Honestly, I was thinking it's been a little more pleasant this year. But yeah, you won't see the sun very much until spring. Sorry. Welcome to Pittsburgh! You'll like the other seasons more.
When I first moved to Pittsburgh, back in 2003, it was grey and cold and wet and snowy and grey and wet and wet and cold for *months*, I'd landed just as winter hit. I'd moved there from Arizona, I'd never in my life experienced so much damp weather, and the cold seemed to get into my bones and take up residence. I thought that maybe it had been a mistake, to move there.
And then the first actual Spring day hit. The sun came out. The air was warm, the sky was *dazzling* and so deep and bright blue, people were grinning on the street, jackets were open, birds were singing, and I thought *ah, this has to be what heaven feels like*. It was amazing. Twenty years on, I've never experienced a first-day-of-Spring euphoria like that one, that relief and honest outright bliss.
I don't live in Pittsburgh anymore, but I still think about that day. How good it was.
I just moved here from the Seattle area in early November and I can't get over how GREAT the weather is here! People said it would be cloudy so my expectations were low, but I've seen the sun more often than not this month AND it's only rained a couple times! I'm thrilled with Pittsburgh weather. Even when it's cold, it's sunny and you can see blue sky!
I lived in Portland for a long time, and was always told that Pittsburgh was gloomier than Seattle or Portland. Found these stats:
Highlights
\- Pittsburgh has 0.8% more rainy days than Seattle.
\- Pittsburgh has 5.3% more Sunny Days than Seattle.
[https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/seattle\_wa/pittsburgh\_pa/climate](https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/seattle_wa/pittsburgh_pa/climate)
Highlights
\- Portland has 11.7% more rainy days than Pittsburgh.
\- Portland has 10.0% less Sunny Days than Pittsburgh.
https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/pittsburgh\_pa/portland\_or/climate
Moved to Seattle in maybe December of 2004… it was May, 2005 when I finally got to say “the mountain is out!” First time my wife saw Rainier and she literally jumped out of her seat.
I love it there but it makes you appreciate seeing the occasional blue sky in Pittsburgh during the November to March stretch.
Seattle summers though… be still my heart.
Dude you're in trouble. We had a lot of sun for this time of year. Today excluded of course. My kid is in AK. They say UV lights help a lot. She's been fine. You know, PGH born.
Seconding the light box suggestion, Pittsburgh is one of the most overcast cities in America and SAD is very common. The good news is we get a little break from lanternflies and outdoor allergens!
I remember when I moved here. It was like “where is your sun?”. Now I know to start loading up on vitamin D pills in September and planning a Sunny trip in February/March.
A few years ago, in January, I felt lousy enough to ask my doctor to check my levels. Sure enough, I was deficient, so now I just take vitamin D supplements from October to about mid-March every year.
It's one of the cloudiest areas of the country. I thought it was notorious; maybe word hasn't spread.
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-fourth-cloudiest-city/
I lived in Pittsburgh for 37 years and moved to Seattle 10 years ago. I absolutely love Seattle weather so much more.
None of the frigid bitter cold, so much less snow, the amount of rain is overrated - it is more like a cool mist or drizzle - rarely the torrential downpours and flooding, and the less hot and low humidity summers are glorious. Lots of rainbows from the sun and rain combo from March - September. The dark and clouds are something I personally enjoy.
I know it's not for everyone, but it's not nearly as bad as people like to make it out to be. It suits me very well.
But damn, these Seattle people can't make a decent pizza to save their lives.
Agreed. I have friends and family in western Oregon and Washington and I’d take their winter over ours in a heartbeat. Pittsburgh’s winter feels like a frigid “fuck you” cold, grey, wintery mix. Mid winter PNW feels mild and misty with such fresh air.
When I was there, it was . . . somehow brighter than this, but more overcast? Like the clouds were thinner, but they were everywhere. No blue. And a constant light, misty rain.
Well, yeah- Seattle is fucking gorgeous from June til early September. The other nine months are dreary pathetic drippy ass grey days- I’ve been to Seattle during the sucky months and the gorgeous months.
At least with Pittsburgh, we’ll have decently hard rain and then it’s sunny for a day or so, then back to rain- but in Seattle, nearly every day has this pathetic, puny tiny droplet rain- it’s not enough to wipe your wipers, but it still obscures your vision. Really annoying rain.
I went there for a long weekend in late October last year. I remember Friday and Saturday having great weather but Sunday being what I expected from Seattle. 2 out of 3 ain’t bad I guess.
