It's been a while: Philadelphia area hasn't seen 'significant snow' since 2018
PHILADELPHIA - With a looming Nor'easter packing the potential to drop up to a foot of snow in parts of the area Wednesday, it's worth noting that the area has not seen that much snow in quite a while.
The winters of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 were mostly calm in terms of frozen precipitation.
In fact, the last time we saw six or more inches of snow, what would be considered 'significant,' was back in the spring of 2018.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 21: Pedestrians walk through snow and high winds on March 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The fourth nor'easter in three weeks has forced school closures and flight cancellations on the second day of spring. (Photo by
The Philadelphia area recorded 6.7 inches on March 21 that year, as March snowfall has become increasingly common over the previous several years.
Snowfall in mid-December, before the official start of winter, is not completely unheard of. However, big storms like the one we could see this week are rare.
Currently, the record snowfall for Philadelphia on Dec. 16 is 7.1 inches, set back in 1896. The record for Dec. 17 is 7.3 inches, set in 1932.
The biggest December snowfall in Philadelphia was recorded on Dec. 19 back in 2009, when we saw 22.5 inches.
After a few less snowy winters, the National Weather Service has issued several safety reminders.
They shared travel safety information this week, as well as tips on what to keep in your car in case of an emergency.
____
For the latest local news, sports and weather, download the FOX 29 News app.
DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP
Sign up for emails from FOX 29, including our daily Good Day Digest newsletter