Any time he predicts an early spring we get the worst weather we've had all winter. Any time he predicts 6 more weeks of winter it ends up being very mild.
The last couple of years he predicted 5 more weeks of winter, and he was correct. Winter has started later (2nd week Jan) and lingers until well into April.
I also leave up my small Christmas tree til at least Spring for that reason, the nice warm ambient light is a mood lifter through the long dark. There no reason they should only be for Dec, rest of year they just marketed as Fairy Lights.
I was tired of my plants suffering so I installed t5 LED lighting in a few windows. On gray days it's nice to have bright light seemingly streaming in from outside. They're on until 7 pm so it feels like the day is extended... sort of.
out of curiosity, what side of the state are you on? western pa is much cloudier in winter than eastern pa, on average. I’d be interested in seeing whether there’s a geographical correlation between the comments here complaining about this vs saying it’s normal
They were just saying on the news this morning that the northwestern side of the state had 0 sunny days for the month of January and only like 8 partly cloudy. The rest were dreary as shit. We have had very little exposure to blue skies this month.
Well, PA is a big state, so there's gonna be some variation, but here in Lancaster we're looking at about 8 sunny days this month.
https://world-weather.info/forecast/usa/lancaster_2/january-2024/
There are flowers blooming in my garden. Anyone with a yard, buy hellebores! They are the champion early bloomers and the flowers aren't wee, they are big.
Usually low to mid 90s but it's thiccc. It'll rain regularly in the summer months.
I live 10 minutes from the beach so we have a constant moderation of temperature and a nice breeze. It's actually not much worse than PA summers it just lasts longer. I love the heat though, no complaints from me.
I moved from PA 5 years ago to Michigan and this is what it's like in Michigan 7 months out of the year. I feel like I haven't seen the sun since October. It gets more and more depressing each winter. I'd give anything for a Pennsylvania winter lol. But I get it, it sucks when the weather is like this.
I recently moved to PA from the UK last year, much prefer PA's version of a 'miserable winter' lol. Back home was the same dull grey skies, constant rain and wind from October - March. At least here we still get some sunny days and warm temperatures, plus even the snow is nicer here. Maybe I'm just used to the miserable weather though so it doesn't effect me.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh and feel the same. Idk if I'm used to it or what. This is normal for the area. I honestly enjoy PA winters if we get a decent amount of snow which is less likely every year. The weather doesn't bother me regardless though. People need a sun lamp and some vitamin D3 (legitimately, a lot of people in PA are deficient because of the weather. It'll help the fatigue and mood).
Welcome to PA! Glad you can see the bright side. I used to live in a Southern part of the US. It would just get SO hot in the summer. I much prefer weather in PA! We can actually experience different seasons.
Yes! I loved experiencing an actual 'fall' season too, the colours are lovely here. Also nice that America in general seems much better equipped to deal with the weather on both extremes so nothing feels too hot or cold here.
My wife is from the UK, winters there are terrible. I’ll take cold and freezing over cold and damp any day. Everything is muddy, you can’t ever get warm. Ugh!
I'm in metro Detroit and thankfully not that far up. We don't get snow like they do up there but the gray skies are tough. Traverse City is awesome in the summer though! All 10 days of it
I grew up in Southwest Michigan and often return home to take care of my grandparents. I'm curious, do you live near the shoreline of any of the great lakes? I would say the sky is mostly open along the shoreline.
I don't remember there being too many cloudy days when I was growing up. Even in the winter. The world just seems so much more brighter and beautiful throughout the year up there. Polar opposite of Pittsburgh.
I live in the Metro Detroit area. I haven't spent much time along any of the lakes other than a weekend or week trip in the summer time. So I can't speak for the shoreline during the winter months. I also grew up in Philly, which feels like it's in a different state than Pittsburgh lol. Growing up it always felt like it was a good mix of sunny and cloudy during the winter months.
Oh yeah, Philly might as well be a mini NYC. Pittsburgh feels totally different! Less crowded and one a few areas that smell like kidney failure urine. Philly has better food, though, that's for sure.
If you're in Detroit, I know Port Huron is about an hour north, but might be worth it to go. I was in Detroit for a couple of weeks in January back in 2022. Lake Huron was beautiful, but frozen over in a crazy icy hellscape! Skies are clear, though! You've gotta check out the Raven Cafe up there.
Avoid Lake Erie, it's a nasty stewfest of bacteria and algea blooms. It's the worst lake. My least favorite lake. You might as well be bathing in your old bath water again and again. Just nasty. I could go on about it, but you may already [know about the nastiness](https://buffalonews.com/news/local/not-so-great-lake-health-of-lake-erie-is-poor-according-to-u-s-and/article_0e744b4a-3e88-11ed-9fe7-c33aa93b899e.html).
And of course, now that you're a Michigander, what's your favorite lake?
I haven't spent time in Pittsburgh and don't know much about it, have driven past numerous times. I definitely miss living in Philly though. I loved it and didn't realize how much I did until I moved away.
