NYC Reaches 40" Seasonal Snowfall for 3rd Consecutive W

[donsutherland1]

With 1.0" of snow, New York City saw its first stretch of 3 consecutive seasons with 40" or more snowfall since regular recordkeeping began in 1869.

New York City's Consecutive 40" Seasons

Code: Select all

1882-83   44.0"
1883-84   43.1"
   
1895-96   46.3"
1896-97   43.6"
   
1915-16   50.7"
1916-17   50.7"
   
1947-48   63.2"
1948-49   46.6"
   
2002-03   49.3"
2003-04   42.6"
2004-05   40.0" (through 3/12 7 a.m.)


The Snowfall Reports:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

Spotter reports
National Weather Service Upton NY
740 AM EST Sat Mar 12 2005

The following are unofficial observations taken during the past 24 hours for the storm that has been affecting our region that started during the evening of March 11, ending Saturday morning March 12. appreciation is extended to highway departments, cooperative observers, skywarn spotters and media for these reports. This summary is also available on our home page at weather.Gov/nyc

***********************Storm total snowfall***********************


Location snow time/date comments
on ground of
(inches) measurement

Connecticut

Fairfield County


Bridgeport 4.5 711 AM 3/12
New Fairfield 3.0 700 AM 3/12
Darien 1.5 630 AM 3/12


Middlesex County

Cromwell 3.5 700 AM 3/12

New Jersey
Bergen County


Mahwah 2.0 620 AM 3/12


Essex County

Newark (Kewr) 0.4 700 AM 3/12

New York
Nassau County


Hicksville 3.3 730 AM 3/12
East meadow 2.0 700 AM 3/12


New York County

Central Park 1.0 700 AM 3/12


Queens County

Far rockaway 1.5 600 AM 3/12
nyc/LA Guardia 1.5 700 AM 3/12


Suffolk County

Patchogue 6.5 700 AM 3/12
Bay Shore 6.0 700 AM 3/12
centereach 5.5 700 AM 3/12
Mount sinai 5.0 630 AM 3/12
west islip 4.5 700 AM 3/12
Upton 4.4 700 AM 3/12 (NWS)
islip 4.0 605 AM 3/12
shirley 3.0 630 AM 3/12


Westchester County

Mount Kisco 4.0 630 AM 3/12

Two Photos:

[Noreaster_Jer_04]

I don't know about you but I am very impressed by this Don, honestly when I made my winter forecast I didn't think it would happen that's why I was forecasting a Mid-Atlantic winter, but alas I was wrong...

I know alot of people assume that next winter will be quite mild in the east and while I agree that the East is due for such a winter, I'm worried that the switch from El Nino to La Nina could serve as repeat of 1996 next year, what are your thoughts on this ???

[krysof]

what's funny or ironic is that people thought this year would be very cold and snowy? The south had little snowfall this winter, and forecasts said it would get a lot of snow. They said the entire winter would be cold. The only area that received a huge amounts of snow was eastern new england. We had very warm days this winter for a 2 week period, next winter people say mild but it may not be. I believe next winter may be the final blow. Next winter it will be the 10 year anniversary of the 96 blizzard and every 10 years a major storm will form of those proportions.

[Noreaster_Jer_04]

Krysof... Just to let you know some locations in the southeast if by some miracle were to get 6" from the storm system this week the original winter forecasts would be correct

[krysof]

oh yeah if a "miracle" occurs

[snow_wizzard]

Don...That is encouraging for the Pacific NW also. Oddly enough those high snowfall periods in the past were closely associate with groups of years that had big time snowfall in Seattle. In fact the winter 1884 - 85 had this regions coldest December on record, and the winter of 1949 - 50 had our coldest January.

One VERY strange thing is the winter of 1915 - 16 was also extremely snowy in Seattle. That one checked in with a whopping 60.9 inches. How on Earth could Seattle and New York be so snowy in the same winter? Very, very rare.

I am seriously hoping that this means global warming has been blown WAY out of proprotion. If it really exists at all...

[donsutherland1]

Noreaster_Jer_04,

With regard to my winter ideas, NYC and PHL have exceeded my expectations. I had expected New England and the Ohio Valley/Midwest (Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago) to do very well with regard to snowfall.

As for Winter 2005-06, it is not assured that a mild and relatively snowless winter is in the offing for the East. I don't believe a La Niña is the most likely outcome either.

As for La Niña winters, weak La Niña/PDO + winters are typically cold and snowy in the East. Moderate/Strong La Niña winters and weak La Niña/PDO - are generally warmer than normal with less snowfall than normal.

[donsutherland1]

Snow_wizzard,

While odds favor the longer-term PDO cycle transitioning or being negative, recent developments have tilted the odds somewhat for a PDO + winter in 2005-06. That is far from assured at this point. After October, the picture should be quite clear on how things will evolve.

It's a shame that there isn't detailed global data (indices) available for some of those early winters. 1915-16 would probably be a fascinating winter to study.