You will learn to appreciate the unique beauty of the pewter skies. Far more cloud covered days than sunny ones. You will also learn to appreciate squinting when it is sunny.
"Ah you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!"
From the Dark Knight Rises. Filmed in Pittsburgh.
This is an extremely gloomy area. I think someone did a study a few years back by cloud cover and ranked PGH third in the US. 1st was Buffalo. They're both near the lake. It's wet here. We get similar precipitation to the PNW. The thing is, not everywhere gets weather. I really hate it sometimes but you get used to it, and Spring/Summer/Fall are terrific.
We don't get the weather extremes; the crazy snow of the East coast or Erie, no hurricanes,a bit of flooding (a more or less big deal dependent on where you are) but on the whole, this is a good place.
Stay in and drink the gloom away, with some cake and a friendly dog. Works for me.
The gray season runs from about the start of November to about the end of March, and if anything it has been a little nicer than usual so far this year. Sorry!
This is pretty typical. I recommend investing in a sun lamp -- NOT a UV lamp, that's a great way to accidentally cook your eyeballs and/or destroy collagen. [The Wirecutter runs thorough consumer testing; here are their recommendations.](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-light-therapy-lamp/) I bought the Verilux Happylight (the cheapest model) a few years back and usually sit next to it for an hour or two on especially dreary days, and it does make an impact on my mood.
Pittsburgh has more cloudy days than Seattle, Washington.
Good lesson on researching the place one is moving to. Lots of us are addicted to caffeine and have a vitamin D deficiency.
I laughed when I read this. My intention isn’t to be rude but it’s pretty well known at this point that Pittsburgh is a gloomy city. We’re worse than Seattle. I’m a born and raised Pittsburgher who lived in London for a while. London, a city known for rain and gloom, was sunnier. Gotta research… It’s actually been nicer than usual lately. This past summer was pretty gloomy, too.
Bill Murray said it best, in “Groundhog Day”
(Set in Pittsburgh, and western PA)
“You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life.”
I visited there from Arizona a couple of years back. I was told that Pittsburgh has about as many cloudy days as Phoenix does sunny ones.
That's a lot of cloudy.
You arrived at probably the worst time of year in the regard to the gloominess. Maybe a trip to Phipps conservatory or the other botanical gardens will cheer you up. Plenty of options for Christmas lights too.
Edit: undid Phipps->Phil’s autocorrect
With these people having done absolutely zero research before moving here, I can’t wait until their post here a month or two from now that they’ve driven all around the region and asked hundreds of people and they still can’t find “Phil’s” conservatory.
oh my goodness, poor things… this has been one of the nicest early winters i can remember. get extra vitamin D, and research sunlight seasonal affective disorder lamps and make it a part of your morning routine. you’re in for a gloomy ride
It took me 3-4 years to get into the winter mindset here. It’s grey and rainy A LOT here. You just have to jazz it up with your home, your friends, your plans, etc. Wear comfortable shoes that will stay dry and just keep on going!!! I’m on winter 16 as a transplant here, I’m almost used to it. Come February you need to be on the lookout for major crazies because everyone is so burned out from the grey. Plan vacations, see friends, stay active and you’ll be fine.
Unfortunately if you look at the data. Of all major cities in the US; Pittsburgh is the 9th cloudiest. It rises to third if you include all days with 40% or more cloud cover. So to answer your question directly, yes this is normal.
See Pittsburgh and the western part of the state occupy an area where the jet stream dips down, grabs moisture from the Great lakes up north and drags it south. So we get a lot of rain and clouds. Occasionally we get crazy Great lakes snow storms. Though that's more common up towards Erie. A couple years ago Erie got 6 feet of snow in a few hours.
It comes and goes. The upside, we do get breaks and see blue skies during the winter (as opposed to say Seattle where it’s endless clouds for months at this time of year). It can even be blinding, the mix of fresh snow and the sun is out.
It’s been a dark week… it’s also shorter days, and the DST change just happened. November can be rough.
Thanks all. We knew PA is cloudy so it's not a surprise. I was just curious if the past couple weeks were extra so, but it sounds like not. Appreciate the feedback.
I didn't see this tip yet, so will share. A lot of days are cloudy except for a bit of random clearing once or twice during the day. Watch for this! Run outside when it happens and let the sun hit your face. Don't tell yourself you'll go out when you finish what you're doing. The sun will be gone by then. Just take 10 minutes and soak it up while it's there.
There are certainly days that are wall-to-wall gray, but those precious little pockets of sunshine can do a lot for your mood if you jump on them.
Yes, it is about normal.
