This winter vs last winter

[Scott Patterson]

How's everyones winter shaping up compared to the last one? Seems the weather around the country is running the gammut. Some areas are much colder than last year and some much warmer.

It seems like a long winter here, but looks like this year was actually warmer than last, so far at least. Unfortuantely it looks like the official weather station has gone down though .

How's the winter where you live shaping up in comparison with last?

STATION: CRAIG
MONTH: JANUARY
YEAR: 2008
LATITUDE: 40 30 N
LONGITUDE: 107 32 W

TEMPERATURE IN F: CPN: SNOW: WIND :SUNSHINE: SKY K WND
================================================================================
1 2 3 4 5 6A 6B 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
AVG MX 2MIN
DY MAX MIN AVG DEP HDD CDD WTR SNW DPTH SPD SPD DIR MIN PSBL S-S WX SPD DR
================================================================================

1 16 -20 -2 M 67 0 0.00 M M 2.5 13 50 M M 0 16 50
2 16 -15 1 M 64 0 0.00 M M 0.1 5 280 M M 1 6 250
3 25 -11 7 M 58 0 0.00 M M 1.4 9 210 M M 2 10 220
4 44 11 28 M 37 0 0.00 M M 7.9 28 200 M M 6 32 200
5 44 24 34 M 31 0 0.23 M M 16.3 40 210 M M 9 1 56 190
6 36 23 30 M 35 0 0.03 M M 9.6 30 270 M M 7 123 37 260
7 24 -1 12 M 53 0 0.00 M M 2.9 9 200 M M 4 10 200
8 26 -9 9 M 56 0 0.02 M M 3.2 13 70 M M 6 1 17 70
9 28 2 15 M 50 0 0.17 M M 5.3 14 270 M M 9 12 16 250
10 23 -11 6 M 59 0 T M M 3.0 14 80 M M 8 128 17 120
11 28 8 18 M 47 0 0.06 M M 4.4 18 250 M M 10 18 22 250
12 26 -4 11 M 54 0 T M M 0.9 6 130 M M 7 1 7 300
13 26 1 14 M 51 0 T M M 0.8 7 80 M M 9 1 8 80
14 18 -8 5 M 60 0 T M M 1.8 7 220 M M 2 12 8 230
15 25 -7 9 M 56 0 T M M 5.2 28 320 M M 4 1 36 330
16 13 -21 -4 M 69 0 T M M 3.6 14 240 M M 4 1 16 240
17 9 -23 -7 M 72 0 0.01 M M 4.5 12 70 M M 7 18 14 70
18 15 -4 6 M 59 0 0.02 M M 3.1 13 70 M M 9 18 15 60
19 21 -7 7 M 58 0 0.04 M M 2.6 10 70 M M 8 18 13 80
20 30 9 20 M 45 0 0.02 M M 3.2 18 70 M M 5 1 21 80
21 18 4 11 M 54 0 0.03 M M 1.8 12 350 M M 10 18 13 340
22 12 -18 -3 M 68 0 0.01 M M 0.4 5 150 M M 7 18 6 210
23 14 -13 1 M 64 0 T M M 1.4 12 360 M M 2 1 14 360
24 25 -13 6 M 59 0 T M M 1.4 10 210 M M 6 13 210
25 30 14 22 M 43 0 0.03 M M 5.7 22 230 M M 9 12 26 220
26 34 -1 17 M 48 0 0.00 M M 4.0 12 80 M M 4 15 250
27 41 -4 19 M 46 0 T M M 4.7 44 210 M M 5 54 210
28 39 9 24 M 41 0 0.11 M M 20.8 44 260 M M 8 128 58 240
29 20 -6 7 M 58 0 T M M 9.6 25 220 M M 5 18 32 210
30 19 -10 5 M 60 0 0.13 M M 6.5 18 280 M M 8 12 23 280
31 19 -25 -3 M 68 0 0.00 M M 2.9 15 70 M M 4 8 20 70
================================================================================
SM 764 -126 1690 0 0.91 M 141.5 M 185
================================================================================
AV 24.6 -4.1 4.6 FASTST PSBL % 6 MAX(MPH)

STATION: CRAIG
MONTH: FEBRUARY
YEAR: 2008
LATITUDE: 40 30 N
LONGITUDE: 107 32 W

TEMPERATURE IN F: CPN: SNOW: WIND :SUNSHINE: SKY K WND
================================================================================
1 2 3 4 5 6A 6B 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
AVG MX 2MIN
DY MAX MIN AVG DEP HDD CDD WTR SNW DPTH SPD SPD DIR MIN PSBL S-S WX SPD DR
================================================================================

