It's Impossible To Forget These 5 Horrific Winter Storms That Have Gone Down In Pennsylvania History

Winter is always unpredictable in Pennsylvania. We can experience all four seasons in a single day or go weeks without even a snow flurry. When the forecast calls for snow, especially a snowstorm, most people flock to the stores to purchase their obligatory bread, milk, and toilet paper. That is, without a doubt, what Pennsylvanians in all corners of the state did prior to these epic winter storms in Pennsylvania. These absolutely incredible forces of nature made the history books for good reason – check them out, and let’s hope we never have to deal with anything like these storms again:

Flickr/valkyre131

We don't really name our snowstorms, but some are just so epic that they earn a nickname. The Blizzard of '93 is one such storm. It pummeled much of the East Coast between March 13 and 15. Nearly 50 Pennsylvanians died in the storm that dumped 12 inches of snow in Philadelphia in just 24 hours. In that same time period, Pittsburgh was slammed with 23.6 inches. During the two-day snowstorm, Harrisburg tallied 20 inches. The blizzard was so dangerous it shut down the Turnpike, schools, and businesses all across the state.

Flickr/Christopher Amrich

Just three years after the epic Blizzard of '93, another massive snowstorm swept through. The Blizzard of '96 struck on January 7, 1996. This time Philadelphia got hit the hardest, tallying 31 inches of snow in just 36 hours. Reading would come in a close second with 30 inches of snow. An estimated 80 Pennsylvanians died in the storm that also resulted in a crash of two PAT buses in Pittsburgh. The crash led to the injuries of 52 Pittsburghers. This was a terrifying winter storm that affected much of the northeastern United States, and it will never be forgotten.

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Flickr/saeru

Nicknamed Snowmageddon 2010 in some areas of Pennsylvania, the massive snowstorm swept through between February 5-6, 2010, which was quickly followed by another two-day storm. The storm crippled much of Pennsylvania, dumping as much as 35 inches of snow in Central Pennsylvania alone. Pittsburgh received 21 inches while Philadelphia got wallopped with more than 43 inches of snow. The New York Times called it a "snow storm part crippling and part enchanting", and honestly, we really love that description of events.

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Flickr/Via Tsuji

Erie didn't just score a white Christmas in 2017. It got itself a historic snowstorm that shattered all snow records in Pennsylvania. The snow started falling on Christmas Eve in 2017 and kept right on snowing through December 27. When all was said and done, Erie had to dig out from 65 inches of snow. If you think that was a lot, just three days later, on December 30, another storm dumped 17.7 more inches on Erie. The winter-weary city saw 83.8 inches of snow in just five days. To put that in perspective, Erie usually tallies 100 inches of snow in one winter. This event went down in history as the largest snowfall in Pennsylvania and it remains legendary to this day.

Flickr/Thomas

Let's turn back the clock decades for our final of the worst winter storms in Pennsylvania. The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 struck between November 23 and 30, 1950, which also happened to be Thanksgiving week. The Ohio Valley in Pennsylvania got hit the hardest, with Pittsburgh receiving 30.2 inches of snow. Erie was close behind with 28 inches.

Are there any other winter storms in Pennsylvania you’ll never forget? What would you call the worst snowstorms in Pennsylvania history? Let us know in the comments! Are you ready for winter? Just in case you’re not, here are ten things no one tells you about surviving winter in Pennsylvania.

For more amazing winter wonderlands in our little state, be sure to check out some of the most amazing winter hikes in PA, too.