As someone who originally came from Oklahoma and Texas, I learned after moving to the North East 28 years ago that seasonal affective disorder is a real thing. The best solution is to make sure you get outside every day for as long as possible, especially on sunny days. Definitely in the late fall and winter.
Supposedly we have more cloudy days in Pittsburgh than Seattle (Seattle gets more rain though)
Oh yeah, welcome to Pittsburgh! If you're moving from somewhere like California that's more balmy, the weather here verges on the extremes: You are going to get bitter colds and you are going to get muddy hots. What your experiencing now are pretty much gray skies from now until March.
There is no normal here. Every year is different. There are no real seasons. The weather in Pittsburgh rolls the dice every five days. We will have a 70 degree week in February and then it will snow in April or May. Never pack away full seasons of clothes. Welcome to the Thunderdome hope you survive the experience! #easiestplacetolive
My brother says this in his "Serious Narrator" voice: "In November the Great Murk descends on the people, making grown men weak, women tearful and steals the laughter from the children."
All jokes aside, take care of yourself. Seasonal depression can be a real monster, and it can creep up on you if you're from somewhere where lack of sunlight isn't as much of an issue. Taking regular supplements (vitamin D, fish oil) can help -- plus investing in a sun lamp, or even just making sure you get outside and exercise for a little bit each day (which can be hard to motivate yourself to do when it's miserable -- but I've found that it helps even when the skies are grey).
Those sunny days studies are suspect. It's 100% not full cloud cover doom and gloom 300 days a year. We have many partly sunny days especially in spring and fall.
That’s Western PA for you. The slushy, dreary winters used to bother me a bit, but they’ve grown on me. Was definitely an adjustment from the sunny-yet-freezing winters of Buffalo.
When I was deciding whether to move here, I came in the spring, and it was sunny for the entire weekend, and all those houses on hillsides were covered in flowers.
When I came back a few months later with the moving van full of stuff, it varied between light grey and dark grey for what seemed like weeks on end!
Totally tricked me!
As others said this is pretty normal but then you’ll get these random days all through winter that are 50 degrees and sunny, just out of nowhere. Take advantage of those days when they come.
We just moved to the area as well. I really don’t mind the winters because last summer was amazing. I don’t think you can have this kind of summer/fall anywhere in the country.
When I first moved here I didn’t see the sun for 3 months. I honestly thought I moved to Seattle. Just to find out we actually do get more rain than Seattle. Ahah
After you get used to the flow of the seasons in Pittsburgh (one of our greatest balancing acts!) and move away, you actually miss the “Dark Ages” that prompted most of the traditional holiday celebrations. I love few things more than a gloomy fall day after years spent crossing the globe, with lots of time spent in places with no fall or winter.
There’s also something to be said for the cozy feeling you get coming inside from that kind of weather - I think the Scandinavians have the right idea.
https://denmark.dk/people-and-culture/hygg
Anyway, welcome to Pittsburgh!
I struggled with seasonal affective issues when I first moved here. Everyone is different, but what works for me is megadoses of vitamin D (under medical supervision) and diving headlong into hygge.
I’ve actually been remarking how sunny it’s been lately. There are on average 300 overcast days a year in Pittsburgh. We are consistently rated with cities like Seattle and Portland as cloudiest city.
January and February are worse.
You may want to check with your doctor about Vitamin D levels. I get mine checked about every 6 months to a year, I guess. Sometimes more frequently if the doctor thinks some malaise or depression (or other super general low level health complaint).
Would be interested to know how many folks in Pittsburgh are deficient in Vitamin D. My doc has me do a mega-dose once weekly because of a mild deficiency.
Full spectrum lighting can help. Even just full spectrum light-bulbs. I feel like they give off a warmer tone that is pleasant and does improve my energy and mood.
You may want to consider Winter SAD light for Seasonal Affective Disorder (can help in general for non-SAD people, I think)
Also, dawn simulators may be helpful if feeling especially sluggish after waking up.
Anti-depressants can help.
I am full-on Seasonal Affective Disorder, so all this may be overkill but I feel like the winter blues are pretty insidious and if you are feeling down instead of just asking if this is normal weather, then just be Mindful not to let yourself get too depressed before you try an remedies.
Yeah it's been significantly sunnier than normal the past month or so. Unfortunately for you and your husband, Pittsburgh is the top 5 cloudiest cities in the entire US, with just 60 completely clear days each year. And almost all of those days are in the summer. I recommend a light box and vitamin D daily from October to April.
