Philadelphia Sees Record Snowfall Despite Mid-90s Temperatures

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In the story that feels directly out of the movie The Day After Tomorrow, the city of Philadelphia saw a record for snowfall over the weekend despite a heat wave that pushed temperatures into the mid-90s.

Yes, you read that correctly. Snow in July. No word on if Christmas came with it.

But the National Weather Service stated that the snowfall, measured at Philadelphia International Airport, is a record for the month of July.

Though there is a slight catch…

“Here’s a win for #TeamSnow,” the NWS out of Philadelphia/Mount Holly said in a Facebook post. “Thunderstorms passed over Philadelphia Intl. Airport Sunday afternoon and produced small hail. Since hail is frozen precipitation, this counts as a “trace” of snow in our climate reports. Hence, the record daily snowfall report. While rare, it is not unusual.”

The post then included a list of all the times that snowfall was recorded in the summer months, with August of 2011 being the last recorded instance.

Philadelphia’s record came on a bit of a technicality. And we’re not going to see any actual snowfall in 90-degree temps anytime soon.

But did you know it can snow in temperatures well above freezing?

“Snow is a form of ice crystal, and, although it can fall through a layer of air that is above freezing, it does require temperatures below 32 degrees to form in the sky,” Matthew Cappucci of the Washington Post explains. It’s always below freezing somewhere in the atmosphere; in the summer, that level may be several miles above the ground, whereas freezing levels descend during winter.

“When moisture overlaps with below-freezing temperatures at cloud level, snowflakes can form. It’s not uncommon for snowflakes and ice crystals to form aloft in tall thunderclouds even during July!”

Sadly, that snow melts before ever reaching us on the ground. But if you’re ever looking for a creative way to cool down in the heat of the summer, maybe try heading to the skies.

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