1 25 -7 9 M 56 0 T M M 6.5 23 240 M M 9 18 29 230
2 19 -9 5 M 60 0 0.01 M M 1.2 8 220 M M 7 18 10 220
3 33 -3 15 M 50 0 0.00 M M 5.6 24 230 M M 7 31 230
4 24 -5 10 M 55 0 0.12 M M 6.1 16 240 M M 8 2 18 260
5 11 -12 0 M 65 0 T M M 0.9 7 220 M M 7 18 7 220
6 21 -14 4 M 61 0 0.13 M M 5.1 22 280 M M 5 2 26 280
7 27 -14 7 M 58 0 0.07 M M 6.9 28 240 M M 7 8 31 240
8 M M M M M M 0.00 M M 10.2 18 240 M M 7 30 200
================================================================================
SM 160 -64 405 0 0.33 M 42.5 M 57
================================================================================
AV 22.9 -9.1

Last year:

STATION: CRAIG
MONTH: JANUARY
YEAR: 2007
LATITUDE: 40 30 N
LONGITUDE: 107 32 W

TEMPERATURE IN F: CPN: SNOW: WIND :SUNSHINE: SKY K WND
================================================================================
1 2 3 4 5 6A 6B 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
AVG MX 2MIN
DY MAX MIN AVG DEP HDD CDD WTR SNW DPTH SPD SPD DIR MIN PSBL S-S WX SPD DR
================================================================================

1 27 1 14 M 51 0 0.00 M M 1.1 10 220 M M 1 10 220
2 27 -4 12 M 53 0 0.00 M M 2.5 10 190 M M 0 12 190
3 37 5 21 M 44 0 0.00 M M 2.0 9 290 M M 2 10 220
4 39 5 22 M 43 0 0.37 M M 3.7 15 350 M M 6 18 18 340
5 23 -4 10 M 55 0 0.02 M M 4.1 12 330 M M 5 1 17 310
6 24 -20 2 M 63 0 T M M 6.6 26 280 M M 4 18 31 280
7 18 -11 4 M 61 0 0.00 M M 1.6 22 230 M M 0 24 240
8 36 3 20 M 45 0 0.00 M M 3.5 12 60 M M 6 8 14 70
9 26 -5 11 M 54 0 0.00 M M 1.3 8 210 M M 0 1 10 80
10 41 -5 18 M 47 0 0.00 M M 2.3 18 220 M M 0 25 200
11 40 8 24 M 41 0 0.12 M M 11.0 32 210 M M 3 1 41 230
12 8 1 5 M 60 0 0.24 M M 6.9 14 230 M M 10 128 16 230
13 6 -9 -1 M 66 0 0.01 M M 3.9 13 240 M M 10 18 14 240
14 0 -29 -14 M 79 0 T M M 3.3 12 260 M M 9 18 12 260
15 -6 -35 -20 M 85 0 0.00 M M 0.4 5 230 M M 1 18 6 220
16 1 -30 -14 M 79 0 0.00 M M 0.1 5 120 M M 3 18 5 120
17 6 -27 -10 M 75 0 0.00 M M 0.5 7 210 M M 3 18 8 210
18 12 -19 -3 M 68 0 0.00 M M 2.1 9 200 M M 1 9 200
19 11 -19 -4 M 69 0 0.00 M M 0.7 7 220 M M 1 18 7 220
20 12 -15 -1 M 66 0 0.03 M M 0.6 6 100 M M 6 2 6 100
21 21 -9 6 M 59 0 0.05 M M 0.1 3 130 M M 7 2 5 110
22 12 -18 -3 M 68 0 T M M 0.1 7 300 M M 3 1 7 310
23 18 -13 3 M 62 0 0.00 M M 0.3 6 360 M M 1 6 360
24 22 -14 4 M 61 0 0.00 M M 0.8 6 240 M M 2 12 6 240
25 24 -6 9 M 56 0 0.00 M M 0.0 5 220 M M 4 128 6 210
26 22 -7 8 M 57 0 0.00 M M 0.0 3 180 M M 3 128 5 230
27 20 -14 3 M 62 0 T M M 1.5 7 120 M M 4 128 7 120
28 14 -17 -1 M 66 0 T M M 0.5 7 340 M M 4 2 8 350
29 21 -19 1 M 64 0 0.00 M M 0.5 5 230 M M 0 5 80
30 22 -5 9 M 56 0 T M M 0.7 7 210 M M 8 1 8 220
31 21 -14 4 M 61 0 0.03 M M 5.8 17 250 M M 3 1 18 250
================================================================================
SM 605 -345 1876 0 0.87 M 68.5 M 110
================================================================================
AV 19.5-11.1

STATION: CRAIG
MONTH: FEBRUARY
YEAR: 2007
LATITUDE: 40 30 N
LONGITUDE: 107 32 W

TEMPERATURE IN F: CPN: SNOW: WIND :SUNSHINE: SKY K WND
================================================================================
1 2 3 4 5 6A 6B 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
AVG MX 2MIN
DY MAX MIN AVG DEP HDD CDD WTR SNW DPTH SPD SPD DIR MIN PSBL S-S WX SPD DR
================================================================================

