“Onion snow” is a term used in Pennsylvania to describe the last snowfall before spring ends. It is light and melts quickly. Other snow-related expressions unique to Pennsylvania Dutch culture include “sapling” and “crack filler.” The culture also has weather beliefs, such as predicting the weather for the month based on the fifth day’s weather. The Pennsylvania Dutch are a cultural group of German heritage who settled in the area in the 1600s.
“Onion snow” is a regional term used primarily in the state of Pennsylvania, colloquially referring to the last snowfall before the end of the spring season. Some sources indicate that onion snow typically occurs after the traditional time to plant onions. In most places, onions are planted in late March or early April. Onion snow is defined as light snow that melts quickly. This regional expression is said to come from the Pennsylvania Dutch culture and language.
Three snow-related expressions, including onion snow, are unique to Pennsylvania Dutch culture. A sapling refers to a heavy, wet snow that weighs down tree limbs, while a crack filler is the term for a fine-grained dry snow that settles in crevices. Legend has it that all three types of snow must occur before spring arrives.
In addition to onion snow, crack filler, and sapling bender, other weather expressions have emerged from the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. A storm could be called a herschel. The expression “dooner und blitzen” means a thunderstorm with lightning. Individuals with Pennsylvania Dutch heritage might refer to a drizzle as spritzing. Similarly, an inquiry into the probability of rain could be formulated as, “Do you make it wet?”
Much of rural Pennsylvania’s weather tradition is also due to the influence of Pennsylvania Dutch culture. This folklore holds that the weather occurring on the fifth day of each month is a predictor of the weather for the entire month. Children’s hyperactive behavior is said to be a sign that rain is imminent, according to these beliefs; Similarly rain is said to be coming if the morning fields contain many cobwebs. Similarly, a rooster crowing in the late evening predicts precipitation during the night. A cold winter is believed to be foretold by the roundness of the corn as it grows, and it is said to be warm enough to plant corn when women are seen sticking one of their legs out from under the covers.
The term “Pennsylvania Dutch,” sometimes called “Pennsylvania German,” refers to a cultural group of German heritage, based on a misunderstanding of the German word “Deutsch.” This group was descended from southwestern German settlers brought to the area in the 1600s by William Penn. The unique Pennsylvania Dutch dialect arose from the intersection of Colonial English with German spoken by immigrants.
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