Philadelphia is located at the confluence of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers on the eastern border of Pennsylvania and is the largest city in Pennsylvania, belonging to the country of the United States of America (USA). The region is considered Mid-Atlantic as it is located in north eastern USA. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The history of Philadelphia goes back to when Philadelphia was founded by William Penn who was an English real estate entrepreneur philosopher. Philadelphia also once served as a temporary capital city of USA in 1790-1800 when the federal city was under construction in the District of Columbia. Tourism is now one of this cities main industries and Philadelphia is the 10th most visited city in the USA. The Philadelphian accent shares some similarities with the New York and Boston accents.
The topography of Philadelphia is fairly flat with few points above 100ft. The lowest point is sea level and the highest point is Chestnut Hill. This flat topography gives little rise to the river bed which produces a tidal range of nearly 6ft in the harbour. Storm surge, tidal action and run offs during storms can combine to produce threatening flood levels. Flooding is a major problem related to tropical cyclones in Philadelphia.
The weather in Philadelphia is classed as a humid subtropical climate where summers are hot and muggy, spring and autumn are mild and winters very cold. Snowfall varies as some winters may only bring mild snowfall and others could bring snow storms. Precipitation is normally fairly evenly distributed throughout the year with maximum amounts sometimes flooding the Schuylkill River during the summer months. There are generally 8 to 11 wet days per month. During the summer months high humidity is possible as a result of engulfed ocean air. The average annual snowfall is 21 inches and the average annual rainfall is 42 inches. The weather is said to be similar to Baltimore. Spring and autumn are said to be the nicest seasons to visit Philadelphia when the weather is not too hot or too cold.
There are influences on the weather in Philadelphia such as the Alpachian Mountains which are to the west of Philadelphia and the Atlantic Ocean to the east which do moderate the climate reducing extremes of hot and cold weather.
Extreme weather conditions do occur in Philadelphia: the highest recorded temperature being 1060F (410C) recorded on 7th August 1918; the lowest ever recorded temperature was on 9th February 1934 at -11 0F (-240C); the most snow to fall in winter was in 2009 â" 2010 with 78.7 inches of snow falling; the least snowiest winter was in 1972-1973 and the heaviest single snow storm was in 1996.
Flooding is the most common natural disaster in Pennsylvania and this state has the highest flooding rate of any state in the USA. Major earthquakes are not common in Philadelphia although tremors do occur. In 1996 the winter snow storm which hit Philadelphia broke the record with 70.3 inches of snow falling causing major problems in the city. The storm affected at least 50 million people. There were 2 car pile ups reported and 9 people died as a result.
Philadelphiaâsâ culture is a must see of national historical sites such as Independence Hall where the declaration of independence was signed and museums of science, history, arts, and various other museums. There is also a vibrant night life. The avenue of arts contains restaurants, theatres for performing arts such as orchestras and the ballet, to name a few. This city also plays a prominent role in music such as Philadelphia soul, rock music and jazz. Football, hockey, baseball and basket ball are all played in major sporting leagues in Philadelphia too.
This city is a great place to enjoy the weather, culture or sports. You can look at the weather averages which provide a weather forecast to give you a good idea of when the best time to book your holiday would be.
In Summer in Philadelphia you can expect temperatures to range from 850F (290C) to 870F (300C). The humidity in this season can rise. Temperaturesin this season are not likely to drop below lows of 630F (170C). Heat waves are frequent in this season. July does tend to receive the most rainfall. You can expect up to 10 hours of daily sunshine hours. The hottest month is July with June being the coolest.
In Autumn temperatures start to decrease with September remaining at 800F (270C) but November dropping to 580F (140C). September seems to receive the most rain in this season with November receiving the least. As temperatures start to reduce this is a good season to enjoy outdoor activities. The hottest month in this season is September, the coolest is November. The amount of daily sunshine hours do decrease, down to 5 hours of sunshine in November.
In Winter there can be snowstorms. Snowfall varies in winter each year. Temperatures in this season range from mid 400F below 100C so can get very cold. Rain still falls in this season and the wettest month is December. You can expect on average 5 hours of sunshine hours per day each month. The coldest month is January.
In Spring temperatures slowly start rising reaching highs of 760F (240C) in May. The temperatures do only begin to really warm up in May. The coldest month in this season is March. The humidity in the air in this season does tend to be slightly lower making this season more comfortable as temperatures rise. March can be very wet but then rainfall does start to decrease, with April being the driest month. Daily sunshine hours begin to increase again and you can expect up to 8 hours of sunshine hours per day.