When All Hope Seems Lost: Lessons from NYC

[donsutherland1]

For those who are perhaps ready to write off the prospects for Winter 2004-05 even before Winter arrives, it should be noted that there are some seasons that snow geese can employ to keep hope alive (not that there is any reason to lose hope at this time--all indications are that a good season lies ahead). Nevertheless, for those seeking inspiration, there were five seasons that met the following criteria but had good snowfall:

• Trace or less snowfall through November
• Less than 1" snowfall in December

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Season   Total
1874-75   47.9"
1895-96   46.3"
1913-14   40.5"
1924-25   29.6"
1891-92   25.4"


For additional food for thought, here are some good seasons when snowfall through December totaled less than 2.0":

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Season   Total
1906-07   53.2"
1977-78   50.7"
1874-75   47.9"
1895-96   46.3"
1913-14   40.5"
1934-35   33.8"
1925-26   32.4"
1881-82   31.4"
1946-47   30.6"
1901-02   30.0"


Morale of the story: It's not always about how the season starts but sometimes how it ends that makes the big difference.

[donsutherland1]

I'll apply the same criteria for DCA:

Trace or less through November and Less than 1" in December:

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Season   Total
1986-87   31.1"
1913-14   28.6"
1965-66   28.4"
1959-60   24.3"
1911-12   21.8"


Less than 2" through December:

Code: Select all

Season   Total
1995-96   46.0"
1899-90   35.6"
1986-87   31.1"
1913-14   28.6"
1965-66   28.4"
1906-07   28.3"
1959-60   24.3"
1977-78   22.7"
1981-82   22.5"
1911-12   21.8"
1923-24   21.4"
1936-37   20.2"
1903-04   20.2"
1979-80   20.1"


[KWT]

yep same over here in the U.K.

the winter of 1947 was very very mild to start with,however by January the temps plummeted alot and we ended up having one of the snoweist winters for 100 years.

and also people who wrote off this winter for you guys,just remember this hurricane season and how slow it was to start.

[GoneWiththeWind]

That's funny you brought up the 1947 Winter Season Great Britian. I just finished reading Oliver Reeds auto-biography and that year's winter weather took up a few pages! For those interested, the book's title is "Reed All About Me".

It seems that things were so rough that pipes were frozen solid and the only water was the kind you'd get by melting snow on the stove top in a large pot! For a ten year old boy it was an adventure and it was fun reading his account of the whole thing!

As far as a wild winter.....It's coming. The calm before the storm. Enjoy the warmth right now because I think we are going to get spanked! Oh course that wouldn't be to bad of a thing down here in Atlanta!

[JenyEliza]

That's funny you brought up the 1947 Winter Season Great Britian. I just finished reading Oliver Reeds auto-biography and that year's winter weather took up a few pages! For those interested, the book's title is "Reed All About Me".

It seems that things were so rough that pipes were frozen solid and the only water was the kind you'd get by melting snow on the stove top in a large pot! For a ten year old boy it was an adventure and it was fun reading his account of the whole thing!

As far as a wild winter.....It's coming. The calm before the storm. Enjoy the warmth right now because I think we are going to get spanked! Oh course that wouldn't be to bad of a thing down here in Atlanta!

WOO HOOO, you said it GWTW!! I'm ready (and probably right down the road from you too).

Bring on a huge dump of snow. Shut down the town. Get out the sleds....call the boss and tell him you aren't gonna be there!!

[KWT]

well yes it was a legendary winter indeed,more remembered for its raw cold then snow,although the snowstill got to be a 20-30 inches deep,but it got remembered by its sub-zero daytime temps and temps that got down to -15C every night.