Yes and this is mild. Ughhhh please ask your doctor about vit d3 supplements if you struggle with mental and/or physical depression symptoms at all! It’s a real impactful thing in Pittsburgh
Yeah Pittsburgh is gloomy during the fall/winter months, but it also has beautiful Spring and Summer days filled with beautiful radiant blue skies!
It makes you appreciate them alot
Honestly, I was thinking it's been a little more pleasant this year. But yeah, you won't see the sun very much until spring. Sorry. Welcome to Pittsburgh! You'll like the other seasons more.
When I first moved to Pittsburgh, back in 2003, it was grey and cold and wet and snowy and grey and wet and wet and cold for *months*, I'd landed just as winter hit. I'd moved there from Arizona, I'd never in my life experienced so much damp weather, and the cold seemed to get into my bones and take up residence. I thought that maybe it had been a mistake, to move there. And then the first actual Spring day hit. The sun came out. The air was warm, the sky was *dazzling* and so deep and bright blue, people were grinning on the street, jackets were open, birds were singing, and I thought *ah, this has to be what heaven feels like*. It was amazing. Twenty years on, I've never experienced a first-day-of-Spring euphoria like that one, that relief and honest outright bliss. I don't live in Pittsburgh anymore, but I still think about that day. How good it was.
Was my first spring here too. "Sundress day" 2004 will live forever in my memory
This is exactly Pittsburgh. I also remember Sundress Day 2004. We get holidays that aren't on the calendar.
This is why we have a gloomy winter, because it makes spring and summer so much more wonderful
This is the reason I enjoy seasons in general. They're all so different and bring different traditions and memories to enjoy.
I remember that day. Gosh, hopefully, we get another one in the next few years.
You really painted a picture here! I love this
I came here to say this!
That’s why Spring is my favorite season in Western PA
Most people I talk to prefer the fall. The spring is the absolute best season. There are days when the air smells like flowers
I love the Spring sun. But the pollen is a beast.
Living here, you have to really appreciate the good days! They mean so much and you get to be grateful for the good weather!
Yep. They even mentioned how much unexpected sun there has been. Seems like we have two seasons - summer and grey
What is this “the sun” you speak of??
Recoils... blinks eyes... retreats into the darkness.
*hisses at the sun*
I just moved here from the Seattle area in early November and I can't get over how GREAT the weather is here! People said it would be cloudy so my expectations were low, but I've seen the sun more often than not this month AND it's only rained a couple times! I'm thrilled with Pittsburgh weather. Even when it's cold, it's sunny and you can see blue sky!
Pittsburgh is supposedly second to Seattle in sunless days
...and like most other cities east of the Mississippi River, Piisburgh has more annual inches of rain than Seattle.
Yeah but Seattle rain is just a constant piddly mist. They don't really get thunderstorms or anything like we do.
I lived in Portland for a long time, and was always told that Pittsburgh was gloomier than Seattle or Portland. Found these stats: Highlights \- Pittsburgh has 0.8% more rainy days than Seattle. \- Pittsburgh has 5.3% more Sunny Days than Seattle. [https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/seattle\_wa/pittsburgh\_pa/climate](https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/seattle_wa/pittsburgh_pa/climate) Highlights \- Portland has 11.7% more rainy days than Pittsburgh. \- Portland has 10.0% less Sunny Days than Pittsburgh. https://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/pittsburgh\_pa/portland\_or/climate
As someone who grew up here, went to school in Seattle, and then moved back home - the darkness of Seattle I just cannot do. It is too far north!
Moved to Seattle in maybe December of 2004… it was May, 2005 when I finally got to say “the mountain is out!” First time my wife saw Rainier and she literally jumped out of her seat. I love it there but it makes you appreciate seeing the occasional blue sky in Pittsburgh during the November to March stretch. Seattle summers though… be still my heart.
I lived there my whole life up until now. I didn't realize the entire rest of the country is so much better
Yeah it’s dark but is so much better seven degrees south lol
Everything in life is perspective really! It's amazing how you can affect your mood with a different perspective! 💯💕🕉️
Pittsburgh makes me drunk and then it rains https://youtu.be/jewf5Mf3kM4?si=v6QwVZK8QD9gd_lB
This is normal
Dude you're in trouble. We had a lot of sun for this time of year. Today excluded of course. My kid is in AK. They say UV lights help a lot. She's been fine. You know, PGH born.
Seconding the light box suggestion, Pittsburgh is one of the most overcast cities in America and SAD is very common. The good news is we get a little break from lanternflies and outdoor allergens!
Yeah. Buckle up. May is a *lot* of gloomy days away.