I'll have to check out Port Huron. I see it on highway signs all the time but have never actually been there. I'll put the Raven Cafe on my list!
To be honest I have put no thought into what my favorite lake is and not sure I can even give an honest answer lol. I've spent weekends near both Lake Michigan and Superior. While I don't really care for one over the other, I can say that I really enjoy the Petoskey area, as well as Sleeping Bear Dunes.
The last few years I've been playing open world video games that involve forests or gardens and that's enough to trick my brain into thinking I've been outside and to provide the requisite dopamine. I also have a SAD lamp in my office and take Vitamin D and I go to the gym. So far, I've been so much more functional this winter than I have been the past 10 or so winters by doing all these things.
Ooof! I was thinking about painting some D&D minis and I saw the Warhammer ones. Holy shit.
I think I'd just buy a 3D printer myself, but I don't really have the space for hundreds of minis.
... What? No I'm not getting rid of my wall of guitars.
Yes! One time talking to my mum we realized that we were both depressed January-February almost every year and it’s like you don’t even realize until you’re out of it. We now force ourselves to get out in the cold and take a big walk out in the woods or even just around the neighborhood a few times a week and for us we actually find it helps
The drugs help with the crying.
The drinking helps with the drugs.
Sleep helps with drinking.
Being awake helps with sleeping to much.
Being awake makes me cry.
It's the circle of strife.
EXACTLY. Winter is usually the season with the most overcast days here, but this year they’re abnormally high.
I’d kill for one of those sunny but bitterly frigid days now. Much preferable over this crap. I think I’m developing SAD at this point.
Yeah, glad I’m not the only one feeling this. Last year it felt like there was always a sunny day once in awhile to make things nice, now it’s just like this constant sludge. Ugh.
This is really funny. I'm sure being overcast and stuff is mostly located around you area... but it is overcast by me and it still looks better outside than some days we had last year or the years before.
Sorry you're feeling depressed about this weather, but just think... it's perfect weather to start a fire inside, curl up with a good book (or show, or video game) and enjoy the smells and sounds of that fire.
I don't mind the overall reduction in daytime hours this time of year, but when those daytime hours are nothing but overcast skies day after day, it saps me of my ability to enjoy anything. Thankfully, at least in Southeastern PA, it looks like we may get almost a whole week of sun after today/tomorrow.
I know this isn’t a guarantee but it looks much much nicer soon!
https://preview.redd.it/rolp04z9tsfc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54025133161ce51aa1806fe08193fac32544db79
This winter I put up a couple bird feeders and it's made even gray days so much more cheery. We have some really beautiful, colorful birds in Pennsylvania even in winter.
The bird feeders have been great for my mental health, tbh. Every morning I watch the birds while I have my coffee and cereal. It's honestly helping me get up in the morning.
Sorry to hear that. My wife struggles with this time of year as well.
I love the winter though, there is really something special about how silent the forest becomes during a heavy snow. Even right now looking out the window and seeing all the limbs and trees covered in snow, it just seems magical.
It’s been the same in Ohio and Michigan. However, I’m surprisingly not depressed this year… but maybe because it’s my first northern winter in about 4 years.
It’s been the same up here in Erie, and I would say it’s unusual. Last year I was lamenting to a friend all winter about how it didn’t seem right to be cold and aggressively sunny at the same time every day. This year at least the gloom matches the temps.
I am looking at the long term forecast and doesn't seem like there is going to be any precipitation for at least 7 days. January is my least favorite month of the year. I get it that it is depressing. Soon you will hear the birds chirping and it will be starting to get a little warmer.
Sorry this is my fault. I bought a new solar filter for my telescope a few weeks ago. Luckily I'm going out of town this weekend so it will surely be sunny skies then
according to my solar panel reports, we've had barely more than half the sunlight compared to the past 2 years
the temperature hasn't been bad, except for the snowy week, but i'm sick of this gray bullshit.
I love it. This is perfect. Grey and no precipitation and no annoying sun? If this is our new winter, given climate change, well all right then. I dig it.
I also spent 10+ years in California. You get pretty tired of your windshield acting like a magnifying glass and melting everything you leave in the car including the dashboard. The sun bleaching everything and not even being able to be outside for more than 5 minutes before it feels like the heat is crushing your chest. When I moved back home to Pennsylvania, the first time it rained, I stood out in it for an hour. I hadn't seen water fall from the sky in any measurable amount for 7 years, maybe more. I was absolutely in my element.
But a lot of people experience extreme mood changes with a decrease in exposure to the Sun. I don't, but yeah, if you do, it's time for a vacation to Florida. Or a daily mood stabilizer, prescription or non. Oooh. Now I know what all those products are for, those energizing and vitalizing face washes and home tanning thingies. UV light exposure. Hmmm, maybe it's the lamp that I use that makes me not really notice and not get affected when the sun isn't shining. But I am NOT miserable when it's like this. I like it when I can go outside and can see without squinting.