1 14 -20 -3 M 68 0 0.03 M M 3.6 20 360 M M 8 12 25 360
2 19 -20 0 M 65 0 T M M 2.6 16 260 M M 9 1 18 270
3 34 -6 14 M 51 0 0.00 M M 6.5 23 240 M M 3 29 250
4 35 -5 15 M 50 0 0.00 M M 2.2 9 120 M M 6 10 120
5 35 0 18 M 47 0 0.00 M M 1.7 8 220 M M 0 1 8 220
6 43 14 29 M 36 0 0.00 M M 2.9 7 220 M M 0 8 220

Interestingly both last year and this year are experiencing a thaw at this time in Feb.

[bob rulz]

December:
This year: 27.0 (-3.2)
Last year: 30.7 (+0.5)
Avg: 30.2

January:
This year: 23.9 (-5.3)
Last year: 21.1 (-8.1)
Avg: 29.2

December - January:
This year: 25.5 (-4.2)
Last year: 25.9 (-3.8)
Avg: 29.7

Absolute low 2007-08: -2
Absolute low 2006-07: -1

Low high 2007-08: 19 (twice)
Low high 2006-07: 18

Total snowfall 2007-08 (through February 9): 54.1 inches
Total snowfall 2006-07 (through February 9): 29.1 inches
Avg snowfall (through February 9): 40.5 inches

Largest snowstorm 2007-08: 8.4 inches
Largest snowstorm 2006-07: 8.1 inches

Overall, these two winters have been very different. January in both years have been very cold. However, January 2007 was cold because a very powerful inversion set itself up over the valley and persisted for about 2 and a half weeks. It ended up being the coldest month since December 1990. As such, it was very dry. However, January 2008 was cold because a persistent northwesterly flow kept storm after storm moving into the area. It was so wet, in fact, that an inversion really never had time to set in (which almost never happens here in winter). Most of the storms were small at the official station, but much bigger elsewhere in the state, generally. It's been an unusual winter; there's been very little lake-effect snow, which is what gives us some of our biggest snowfalls. December 2006 was near average and dry, while December 2007 was colder than average and was the 4th-wettest December on record (and the wettest, snowiest month since December 2003). Since January was only slightly snowier than average, the snowy December is what has really pushed the total snow over the average.

This February has started out significantly colder and a little snowier than average and much colder than last year's started out. Although the next week looks above average and mostly dry, it still looks wetter and cooler than last year's February at this time. Only time will tell if this wet pattern will hold up through February, but we're already near the yearly average in snow and well above last winter's TOTAL snowfall. Last year was very cold in January, but around that it was above average. The cold has been much more persistent this year. Also, the snowfall has been much more consistent; we haven't had any huge storms, but we've had a lot of small to moderate sized ones. Last year's snow was pretty pathetic. It didn't start off too bad, but once the inversion set in, the snow season was pretty much over. We had mostly moderate-sized storms, with some small ones last year. It was very inconsistent.

Overall, it's been a very cold, snowy winter. But it's also been windy, which doesn't happen too often here when it's cold. Yet it seems to be always windy this winter here. I like cold fine, but I hate windy cold, so I'm starting to get sick of it. I absolutely love the snow, though; unfortunately, we haven't had that one huge snowfall yet (we haven't had a huge storm since December 2003). That would really complete this winter for me.

[jinftl]

Two warmer than normal winters here in Fort Lauderdale:

December 2006 averaged 75.1 deg, or 5.7 deg above normal.
December 2007 averaged 74.5 deg, or 5.1 deg above normal.

January 2007 averaged 73.0 deg, or 5.5 deg above normal.
January 2008 averaged 70.2 deg, or 2.7 deg above normal.

February 2007 averaged 69.4 deg. or 1.2 deg above normal.
February 2008 (to date) is averaging 75.9 deg. or 8.3 deg above normal.


(All data from CF6 data from NWS Miami, http://www.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=mfl)

[JonathanBelles]

I'd say this winter has been warmer than last year.

[Tstormwatcher]

We have definitely had a colder winter this year than last although still no snow.

[RL3AO]

Temps near normal (which is cold compared to the recent winters). And more snowfall (but still only 60% of normal).

[HarlequinBoy]

Here we've had a pretty mild winter with lots of record highs. January though was pretty average and there was plenty of cool/cold weather. <0.5 of snow though, so basically nothing, heh.

Nov +2.2
Dec +4.5
Jan +0.6
Feb +9.1 so far.. It was around 80 on the 5th.