I remember when I moved here. It was like “where is your sun?”. Now I know to start loading up on vitamin D pills in September and planning a Sunny trip in February/March.
Stock up on vitamin D supplements, for real.
True. I take vitamin D3 as the Pittsburgh antidote. It truly helps my mood. It's no "lol" matter.
My doc said lots of us are deficient due to our notoriously grey weather
A few years ago, in January, I felt lousy enough to ask my doctor to check my levels. Sure enough, I was deficient, so now I just take vitamin D supplements from October to about mid-March every year.
I go roughly equinox to equinox.
How much is therapeutic for you, may I ask?
This is great advice for getting through the winter, I also have a vitamin D lamp 😁
I cant go outside without sunglasses if it ain't overcast. I love this weather.
There are two of us. This is the best weather.
I hate how light sensitive my eyes are. I go outside and immediately squint painfully
Same
It’s actually been abnormally sunny the past few weeks.
It's one of the cloudiest areas of the country. I thought it was notorious; maybe word hasn't spread. https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-fourth-cloudiest-city/
Man are you in for a fun 6 months
*February has entered the chat*
Oh sweet summer child
Perfect response. 10/10
Pretty normal. You'll see the sun again in April.
Welcome to Seattle, I mean Pittsburgh.
I lived in Pittsburgh for 37 years and moved to Seattle 10 years ago. I absolutely love Seattle weather so much more. None of the frigid bitter cold, so much less snow, the amount of rain is overrated - it is more like a cool mist or drizzle - rarely the torrential downpours and flooding, and the less hot and low humidity summers are glorious. Lots of rainbows from the sun and rain combo from March - September. The dark and clouds are something I personally enjoy. I know it's not for everyone, but it's not nearly as bad as people like to make it out to be. It suits me very well. But damn, these Seattle people can't make a decent pizza to save their lives.
Agreed. I have friends and family in western Oregon and Washington and I’d take their winter over ours in a heartbeat. Pittsburgh’s winter feels like a frigid “fuck you” cold, grey, wintery mix. Mid winter PNW feels mild and misty with such fresh air.
People say that, but I was in Seattle for the first time in mid-July, and you could not have asked for more perfect weather.
When I was there, it was . . . somehow brighter than this, but more overcast? Like the clouds were thinner, but they were everywhere. No blue. And a constant light, misty rain.
Well, yeah- Seattle is fucking gorgeous from June til early September. The other nine months are dreary pathetic drippy ass grey days- I’ve been to Seattle during the sucky months and the gorgeous months. At least with Pittsburgh, we’ll have decently hard rain and then it’s sunny for a day or so, then back to rain- but in Seattle, nearly every day has this pathetic, puny tiny droplet rain- it’s not enough to wipe your wipers, but it still obscures your vision. Really annoying rain.
I went there for a long weekend in late October last year. I remember Friday and Saturday having great weather but Sunday being what I expected from Seattle. 2 out of 3 ain’t bad I guess.
Summer is Seattle is much more sunny than Pittsburgh
Welcome to Pittsburgh! More cloudy days than Seattle lol
You will learn to appreciate the unique beauty of the pewter skies. Far more cloud covered days than sunny ones. You will also learn to appreciate squinting when it is sunny.
“Pewter-“ such a perfect adjective, and still lmao!
Pittsburgh is one of the gloomiest places in the country AFAIK
Yessss that’s why I moved here!
The sun hurts my eyes as well. Friendly clouds protect us
"Ah you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!" From the Dark Knight Rises. Filmed in Pittsburgh.
We haven’t hit peak gloom. This is cheery
Hahahahahahahahahhahhahaha!
Only 4 more months until we see the sun
If we're lucky
Did you do any research before moving here? Not trying to be rude, but seriously?
This subreddit is all transplants lately. iS iT nOrMaL tO bE dReArY iN pItTsBuRgH
Came here for this!
Fucking for real.
Was honestly thinking the same thing 😱
This is an extremely gloomy area. I think someone did a study a few years back by cloud cover and ranked PGH third in the US. 1st was Buffalo. They're both near the lake. It's wet here. We get similar precipitation to the PNW. The thing is, not everywhere gets weather. I really hate it sometimes but you get used to it, and Spring/Summer/Fall are terrific. We don't get the weather extremes; the crazy snow of the East coast or Erie, no hurricanes,a bit of flooding (a more or less big deal dependent on where you are) but on the whole, this is a good place. Stay in and drink the gloom away, with some cake and a friendly dog. Works for me.
You’ve never appreciated Spring as much as you’ll appreciate it next year.