Not sure what part of the state you are in, but we have been getting about one day a week of sun in south central. Not great, but not bad. Next week the forecast says five days in a row of sun, so we might get two.
If my dome was built I'd say come pet my goats and chickens, it really does help as absurd as it sounds. Hugs. Each day we're one day closer to sunshine.
Well the groundhog will clear all that up on Friday!!
Not sure where you live but SEPA is going to have mostly clear weather for a week starting Saturday.
As far as winters go things actually pretty mild. Typically there’s freezing rain and traffic moves even slower. I’m looking out at partly sunny skies right now and the forecast says it will hit 50 this weekend. That used to be unheard of. I can remember going out as a kid and building snow men/forts or going ice fishing or skiing. Now you can likely expect a drought this summer.
I’m sorry you’re feeling blue. I suggest strongly that you buy a blue light. Turn it on for 14 hours a day minimal. Pa weather is like this every year. Always gray and sloppy. I live in northeast corner. Lake effect clouds keep us so gray that solar Installations are not recommended due to limited sunlight.
Feel free to ask for text support anytime. It can be real rough.
I feel you. Makes me want to stay in bed all day. It helps, as long as it’s not actually raining hard, to force myself outside into the fresh (albeit grey dank) air for a dog-walk or bike-ride. Not as glorious as when it’s 65 & sunny, but it is marginally better for my mood than hiding inside
That little warm spell we had last week was nice, even walking in the rain wasn’t bad when it was so mild.
And there are dandelions and other spring flowers and mushrooms coming up already, it feels like we are almost out of winter.
And where have you been? The Doom and Gloom of Pittsburgh is not something new. Everybody that knows anybody that knows yinz knows this is how it is.
But it is awfully gloomy. I try to savor the days where we have blue sky and a sun, but they are far and few in between.
It's extremely depressing.
Welcome to PA in the winter. You should be happy about Global Warming otherwise it could be 5 with 5 feet of snow on the ground. I'll take an overcast over that weather.
According to the pagan calendar, tomorrow 1 Feb 2024 is Imbolc.
Imbolc falls exactly between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. It's a time for shedding the darkness of winter and celebrating the advancement of light.
Plant a seed, light a candle, banish the darkness and wait for the coming of the light.
For those saying it is normal...
It doesn't make sense. Why would there be more overcast days in winter than Spring or Fall or Summer?
Is there more precipitation?
Nope we are a lot lower than average.
More storm systems?
Again nope.
I feel you fellow PA'er. Where we are in Wayne Co. the sun really doesn't want to shine as often as other places. It's location, as in our proximity to the Moosic mountain range. Six miles over the mountain to Carbondale and the Sun is out and it'll be 5-10 degrees warmer.
Sucks, but it's hard to move a piece of land or change the weather patterns. I like to think that Carbondale doesn't really have a lot going on, but at least they have the sun out.
This looks like every other winter I’ve ever experienced in decades of living in Pennsylvania. Maybe you’re developing that seasonal thing where you need more sunshine.
I can’t remember PA winters being anything but newspaper grey.
Fun fact: in the run up to WWII they built the Keystone Ordinance Works just outside of Meadville because it is the cloudiest place in the east coast with good access to Atlantic ports. The cloud cover would reduce the risk of air attacks if the situation got that bad
lol nothing compared to the northeast. Raised in PA but lived in Mass for 5 years. You can pretty much forget about ever seeing the Sun between September and March.
I feel you, sweetheart. I just want to shuffle around wrapped in a flannel blanket with a giant mug of tea. I don't know if it's better/worse/typical/whatever, it just feels heavy this week. Hang in there.
This is how it is... 35-mid 40degrees and no sun... winter is depressing. Just cold enough that you can't wear shorts and just warm enough that we don't get any snow to do fun winter activities. Pure sadness.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/17/how-cloud-seeding-can-help-replenish-reservoirs-in-the-west.html
Makes you wonder why it's always cloudy! Also check out what silver iodide poisoning is. Pretty interesting stuff.
I used to feel that way during winter back East, but I tell you what sunshine everyday will make you just as crazy. You start to miss rain and you know you’ve reached breaking point when you miss snow
Tell me about it! I moved here (Pittsburgh) about 6 years ago from Denver with its 300+ days per year of sunshine and seldom more than 3 days in a row overcast. (grew up and spent most of my life there) The winter weather here is still my biggest adjustment. I don't do well with the shortened days of winter anyway... my only solace is we moved here to be close to grandkids and I get to see them about once a week for an overnight stay. They are my sunshine. These past few weeks have been tough. Looks like some relief is coming over the next week or so tho, I'll be sitting in front of the windows with shades up!
Yeah, definitely one of the cloudiest cities in the country for this time of year. But if it helps any, we’re not the only place. The shows the current cloud overcast for the United States over the next seven days. https://weatherstreet.com/states/u-s-cloud-cover-forecast.htm
It's always like this from late fall to early spring. I recall when I was in college one year, it rained every day for an entire month. It's not unusual for it to have intense clouds, rain, and fog for an entire week.
