residents of Harrisburg also endured a frigid January, with the daily temperature averaging just 20 degrees. However, those 20-degree days didn’t prepare locals for the temperature of -22 degrees Fahrenheit, a record that would occur on January 21.
Flickr/Jayme Frye

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Harrisburg residents were not alone. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, and in Pittsburgh, in particular, the temperature also dropped to -22 degrees Fahrenheit on January 19.
Flickr/Matt Niemi
As perhaps the snowiest town in Pennsylvania, Erie also experienced record-breaking cold in January 1994. The city recorded a temperature of -18 degrees Fahrenheit on January 19. The high that day came in at -4 degrees.
Flickr/Wayne
January has been notoriously cold throughout Pennsylvania’s history, but the coldest recorded temperature occurred on January 5, 1904. On that day in Smethport, the temperature plummeted to a brutal -42 degrees Fahrenheit.
Flickr/Jayme Frye

Do you remember what might be the coldest January in Pennsylvania? Share your memories in the comments! Despite the cold, Pennsylvania offers the perfect opportunity to get outdoors and explore during the winter. Consider a visit to the best winter town in Pennsylvania next time you’re looking for an adventure.

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