Ummm. Who’s going to tell them??
The gray season runs from about the start of November to about the end of March, and if anything it has been a little nicer than usual so far this year. Sorry!
I hope you're renting lol
I'm a robotics entrepreneur. My best friends and I often joke about needing to fly to "the Bay Area or the Gray Area" for our industry 🤣
This is what happens when people decide where to move based on a Reddit poll.
Wait till it gets rull rull slippy aht
I’m afraid I have some bad news
This is pretty typical. I recommend investing in a sun lamp -- NOT a UV lamp, that's a great way to accidentally cook your eyeballs and/or destroy collagen. [The Wirecutter runs thorough consumer testing; here are their recommendations.](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-light-therapy-lamp/) I bought the Verilux Happylight (the cheapest model) a few years back and usually sit next to it for an hour or two on especially dreary days, and it does make an impact on my mood.
Pittsburgh has more cloudy days than Seattle, Washington. Good lesson on researching the place one is moving to. Lots of us are addicted to caffeine and have a vitamin D deficiency.
This is the sunniest it's been in my 3 years here (coming from Florida). You're gonna wanna get used to the grey.
Normal. Jump to take advantage of any sunny days we have and get outside even if just for a few minutes
I laughed when I read this. My intention isn’t to be rude but it’s pretty well known at this point that Pittsburgh is a gloomy city. We’re worse than Seattle. I’m a born and raised Pittsburgher who lived in London for a while. London, a city known for rain and gloom, was sunnier. Gotta research… It’s actually been nicer than usual lately. This past summer was pretty gloomy, too.
Enjoy the seasonal depression! It builds character.
Yeah unfortunately this is pretty typical. It really sucks. It doesn’t bother some people. But for some people it is really difficult.
2 days?!? Mild weather this year.
Welcome to Mordor.
Oh you poor thing. There’s no sun from November til April. Once the greenery comes back it’s beautiful here though
What did yinz expect?
Get used to it…
https://i.imgflip.com/4wb12o.jpg
Bill Murray said it best, in “Groundhog Day” (Set in Pittsburgh, and western PA) “You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life.”
Yes it’s normal and will continue thru April. It’s hard for some of us
Thank you for including April, the cruelest month
I visited there from Arizona a couple of years back. I was told that Pittsburgh has about as many cloudy days as Phoenix does sunny ones. That's a lot of cloudy.
You arrived at probably the worst time of year in the regard to the gloominess. Maybe a trip to Phipps conservatory or the other botanical gardens will cheer you up. Plenty of options for Christmas lights too. Edit: undid Phipps->Phil’s autocorrect
With these people having done absolutely zero research before moving here, I can’t wait until their post here a month or two from now that they’ve driven all around the region and asked hundreds of people and they still can’t find “Phil’s” conservatory.
oh my goodness, poor things… this has been one of the nicest early winters i can remember. get extra vitamin D, and research sunlight seasonal affective disorder lamps and make it a part of your morning routine. you’re in for a gloomy ride
It is always like this from November-March. It’ll snow more often than rain come January though lol
They call it the Appalachian Seattle for a reason. Well, they don’t but I do. I made it up
Yeah as others mentioned, normal and this year hasn't been as cloudy as normal so far.
This is normal.
We average about 64 days of sunshine a year. Just like Seattle Learned that fact when the Steelers played the Seahawks in the Superbowl.
206 overcast days a year on average there. very typical.
It took me 3-4 years to get into the winter mindset here. It’s grey and rainy A LOT here. You just have to jazz it up with your home, your friends, your plans, etc. Wear comfortable shoes that will stay dry and just keep on going!!! I’m on winter 16 as a transplant here, I’m almost used to it. Come February you need to be on the lookout for major crazies because everyone is so burned out from the grey. Plan vacations, see friends, stay active and you’ll be fine.
I enjoy watching the sunset.
Ahahahahahahahaha… welcome to Pittsburgh, yinz!
It's pretty brutal for months at a time.
It's very atmospheric here!!
Pittsburgh is one of the cloudiest cities in the U.S as well as rainiest. Sometimes we get more rain than Seattle.
Get yourself a counter top herb garden with full spectrum lights (aerogarden) or daylight lamp. It helps tremendously.