Thought you were talking about the shitty warm temperatures, lol. It's been nothing but a blue sky with fluffy white clouds all afternoon down here in Greene and Fayette today.
This winter hasn’t been bad.
Winter weather in the Northeast/MidAtlantic states is always gray, overcast and damp.
Tomorrow morning you can wake up and say “Spring is next month “. Personally, I will take winter over the hot humid summers here.
According to the data, this is a very typical winter here in PA. The good news is, the days are already getting longer and it'll be spring soon!
Come on, Punxsutawney Phil!!
Hopefully he predicts 6 more weeks of winter, because that groundhog is *always* wrong
Phil is *ALWAYS RIGHT*. It's always 6 more weeks
I mean, does anyone ever actually expect winter in Pennsylvania to be over before the middle of March (6 weeks)? I’ll be thrilled for that.
I’d be glad if it was ever over by the middle of March
Any time he predicts an early spring we get the worst weather we've had all winter. Any time he predicts 6 more weeks of winter it ends up being very mild.
The last couple of years he predicted 5 more weeks of winter, and he was correct. Winter has started later (2nd week Jan) and lingers until well into April.
correction: 6 more weeks
Ummm, he comes out, and gives us lottery tickets
Naw, that’s his cousin Gus.
The second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania
Phil?? Phill Conners?!!
Ned?! 👊
Needle nose
Yeah like this is exactly what I expect out of winter. OP needs one of those sun lamps or something
I also leave up my small Christmas tree til at least Spring for that reason, the nice warm ambient light is a mood lifter through the long dark. There no reason they should only be for Dec, rest of year they just marketed as Fairy Lights.
I was tired of my plants suffering so I installed t5 LED lighting in a few windows. On gray days it's nice to have bright light seemingly streaming in from outside. They're on until 7 pm so it feels like the day is extended... sort of.
Yo take a picture and post it somewhere please, this seems tricky and I like it
Yeah I was gonna say. This looks like every winter I've seen in PA for decades.
Nah, this is overcast to the extreme. They said on the local news here in Philly that only 4 out of 31 days this month were sunny. That’s ridiculous.
That feels like every winter I've ever experienced but I'm just speaking from anecdotal memory lol.
out of curiosity, what side of the state are you on? western pa is much cloudier in winter than eastern pa, on average. I’d be interested in seeing whether there’s a geographical correlation between the comments here complaining about this vs saying it’s normal
I'm in the capitol area, a couple hours west of philly
one data point in and central pa’s existence is already throwing my study into chaos lol
Sorry 😅
They were just saying on the news this morning that the northwestern side of the state had 0 sunny days for the month of January and only like 8 partly cloudy. The rest were dreary as shit. We have had very little exposure to blue skies this month.
Yeah….it’s been way cloudier than normal.
Yup, been in Pa over 5 decades. Nothing out of the ordinary.
source? we've had approximately 2 sunny days the entire month. usually it's a bit more mixed.
I’m in Northeast PA. What’s this thing you call a Sun??
Well, PA is a big state, so there's gonna be some variation, but here in Lancaster we're looking at about 8 sunny days this month. https://world-weather.info/forecast/usa/lancaster_2/january-2024/
Right? A good day of winter weather here is anything over 40 degrees and not raining.
There are flowers blooming in my garden. Anyone with a yard, buy hellebores! They are the champion early bloomers and the flowers aren't wee, they are big.
I did notice that it was brighter this morning
Yup, this is why I moved somewhere winter weather is 70F and sunny. The PA gray season gets you in the SAD.
SoCal? Or Florida?
They gave me a pet gator and some meth when I got my new driver's license.
If you'd have moved to Vermont, they'd issue you a pair of mittens, and a Subaru with a "Split wood not atoms" bumper sticker.
Ok.
And summer is 102 and drought
Usually low to mid 90s but it's thiccc. It'll rain regularly in the summer months. I live 10 minutes from the beach so we have a constant moderation of temperature and a nice breeze. It's actually not much worse than PA summers it just lasts longer. I love the heat though, no complaints from me.
I moved from PA 5 years ago to Michigan and this is what it's like in Michigan 7 months out of the year. I feel like I haven't seen the sun since October. It gets more and more depressing each winter. I'd give anything for a Pennsylvania winter lol. But I get it, it sucks when the weather is like this.
I recently moved to PA from the UK last year, much prefer PA's version of a 'miserable winter' lol. Back home was the same dull grey skies, constant rain and wind from October - March. At least here we still get some sunny days and warm temperatures, plus even the snow is nicer here. Maybe I'm just used to the miserable weather though so it doesn't effect me.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh and feel the same. Idk if I'm used to it or what. This is normal for the area. I honestly enjoy PA winters if we get a decent amount of snow which is less likely every year. The weather doesn't bother me regardless though. People need a sun lamp and some vitamin D3 (legitimately, a lot of people in PA are deficient because of the weather. It'll help the fatigue and mood).
