I was curious how many Christmases we had snow on the ground over the past few years I had time to go back to 2008. Seems we have had more green Christmases than white with little or no snow on the ground in the lower half of the Lower Penninsula.
Nationally last year there was 28% snow coverage on Christmas day. The year before we had 25% coverage. In 2017 we had 49% of the U.S. with snow on the ground. Looking back to 2012 we had 51% and 2009 with 63% for the most area with snow on the ground in the past 20 years.
I think we are going to have one of those on again off again winters this year with most of the snow coming on the back side, late January/February time frame. I am guessing the first half will be a roller coaster of rain, sleet, ice and snow. We can never really guess where the jetstream is going to set up and tracks of storms however this may be a year where we guess until the last moment on storm tracks coming up through the Ohio Valley. The big question is which way will the wind blow of the lake this winter. Last year we had more of a northerly wind which gave the U.P., northern and extreme SW Michigan snow squalls. I suspect we will do better than the meager 49 inches of snow we had last year in Otsego especially if the lake effect machine sets up from the west. Lake effect tends to be half or more of our snowfall totals. This is only a guess…
This is the reason I miss living in Maine. In 1972 we already had about 48 inches of snow on the ground by Thanksgiving. That winter we had well over 300 inches. Below is the current snow cover for New England and for 2019:
[columns] [span6]
[/span6][span6]
[/span6][/columns]
[columns] [span3]
[/span3][span3]
[/span3][span3]
[/span3][span3]
[/span3][/columns]
[columns] [span3]
[/span3][span3]
[/span3][span3]
[/span3][span3]
[/span3][/columns]
[columns] [span3]
[/span3][span3]
[/span3][span3]
[/span3][span3]
[/span3][/columns]
Your Local Forecast
Green. GOOD!! White Bad.
Hurry Spring 2021
https://days.to/until/spring
Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone. I hope everyone is safe and enjoying the holiday. It looks to be nice and sunny tomorrow so I think I will hang the Christmas lights outside.
What happen to all that cold and snow for next week .. Only two days in the upper 30s, then back to the 40s .. Loving winter !!
Yeah, like it’s been the past several years, the snow is just 2 or 3 weeks away, 2 or 3 weeks away. Then the 2 or 3 weeks go by, still no snow, and it’s once again 2 or 3 weeks away. Rinse and repeat.
Snow does not a Winter make. We have the permanent overcast and freezing temperatures in place. Flora and Fauna have reacted appropriately…it is Winter.
However, a Winter with little to no snow is much more enjoyable for everyone!
Agreed…
In the last 10 years Grand Rapids has only had snow on the ground 40% of the time with 2017 with 3″ 2016 with 5″ 2013 with 8″ and 2010 with 2″ All the other years had no snow on the ground for Christmas. At Grand Rapids the current 30 year average is 63% but that looks to go down with the next 30 year average. The average since 1963 is 67% and since 1950 64% and since records started at Grand Rapids 63% of the time Christmas has had snow on the ground so the last 10 years has… Read more »
We may need to travel to the East to enjoy the first major snowstorm of the season!
http://wxcaster.com/gis-gfs-snow-overlays2.php?STATIONID=DTX
Another dud.. More above normal temps coming next week !!