What are the biggest snowstorms in Philadelphia area history?
Philadelphia's top snowstorms ahead of possible weekend snow
Could this weekend's storm make history? It's still unclear how much will actually fall, but it's been years since the Philadelphia region's seen record-setting snow.
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia area is bracing for a powerful winter storm that has the potential to bring significant snowfall for the first time this year.
Could this weekend's storm make history? It's still unclear how much will actually fall, but it's been years since the region's last record-setting snow.
Historic snowfalls
The backstory:
Here's a look back at some of the biggest snowfalls in the Philadelphia area.
Philadelphia
The Blizzard of January 1996 dropped 30.7 inches across the city, shutting down the city and paralyzing the region, eventually leading to the emergency dumping of snow in local rivers.
UNITED STATES - JANUARY 09: Trucks and a payloader dump snow into the frozen Schuylkill River, as Philadelphia tries to dig out from a blizzard. (Photo by Harry Hamburg/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
The 1996 blizzard eclipsed the city's previous record, which was set in February 1983, when one of several storms exceeded 21 inches of snow.
The latest historic snowfall happened in February 2010, when the city saw 28.5 inches pile on the ground.
In December 2009, Philadelphia experienced one of its largest December snow storms when 23.2 inches fell over two days.
Delaware
Delaware has seen its greatest amounts of snow in February, with the largest snowfall bringing about 25 inches to Kent County on February 19, 1979.
In February 1899, Sussex County saw 24 inches fall; while about 22.5 inches fell in New Castle County in February 2010.
Top Philadelphia snowfalls
By the numbers:
The largest snowfall in Philadelphia remains at just over 30 inches. However, several other storms have recorded 20 or more inches of snow.
- January 6–8, 1996: 30.7 inches
- February 5–6, 2010: 28.5 inches
- December 19–20, 2009: 23.2 inches
- January 22–23, 2016: 22.4 inches
- February 11–12, 1983: 21.3 inches
- December 25–26, 1909: 21 inches
Philly snow forecast: Measurable snowfall expected this weekend with bitter cold temps
Philadelphia is bracing for a significant snow storm that could bring bitterly cold temperatures and measurable snowfall accumulations to our area this weekend.
Another historic snowstorm?
What's next:
A significant snow storm could bring bitterly cold temperatures and measurable snowfall accumulations this weekend.
Philadelphia and surrounding areas have an 80% chance of seeing at least 6 inches of snow by Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Wednesday morning, snow totals and the specific timing of the storm are undetermined.
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the FOX 29 Weather Team and previous reporting,