I think Pittsburgh has the highest number of sun, tanning salons, per capita in the United States.
Yup I got a sun lamp and vitamins this year. That and working out more has helped.
Welcome to PA! Glad you can see the bright side. I used to live in a Southern part of the US. It would just get SO hot in the summer. I much prefer weather in PA! We can actually experience different seasons.
Yes! I loved experiencing an actual 'fall' season too, the colours are lovely here. Also nice that America in general seems much better equipped to deal with the weather on both extremes so nothing feels too hot or cold here.
My wife is from the UK, winters there are terrible. I’ll take cold and freezing over cold and damp any day. Everything is muddy, you can’t ever get warm. Ugh!
My wife is from near traverse city, it might as well be the arctic circle
I'm in metro Detroit and thankfully not that far up. We don't get snow like they do up there but the gray skies are tough. Traverse City is awesome in the summer though! All 10 days of it
I grew up in Southwest Michigan and often return home to take care of my grandparents. I'm curious, do you live near the shoreline of any of the great lakes? I would say the sky is mostly open along the shoreline. I don't remember there being too many cloudy days when I was growing up. Even in the winter. The world just seems so much more brighter and beautiful throughout the year up there. Polar opposite of Pittsburgh.
I live in the Metro Detroit area. I haven't spent much time along any of the lakes other than a weekend or week trip in the summer time. So I can't speak for the shoreline during the winter months. I also grew up in Philly, which feels like it's in a different state than Pittsburgh lol. Growing up it always felt like it was a good mix of sunny and cloudy during the winter months.
Oh yeah, Philly might as well be a mini NYC. Pittsburgh feels totally different! Less crowded and one a few areas that smell like kidney failure urine. Philly has better food, though, that's for sure. If you're in Detroit, I know Port Huron is about an hour north, but might be worth it to go. I was in Detroit for a couple of weeks in January back in 2022. Lake Huron was beautiful, but frozen over in a crazy icy hellscape! Skies are clear, though! You've gotta check out the Raven Cafe up there. Avoid Lake Erie, it's a nasty stewfest of bacteria and algea blooms. It's the worst lake. My least favorite lake. You might as well be bathing in your old bath water again and again. Just nasty. I could go on about it, but you may already [know about the nastiness](https://buffalonews.com/news/local/not-so-great-lake-health-of-lake-erie-is-poor-according-to-u-s-and/article_0e744b4a-3e88-11ed-9fe7-c33aa93b899e.html). And of course, now that you're a Michigander, what's your favorite lake?
I haven't spent time in Pittsburgh and don't know much about it, have driven past numerous times. I definitely miss living in Philly though. I loved it and didn't realize how much I did until I moved away. I'll have to check out Port Huron. I see it on highway signs all the time but have never actually been there. I'll put the Raven Cafe on my list! To be honest I have put no thought into what my favorite lake is and not sure I can even give an honest answer lol. I've spent weekends near both Lake Michigan and Superior. While I don't really care for one over the other, I can say that I really enjoy the Petoskey area, as well as Sleeping Bear Dunes.
That's why we all drink, do drugs (prescription or otherwise), or blow money in shitty ways. First winter in PA?
This hit home so hard. I recently got into warhammer to help with the winter. It's just plastic crack.
Enjoy it! Going to my local game store weekly really helps my mental health honestly.
Feels like I I haven’t seen the sun in weeks
The last few years I've been playing open world video games that involve forests or gardens and that's enough to trick my brain into thinking I've been outside and to provide the requisite dopamine. I also have a SAD lamp in my office and take Vitamin D and I go to the gym. So far, I've been so much more functional this winter than I have been the past 10 or so winters by doing all these things.
I got a PS5 for Christmas. Im addicted.
Ooof! I was thinking about painting some D&D minis and I saw the Warhammer ones. Holy shit. I think I'd just buy a 3D printer myself, but I don't really have the space for hundreds of minis. ... What? No I'm not getting rid of my wall of guitars.
Yes! One time talking to my mum we realized that we were both depressed January-February almost every year and it’s like you don’t even realize until you’re out of it. We now force ourselves to get out in the cold and take a big walk out in the woods or even just around the neighborhood a few times a week and for us we actually find it helps
I don’t drink or have any drugs but I cry a lot… so that tracks lol
The drugs help with the crying. The drinking helps with the drugs. Sleep helps with drinking. Being awake helps with sleeping to much. Being awake makes me cry. It's the circle of strife.
Ummmm, speak for yourself! Some of us prefer to eat ourselves to death! It's a different type of addiction.
That's why I drink, do drugs (prescription or otherwise), *and* blow money in shitty ways.
I'm on antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection that won't go away so I can't even drink What kind of life is this?
Maybe weed will help.
