As with all of Kansas, winter weather is extremely variable, although extreme maxima are not as hot as in the southwest of the state as Pittsburg is far from the influence of hot chinook winds. Arctic outbreaks bring temperatures to or below on average once per winter, while maxima over can be expected four times between December and February. Winter weather is less dry than in most of Kansas since moist Gulf air often penetrates without reaching most of the state: December 2015 saw of rain, and the very cold January 1979 saw sixteen days with at least of measurable precipitation. Because the moister air masses are warm, heavy snowfall is uncommon in Pittsburg: the mean is and only twelve months have seen more than , with the most in a month being in January 1979. The most snow in a day has been on December 13, 2000, and the most snow on the ground on February 4 and 5, 2011 and March 17, 1970.