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Frozen Pittsburgh sees second-coldest February on record

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Old Man Winter’s last gasp of sub-zero temperatures early Saturday morning put a chill on Western Pennsylvania to help make it the second-coldest February on record.

The average temperature of 18.9 degrees through the first 27 days of the month – with that number expected to drop even more with a minus 6-degree forecast early Saturday – puts February just behind 1979’s 18-degree average as the coldest in recorded Pittsburgh history.

“It may drop a little bit depending on how low we get,” said Alicia Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. “But we’re most likely not going to reach the coldest February.”

She predicted the final average number for February to come in at 18.5 degrees with Saturday’s high expected to only hit the mid-20s.

“We’ve had a very large trough over the eastern half of the United States that has been locked in for a very long time with a ridge out to the west,” Miller said. “Those places out there are seeing much warmer temps. Because of our weather patterns, it keeps reinforcing the cold air the entire time.”

But help is right around the corner, Miller said, as March rolls in like a lamb with the high expected to be in the mid-40s Tuesday.

“That will be like a heat wave compared to what we had,” Miller said. “But after that, we get back into cooler temperatures as the week continues.”

The coldest average temperature recorded for February in Washington occurred in 2007 with 19.2 degrees, according to weather service statistics. The coldest-ever average temperature in Washington was 10.3 degrees in January 1977. Waynesburg’s coldest average monthly temperature occurred in February 1978 with a reading of 17.8 degrees.

Even with the historically chilly readings this February, Miller said there’s one bright spot for those waiting for the thaw: This season’s snowfall thus far pales in comparison to last winter. With 37 inches of snow so far – nearly five inches above normal – this region has experienced about 21 inches less than last season.

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