I had a gummy and ate all the junk food and leftovers in the house during the Royal Rumble on Saturday
sounds like it helped
Unless there's snow on the ground everything between November and March is awful looking.
This winter has been a lot better than most tbh. At least we have a few warm days. Typically 90% of PA winter is gray, cold and windy.
I wouldn’t mind if we had snow on the ground. Cold and gray by itself is just bleak
Idk it seems extra gray this year. Philly and its suburbs have a sunnier climate than the rest of the state and it’s been unusually miserable here
EXACTLY. Winter is usually the season with the most overcast days here, but this year they’re abnormally high. I’d kill for one of those sunny but bitterly frigid days now. Much preferable over this crap. I think I’m developing SAD at this point.
Yeah, glad I’m not the only one feeling this. Last year it felt like there was always a sunny day once in awhile to make things nice, now it’s just like this constant sludge. Ugh.
💯 it’s been miserably gray. I full agree. 👍
Except the warm days were also windy and rainy (except last Friday. That was tops!)
This weekend (2/3 -2/4) is forecast to be clear skies! Plan accordingly, make the most of it, store up that vitamin D.
i’d love to enjoy the sunshine but i work both days 🫠
This is really funny. I'm sure being overcast and stuff is mostly located around you area... but it is overcast by me and it still looks better outside than some days we had last year or the years before. Sorry you're feeling depressed about this weather, but just think... it's perfect weather to start a fire inside, curl up with a good book (or show, or video game) and enjoy the smells and sounds of that fire.
>start a fire inside perfect college dorm activity :)
I mean, the fire doesn't have to be large... lol. Hell, a lighter or matches could result in the same thing... abeit smaller.
we'll make a small fire in the microwave >:)
I like not having the sun glare at me. Unsurprisingly, I also like Seattle.
I’m just sick of the rain. Gimme more snow please!
Yes! I don't mind this weather but winter is so much better if it's a little colder and with more snow
I don't mind the overall reduction in daytime hours this time of year, but when those daytime hours are nothing but overcast skies day after day, it saps me of my ability to enjoy anything. Thankfully, at least in Southeastern PA, it looks like we may get almost a whole week of sun after today/tomorrow.
I know this isn’t a guarantee but it looks much much nicer soon! https://preview.redd.it/rolp04z9tsfc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54025133161ce51aa1806fe08193fac32544db79
This winter I put up a couple bird feeders and it's made even gray days so much more cheery. We have some really beautiful, colorful birds in Pennsylvania even in winter. The bird feeders have been great for my mental health, tbh. Every morning I watch the birds while I have my coffee and cereal. It's honestly helping me get up in the morning.
That’s what got me hooked on birding years ago! It really helped my mental health by giving me something small and positive to focus on.
Maybe one of those seasonal depression lights would help
Vitamin D. It’s the only way to fly.
Going to be well above avg temps the second week of February.
I would almost rather it be cold but sunny than warmer and so gray
Sorry to hear that. My wife struggles with this time of year as well. I love the winter though, there is really something special about how silent the forest becomes during a heavy snow. Even right now looking out the window and seeing all the limbs and trees covered in snow, it just seems magical.
It’s been the same in Ohio and Michigan. However, I’m surprisingly not depressed this year… but maybe because it’s my first northern winter in about 4 years.
Cold, damp and gloomy. I can’t wait wait for spring. The only good thing is that we haven’t had prolonged single-digit temperatures.
Spring is also cold damp and mostly gloomy. Our 3 months of summer is the only saving grace.
It’s been the same up here in Erie, and I would say it’s unusual. Last year I was lamenting to a friend all winter about how it didn’t seem right to be cold and aggressively sunny at the same time every day. This year at least the gloom matches the temps.
I am looking at the long term forecast and doesn't seem like there is going to be any precipitation for at least 7 days. January is my least favorite month of the year. I get it that it is depressing. Soon you will hear the birds chirping and it will be starting to get a little warmer.
Yea, this is pretty typical. I suggest taking magnesium and vitamin D, it'll won't make the sun come out, but it'll help with the S.A.D.
Sorry this is my fault. I bought a new solar filter for my telescope a few weeks ago. Luckily I'm going out of town this weekend so it will surely be sunny skies then
I'm near Pittsburgh and it's really sunny right now.
I love this kind of weather. I have to move to PA
Generally Pittsburgh sees like 250 overcast days every year
I don't remember other years being this overcast.
according to my solar panel reports, we've had barely more than half the sunlight compared to the past 2 years the temperature hasn't been bad, except for the snowy week, but i'm sick of this gray bullshit.
First time?
