Pennsylvania has an especially low tolerance for snow and ice. According to a Pennsylvania State University (PSU) case study on a storm that occurred in December 2007, although the snow was advertised in advance, more than 100,000 people lost power "due to trees downing power lines and power lines falling due to ice burdened wire." Downed power lines also cause major problems on the roads and can block traffic.
Thunderstorms are an issue for Pennsylvania in the summer; this is seen in several case studies performed by PSU on August 2007 storms. One storm produced significant wind damage, while another storm that same month mostly "just ruined vacation plans." These two studies demonstrate the unpredictability of thunderstorms in the summer. The Pennsylvania State Climatologist (climate.met.psu.edu) has data on all recent lightning storms for the last few years.
Ride the public transit systems in larger Pennsylvanian cities: the "T" light rail system in Pittsburgh, the SEPTA bus in Philadelphia, and the Capital Area Transit bus system in Harrisburg, among others. Use the rail system during rush hour -- generally from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. -- to avoid road traffic congestion.
Traveling by train is a more energy efficient then driving, and can sometimes be more convenient as well. The Keystone Line train travels from Harrisburg to Philadelphia and then up to New York. According to Catch the Keystone's "Reason to Ride" section, "Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year." If you ride the train you can spend this time catching up on work.
Pennsylvania is divided into 67 counties. Each county is then divided into cities, boroughs, and townships, each of which have their own budgets. This means some townships will have larger budgets than others for snow removal or construction projects. The Times-Tribune.com published an article in February 2011 that outlined the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors' struggle to get more money for snow and ice removal.
Because of baggage fees and rising gas prices, air travel is a more expensive option then driving or taking the train. But if you have to fly, check Flytecom's "Flight Status" website for Pittsburgh International, Harrisburg International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport for information on your flight. This will keep you ahead of the weather or delays at the airport.
