The weather has always been a favorite topic of conversation. Undoubtedly, someone must have said to Noah, “I thought they said it was supposed to let up on Tuesday.” Over a century ago, American essayist Charles Dudley Warner wrote in the HartfordCourant, “Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.” And now with the advent of the 24-hour Weather Channel and high-tech radar and satellite imagery, we have more information about the weather at our disposal than ever before. But what about weather in the past? Is the climate changing? Are the summers hotter now than ever before? Were winters colder when our grandparents were children?

In The Pennsylvania Weather Book, meteorologist Ben Gelber provides the first comprehensive survey of 250 years of recorded weather in this state. He reports on noteworthy weather happenings by category (snowstorms, rainstorms, cold and heat waves, thunderstorms, and tropical storms) and places them in historical context. Throughout the book, Gelber clearly defines meteorological terms and explains what creates weather events. The book features appendices and tables containing useful references for average temperatures, precipitation, snowfall, and climate data. It also provides a brief history of the weather watchers who contributed to the state’s meteorological records since the late eighteenth century. This volume will serve as a valuable resource for weather professionals, amateurs, and local enthusiasts alike.