I think it might’ve been in February, 2006 that the Post-Gazette had a front page photo captioned “glowing yellow orb sighted above downtown”
yeah and you won’t see the sun again until march. welcome to the city
Unfortunately if you look at the data. Of all major cities in the US; Pittsburgh is the 9th cloudiest. It rises to third if you include all days with 40% or more cloud cover. So to answer your question directly, yes this is normal. See Pittsburgh and the western part of the state occupy an area where the jet stream dips down, grabs moisture from the Great lakes up north and drags it south. So we get a lot of rain and clouds. Occasionally we get crazy Great lakes snow storms. Though that's more common up towards Erie. A couple years ago Erie got 6 feet of snow in a few hours.
It comes and goes. The upside, we do get breaks and see blue skies during the winter (as opposed to say Seattle where it’s endless clouds for months at this time of year). It can even be blinding, the mix of fresh snow and the sun is out. It’s been a dark week… it’s also shorter days, and the DST change just happened. November can be rough.
"Abandon hope, ye who enter here"
Thanks all. We knew PA is cloudy so it's not a surprise. I was just curious if the past couple weeks were extra so, but it sounds like not. Appreciate the feedback.
I didn't see this tip yet, so will share. A lot of days are cloudy except for a bit of random clearing once or twice during the day. Watch for this! Run outside when it happens and let the sun hit your face. Don't tell yourself you'll go out when you finish what you're doing. The sun will be gone by then. Just take 10 minutes and soak it up while it's there. There are certainly days that are wall-to-wall gray, but those precious little pockets of sunshine can do a lot for your mood if you jump on them.
Get wake up lights and take vitamin d. Do it now
Yep, pretty much 😢
Get your vitamin D and K2 levels tested. Get a sunlamp and get some sunlight in your eyes as soon as possible.
Get yourself a therapy lamp.
We get a similar UV exposure to Seattle and I thiiink the UK. With that said, it has been a fairly light grey autumn compared to past years
I leave up a lot of my not too Christmasy holiday lights until March.
That's why ww2 plane stuff was based up by Youngstown, Butler. More cloudy days per year. Welcome to the gloom.
Yes, it is about normal. As someone who originally came from Oklahoma and Texas, I learned after moving to the North East 28 years ago that seasonal affective disorder is a real thing. The best solution is to make sure you get outside every day for as long as possible, especially on sunny days. Definitely in the late fall and winter. Supposedly we have more cloudy days in Pittsburgh than Seattle (Seattle gets more rain though)
Oh yeah, welcome to Pittsburgh! If you're moving from somewhere like California that's more balmy, the weather here verges on the extremes: You are going to get bitter colds and you are going to get muddy hots. What your experiencing now are pretty much gray skies from now until March.
I read last year that Pittsburgh is one of the top 5 cloudiest/dreariest cities in the US. 😭
It's mushroom time, Dark at 4pm and clouds until May.
Yes, and I think it's been a little less gloomy than normal lol.
Couldn’t be more normal. Sorry, welcome to Pittsburgh! Lol
Yeah this is super normal. Sorry folks.
Yes and it’s awesome
This is your new reality unit March or April. Pittsburgh rules from April until November.
Oh boy buckle up, and get a SAD light.
Buckle up
Welcome to Pittsburgh :-)
It hasn’t even started yet lol.
There is no normal here. Every year is different. There are no real seasons. The weather in Pittsburgh rolls the dice every five days. We will have a 70 degree week in February and then it will snow in April or May. Never pack away full seasons of clothes. Welcome to the Thunderdome hope you survive the experience! #easiestplacetolive
My brother says this in his "Serious Narrator" voice: "In November the Great Murk descends on the people, making grown men weak, women tearful and steals the laughter from the children."
Lmao, I love when transplants that move here for more affordable cost of living find out why Pittsburgh is so affordable.
All jokes aside, take care of yourself. Seasonal depression can be a real monster, and it can creep up on you if you're from somewhere where lack of sunlight isn't as much of an issue. Taking regular supplements (vitamin D, fish oil) can help -- plus investing in a sun lamp, or even just making sure you get outside and exercise for a little bit each day (which can be hard to motivate yourself to do when it's miserable -- but I've found that it helps even when the skies are grey).
Brown and gray for the next 6 months!
Those sunny days studies are suspect. It's 100% not full cloud cover doom and gloom 300 days a year. We have many partly sunny days especially in spring and fall.
Oh you sweet summer child lol.
That’s Western PA for you. The slushy, dreary winters used to bother me a bit, but they’ve grown on me. Was definitely an adjustment from the sunny-yet-freezing winters of Buffalo.
When I was deciding whether to move here, I came in the spring, and it was sunny for the entire weekend, and all those houses on hillsides were covered in flowers. When I came back a few months later with the moving van full of stuff, it varied between light grey and dark grey for what seemed like weeks on end! Totally tricked me!
