Rising Towards the Top

I'm not sure how this winter season will end up ranking compared to past winters.  I guess it could be a matter of opinion.  Numbers don't always give a clear indication.  What I have taken away from the season so far is the persistent nature of snowfalls and the steady stream of coldness.

We can start with the facts about this winter taken from recordings at Allentown Airport.  Including today the snowfall this season is at 66.7 inches.  That is 4th all time since recordings began in 1922.  Ahead of this season is 1993-94 (75.4), 1995-96 (71.4) and 1966-67 (67.2).  Considering the late February to early March outlook it would seem likely we at the very least move into second place if not first by the time winter is over.  Anything over a half inch will place the three snowiest years within the last 20 seasons.  Maybe that will put to bed the stories of the old timers telling us how high the snow was in their day.  The answer is apparently not as high as today.

This season we have had so far:

• 22 days of measurable snowfall

• 12 days of temperatures that fell to single digits

• 6 different days the low fell to negative numbers

• 31 days the high temperature failed to reach 32

Unfortunately I don't have the ability to compare this to anything historically.  However I could easily say this is unusually.  For instance, the average temperature in January was five degrees below normal.  The average temperature so far for February is seven degrees below normal.  It doesn't seem like a lot but it is.  December was right on average and November was three below normal. 

This type of weather starts lending itself to the cries of forecasters reassuring the upcoming warmup.  A normal winter has many ups and down.  Hitting 50 twice after all this cold must be like saying it will be 70 to many.  Here's the full story.  The following two weeks after this weekend will probably see temperature on average around 10 degrees below normal.  Ten degrees.  Two weeks.  Enjoy those 50's.

If we are going to break snowfall records this is going to be the year.  Everything added up to keep the cold air in place and the moisture flowing.  The next few weeks will not be nearly as active.  That's probably a good thing at this point.  It doesn't meant that there aren't chances for snow.

So by the time March ends (or April the way this is going) could we call this the worse winter in recorded history?  You could.  Will it be the snowiest?  I'm going to guess that it will.  Hitting that number one spot would make this the greatest winter ever.  Not the worst.  It's all how you look at it.