[Patrick99]

Our winters seem locked in a very warm pattern; even on the rare occasions when it gets a little chilly, the winds swing around very quickly. Last year was warm, this year has been warm, the year before was warm....been a lot of warm winters the last decade by my reckoning....ever since that very odd 1997 El Nino winter, something has seemed to change. I remember winters in the early to mid 90s being pretty chilly, as were winters in the 70s and 80s.

Ever since New Years', the fronts we've had have been really pathetic - and the window for fronts of any real consequence coming through the Miami area is closing quickly.

[RL3AO]

Minneapolis last had a 2+ inch snowfall on December 25. That explains this winter.

[ohiostorm]

We had a warmer overall winter last year here in Pittsburgh. We had a very cold spell in February but it wasn't that long. This year, it's been colder, longer. Our snowfall is right around average for this time of year. Might go above average with this next storm coming through. BRING ON SUMMER!

[JBG]

Last winter we had blowtorch after blowtorch till mid-January when it turned frigid. This winter we had a somewhat cold December, but it's been toasty since, with a few minor cold snaps. Very little snow.

[Scott Patterson]

Dang, it sure has turned warm lately. Looks like this winter has taken a huge turn for the warmer. It sure has been mild; almost warm enough for shorts! Not quite, but it sure feels like it.

STATION: CRAIG
MONTH: FEBRUARY
YEAR: 2008
LATITUDE: 40 30 N
LONGITUDE: 107 32 W

TEMPERATURE IN F: CPN: SNOW: WIND :SUNSHINE: SKY K WND
================================================================================
1 2 3 4 5 6A 6B 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
AVG MX 2MIN
DY MAX MIN AVG DEP HDD CDD WTR SNW DPTH SPD SPD DIR MIN PSBL S-S WX SPD DR
================================================================================

1 25 -7 9 M 56 0 T M M 6.5 23 240 M M 9 18 29 230
2 19 -9 5 M 60 0 0.01 M M 1.2 8 220 M M 7 18 10 220
3 33 -3 15 M 50 0 0.00 M M 5.6 24 230 M M 7 31 230
4 24 -5 10 M 55 0 0.12 M M 6.1 16 240 M M 8 2 18 260
5 11 -12 0 M 65 0 T M M 0.9 7 220 M M 7 18 7 220
6 21 -14 4 M 61 0 0.13 M M 5.1 22 280 M M 5 2 26 280
7 27 -14 7 M 58 0 0.07 M M 6.9 28 240 M M 7 8 31 240
8 30 -5 13 M 52 0 0.00 M M 10.2 18 240 M M 7 30 200
9 36 0 18 M 47 0 0.00 M M 8.5 22 200 M M 5 31 190
10 34 8 21 M 44 0 0.00 M M 1.5 7 360 M M 0 1 8 8
11 38 18 28 M 37 0 0.00 M M 6.3 20 280 M M 7 33 280
12 36 19 28 M 37 0 0.00 M M 5.7 22 240 M M 10 25 250
13 43 12 28 M 37 0 0.09 M M 4.8 21 220 M M 4 1 26 210
14 29 21 25 M 40 0 0.12 M M 6.3 17 240 M M 9 1 21 230
15 25 19 22 M 43 0 0.00 M M 3.7 13 230 M M 10 18 15 240
16 26 10 18 M 47 0 0.02 M M 2.8 12 70 M M 9 18 14 80
17 26 0 13 M 52 0 T M M 4.6 16 300 M M 7 1 22 290
18 22 -12 5 M 60 0 0.00 M M 0.4 7 230 M M 0 7 220
19 28 -8 10 M 55 0 0.00 M M 3.0 10 210 M M 0 12 210
20 30 -5 13 M 52 0 T M M 1.6 10 230 M M 4 18 10 230
21 34 21 28 M 37 0 T M M 1.9 8 240 M M 10 18 9 230
22 38 21 30 M 35 0 T M M 3.4 13 70 M M 9 1 16 80
23 34 15 25 M 40 0 0.03 M M 2.8 15 280 M M 8 1 17 290
24 43 14 29 M 36 0 0.05 M M 9.5 33 200 M M 8 13 39 200
25 36 26 31 M 34 0 0.02 M M 6.6 17 240 M M 9 18 22 250
================================================================================

[Ed Mahmoud]

Seems like a similar number of days (ballpark- 10) with frost that needed to be scraped off the windshield, but no 3 hour freezing drizzle event that produced small icicles like last year.

All unscientific and unofficial, but generally, a boring winter in Southeast Texas.

[JBG]

Seems like a similar number of days (ballpark- 10) with frost that needed to be scraped off the windshield, but no 3 hour freezing drizzle event that produced small icicles like last year.

All unscientific and unofficial, but generally, a boring winter in Southeast Texas.

It's interesting. In NYC last winter we had, not snow, but ice pellets. Twice, on February 14 and March 16.