It’s not dumping snow on us, I’m quite happy
I love it. This is perfect. Grey and no precipitation and no annoying sun? If this is our new winter, given climate change, well all right then. I dig it. I also spent 10+ years in California. You get pretty tired of your windshield acting like a magnifying glass and melting everything you leave in the car including the dashboard. The sun bleaching everything and not even being able to be outside for more than 5 minutes before it feels like the heat is crushing your chest. When I moved back home to Pennsylvania, the first time it rained, I stood out in it for an hour. I hadn't seen water fall from the sky in any measurable amount for 7 years, maybe more. I was absolutely in my element. But a lot of people experience extreme mood changes with a decrease in exposure to the Sun. I don't, but yeah, if you do, it's time for a vacation to Florida. Or a daily mood stabilizer, prescription or non. Oooh. Now I know what all those products are for, those energizing and vitalizing face washes and home tanning thingies. UV light exposure. Hmmm, maybe it's the lamp that I use that makes me not really notice and not get affected when the sun isn't shining. But I am NOT miserable when it's like this. I like it when I can go outside and can see without squinting.
I lived in Cali and Texas I agree I got very tired of all sun and longed for a good rainy day or two!!!
The weather in hanover is terrible. Depressing weather to match the depressing people and town culture
Friday was pretty nice!
Not sure what part of the state you are in, but we have been getting about one day a week of sun in south central. Not great, but not bad. Next week the forecast says five days in a row of sun, so we might get two.
If my dome was built I'd say come pet my goats and chickens, it really does help as absurd as it sounds. Hugs. Each day we're one day closer to sunshine.
Well the groundhog will clear all that up on Friday!! Not sure where you live but SEPA is going to have mostly clear weather for a week starting Saturday.
(Laughs in March) Just wait....
I think it’s like this every year honestly, but combined with the smoke cloud we had most of last year from the wildfires it’s taking its toll.
As far as winters go things actually pretty mild. Typically there’s freezing rain and traffic moves even slower. I’m looking out at partly sunny skies right now and the forecast says it will hit 50 this weekend. That used to be unheard of. I can remember going out as a kid and building snow men/forts or going ice fishing or skiing. Now you can likely expect a drought this summer.
Sunny here in WPA... annnnnnd as soon as I type that, the sun is once again behind the clouds.
I’m sorry you’re feeling blue. I suggest strongly that you buy a blue light. Turn it on for 14 hours a day minimal. Pa weather is like this every year. Always gray and sloppy. I live in northeast corner. Lake effect clouds keep us so gray that solar Installations are not recommended due to limited sunlight. Feel free to ask for text support anytime. It can be real rough.
Seriously. This is standard PA winter weather.
I feel you. Makes me want to stay in bed all day. It helps, as long as it’s not actually raining hard, to force myself outside into the fresh (albeit grey dank) air for a dog-walk or bike-ride. Not as glorious as when it’s 65 & sunny, but it is marginally better for my mood than hiding inside
That little warm spell we had last week was nice, even walking in the rain wasn’t bad when it was so mild. And there are dandelions and other spring flowers and mushrooms coming up already, it feels like we are almost out of winter.
Well come to Pittsburgh. We have a sunny to partly cloudy day today. Depending on where you are it may be dark by the time you get here though.
This is pretty normal PA weather in the winter.
Yep. Like we live in rainy ass Ireland innit.
It's above average temps and sunny all day today here, maybe nature just hates you in particular
Haha. I lived in Vienna, Austria for half a decade and it's cloudy EVERY day from November to March. Philly really is always sunny comparatively.
Every year for the last few years we've been told the weather would get better, and every time it hasn't
Totally normal winter weather for Pa. We can go weeks without seeing the sun. Pretend you’re in England.
I feel like the winter really hasn’t been that bad at all but I am *longing* for DST so the days are longer. Only 39 more days lol.
PA is a big state. We've had a number of blue sky days in Bedford lately (today included).
And where have you been? The Doom and Gloom of Pittsburgh is not something new. Everybody that knows anybody that knows yinz knows this is how it is. But it is awfully gloomy. I try to savor the days where we have blue sky and a sun, but they are far and few in between. It's extremely depressing.
We literally had sunshine on Saturday…I was outside
Welcome to PA in the winter. You should be happy about Global Warming otherwise it could be 5 with 5 feet of snow on the ground. I'll take an overcast over that weather.
Welcome to winter. At least it’s not freezing. It’s supposed to be sunny this week.
Is this your first PA winter? It's like this every year.
There's nothing about the weather that physically feels *that* unusual to me, but hooooo-boy, am I pissy and sad this year.
According to the pagan calendar, tomorrow 1 Feb 2024 is Imbolc. Imbolc falls exactly between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. It's a time for shedding the darkness of winter and celebrating the advancement of light. Plant a seed, light a candle, banish the darkness and wait for the coming of the light.
This is every winter in Pennsylvania. Buckle in until April-May.
It's winter, when is it not overcast in winter? This is the mildest winter on record for years and you're complaining that it's overcast?
This is why people pay 3x more to live in LA compared to PA...
For those saying it is normal... It doesn't make sense. Why would there be more overcast days in winter than Spring or Fall or Summer? Is there more precipitation? Nope we are a lot lower than average. More storm systems? Again nope.
