Pittsburgh - Hottest Decades

Ranked here are the hottest decades on record for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The lists include decades when Pittsburgh had the highest average temperatures, the most hot days and the fewest cold days. These extremes are for temperatures observed at Pittsburgh International Airport and cover seven decades, from the 1950s to the 2010s.

That is when Pittsburgh had weather measurements that are consistent and complete enough to compare decades. Each decade comprises a standard 10-year range. For instance, the 1990s includes measurements from Jan 1, 1990 to Dec 31, 1999. Links to the data behind these lists are in the References section on this page.

Hottest High Temperatures

Average daily maximum temperature at Pittsburgh
High °F Decade High °C
Highest 61.8 2010s 16.6
Runner-up 61.6 1990s 16.4

Warmest Low Temperatures

Average daily minimum temperature at Pittsburgh
Low °F Decade Low °C
Highest 43.3 2010s 6.3
Runner-up 42.4 1990s 5.8

Most Warm Days

Total days per year on average when Pittsburgh had temperatures of at least 70 °F (21 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 159 2010s
Runner-up 150 2000s, 1950s

Most Hot Days

Total days per year on average when Pittsburgh had temperatures of at least 90 °F (32 °C)
Days Decade
Highest 12 1990s
Runner-up 11 1950s

Fewest Freezing Days

Total days per year on average when Pittsburgh had temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 111 1990s
Runner-up 115 2010s, 2000s

Fewest Cold Days

Total days per year on average when Pittsburgh had temperatures of 0 °F (-18 °C) or lower
Days Decade
Lowest 1 2000s
Runner-up 2 1990s, 1950s

How Much Hotter are 2010s?

Compared with averages for the previous 50 years (1960 to 2009), the 2010s in Pittsburgh had:

  • 12 more days each year with temperatures of 70 °F and higher
  • 1.5 °F higher daily maximum temperatures (0.8 °C)
  • 2.0 °F higher daily minimum temperatures (1.1 °C)
  • 5 fewer days a year with freezing temperatures
References

Current Results. 2020. Pittsburgh PA Temperature Averages by Decade

Jay Lawrimore, Ron Ray, Scott Applequist, Bryant Korzeniewski, Matthew Menne. 2016. Global Summary of the Year, Version 1.0. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

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