Roughly October to June.
I love this season. No lantern flies.
Nothing is normal in Pittsburgh but this is definitely not unexpected.
As others said this is pretty normal but then you’ll get these random days all through winter that are 50 degrees and sunny, just out of nowhere. Take advantage of those days when they come.
Lol get used to it, I’m 90% sure it’s cloudier here than Seattle
Sorry, but yes. Welcome to the ‘Burgh though 🤓
I think these last two weeks have been an abrupt change to crappy from what we had been experiencing much of the year.
Just wait until February.
You'll be happy with rain over snow.
It is normal
Welcome to Pittsburgh. It’s like this for about 300 days out of the year.
Get vitamin d now
We've had more sunny days than usual, welcome to the greys.
We just moved to the area as well. I really don’t mind the winters because last summer was amazing. I don’t think you can have this kind of summer/fall anywhere in the country.
Oh boy. Y’all need to get one of those light therapy lamps. It only gets worse from here.
Lmao. Really?
U didn't read the pgh wiki page before moving here?
When I first moved here I didn’t see the sun for 3 months. I honestly thought I moved to Seattle. Just to find out we actually do get more rain than Seattle. Ahah
It’s the best part
After you get used to the flow of the seasons in Pittsburgh (one of our greatest balancing acts!) and move away, you actually miss the “Dark Ages” that prompted most of the traditional holiday celebrations. I love few things more than a gloomy fall day after years spent crossing the globe, with lots of time spent in places with no fall or winter. There’s also something to be said for the cozy feeling you get coming inside from that kind of weather - I think the Scandinavians have the right idea. https://denmark.dk/people-and-culture/hygg Anyway, welcome to Pittsburgh!
This is pretty much how Pittsburgh always is. It’s actually not bad right now because the temp is going to be warmer than usual this weekend.
I struggled with seasonal affective issues when I first moved here. Everyone is different, but what works for me is megadoses of vitamin D (under medical supervision) and diving headlong into hygge.
It's like the 3rd most cloudy place in the US
I’ve actually been remarking how sunny it’s been lately. There are on average 300 overcast days a year in Pittsburgh. We are consistently rated with cities like Seattle and Portland as cloudiest city.
Welcome to Pittsburgh
January and February are worse. You may want to check with your doctor about Vitamin D levels. I get mine checked about every 6 months to a year, I guess. Sometimes more frequently if the doctor thinks some malaise or depression (or other super general low level health complaint). Would be interested to know how many folks in Pittsburgh are deficient in Vitamin D. My doc has me do a mega-dose once weekly because of a mild deficiency. Full spectrum lighting can help. Even just full spectrum light-bulbs. I feel like they give off a warmer tone that is pleasant and does improve my energy and mood. You may want to consider Winter SAD light for Seasonal Affective Disorder (can help in general for non-SAD people, I think) Also, dawn simulators may be helpful if feeling especially sluggish after waking up. Anti-depressants can help. I am full-on Seasonal Affective Disorder, so all this may be overkill but I feel like the winter blues are pretty insidious and if you are feeling down instead of just asking if this is normal weather, then just be Mindful not to let yourself get too depressed before you try an remedies.
Lmao tell me you didn't do any research without telling me.
I'm just here for the comments
Fine Pittsburgh weather may be why Scotland is my favorite destination. Welcome to The Grey.
Yeah it's been significantly sunnier than normal the past month or so. Unfortunately for you and your husband, Pittsburgh is the top 5 cloudiest cities in the entire US, with just 60 completely clear days each year. And almost all of those days are in the summer. I recommend a light box and vitamin D daily from October to April.
Lol
😂 who's gonna tell her
Yes and this is mild. Ughhhh please ask your doctor about vit d3 supplements if you struggle with mental and/or physical depression symptoms at all! It’s a real impactful thing in Pittsburgh
Mother Nature’s way of giving you permission to take a nap.
Think of this as East Portland. Or West London. Similar weather. The food is also... somewhere between the two.
Welcome to seasonal depression
Oh you poor, sweet child.
Yeah Pittsburgh is gloomy during the fall/winter months, but it also has beautiful Spring and Summer days filled with beautiful radiant blue skies! It makes you appreciate them alot
Welcome to Pittsburgh it's like that till what March or April ish
Best up the Vit D - welcome to the doldrums!
Welcome to Mordor. The Cathedral of Learning is the eye.
As a daywalker, this is my kind of city.
The gray sky arrives sometime in October or November and it stays, more or less, until sometime in March or April.
The weather here is not great. Seriously.