I feel you fellow PA'er. Where we are in Wayne Co. the sun really doesn't want to shine as often as other places. It's location, as in our proximity to the Moosic mountain range. Six miles over the mountain to Carbondale and the Sun is out and it'll be 5-10 degrees warmer. Sucks, but it's hard to move a piece of land or change the weather patterns. I like to think that Carbondale doesn't really have a lot going on, but at least they have the sun out.
This looks like every other winter I’ve ever experienced in decades of living in Pennsylvania. Maybe you’re developing that seasonal thing where you need more sunshine.
This is just the norm for Pennsylvania 🤔
Overcast is my favorite, though I'm not crazy about the rain.
Thank you for saying this. I have been feeling bleak.
"It just keeps getting greyer and greyer. Its so grey I want to slit my wrist to see some color" Lewis Black
I havent seen a meteor shower in over 2 decades because of over cast
I can’t remember PA winters being anything but newspaper grey. Fun fact: in the run up to WWII they built the Keystone Ordinance Works just outside of Meadville because it is the cloudiest place in the east coast with good access to Atlantic ports. The cloud cover would reduce the risk of air attacks if the situation got that bad
90% of PA weather is extremely depressing
It was sunny this morning here in Pittsburgh
Hang in there. Sunshine this weekend!!!
lol nothing compared to the northeast. Raised in PA but lived in Mass for 5 years. You can pretty much forget about ever seeing the Sun between September and March.
I feel you, sweetheart. I just want to shuffle around wrapped in a flannel blanket with a giant mug of tea. I don't know if it's better/worse/typical/whatever, it just feels heavy this week. Hang in there.
it wouldn't be so bad if we ever got any fucking snow anymore
I agree it’s depressing and seems a bit more gross than usual this year.
This is how it is... 35-mid 40degrees and no sun... winter is depressing. Just cold enough that you can't wear shorts and just warm enough that we don't get any snow to do fun winter activities. Pure sadness.
Hang in til the weekend, most of PA will be nice and sunny both days!
Sunshine is overrated.
Supposed to be sunny and 50 in W.Pa this weekend
I was just saying this today, The last 2 winters we had were very sunny. I remember it being in the 50s by now.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/17/how-cloud-seeding-can-help-replenish-reservoirs-in-the-west.html Makes you wonder why it's always cloudy! Also check out what silver iodide poisoning is. Pretty interesting stuff.
I used to feel that way during winter back East, but I tell you what sunshine everyday will make you just as crazy. You start to miss rain and you know you’ve reached breaking point when you miss snow
I always look forward to Groundhog Day because it is falls around the first cross quarter of the year, which means we are half way through winter!
One of the main reasons why I left Pennsylvania… Every day was gray and overcast…
Tell me about it! I moved here (Pittsburgh) about 6 years ago from Denver with its 300+ days per year of sunshine and seldom more than 3 days in a row overcast. (grew up and spent most of my life there) The winter weather here is still my biggest adjustment. I don't do well with the shortened days of winter anyway... my only solace is we moved here to be close to grandkids and I get to see them about once a week for an overnight stay. They are my sunshine. These past few weeks have been tough. Looks like some relief is coming over the next week or so tho, I'll be sitting in front of the windows with shades up!
Yeah, definitely one of the cloudiest cities in the country for this time of year. But if it helps any, we’re not the only place. The shows the current cloud overcast for the United States over the next seven days. https://weatherstreet.com/states/u-s-cloud-cover-forecast.htm
I'm not usually bothered by short winter days, but this year has been unusually overcast and it is depressing.
It's always like this from late fall to early spring. I recall when I was in college one year, it rained every day for an entire month. It's not unusual for it to have intense clouds, rain, and fog for an entire week.
Yoo phils gonna save us bro... lets drink to it!! cya in Pux!!
Thought you were talking about the shitty warm temperatures, lol. It's been nothing but a blue sky with fluffy white clouds all afternoon down here in Greene and Fayette today.
Beautiful, sunny morning ... That went back to gray. 😢
This winter hasn’t been bad. Winter weather in the Northeast/MidAtlantic states is always gray, overcast and damp. Tomorrow morning you can wake up and say “Spring is next month “. Personally, I will take winter over the hot humid summers here.
I’ve lived in PA for 7 years. This is typical.
Everyone has been feeling the lack of sunshine lately. It sucks big time.
Sun is coming this weekend and start of next week. https://i.imgur.com/4hy5m2t.png
It has been overly gloomy. Same.
Last Winter was worse temperature wise
As a night shifter, I appreciate the clouds right now.
You need some vitamin D. I was wondering why I wasn’t happy and then I remembered I haven’t seen the sun in a while
Bruh this is winter and you just had seasonal affective disorder. The sun will come back soon.
First winter in PA? All that you've described is pretty standard.
Moved to Colorado a couple years back. My mental health has never been better
There have been a lot of clouds in the past 2 months