29 February 2008

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 February 29:

Days with snow cover: 97
Days with complete snow cover: 46
Total snowfall: 106 centimeters (about 42 inches)
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters (8 inches)
Greatest snow event: 15 centimeters (6 inches)
Maximum low temperature: -19.5º Celsius (-3 degrees Fahrenheit)

This morning, the temperature dropped to -3 degrees Fahrenheit (-19.5 degrees C.). It was the coldest temperature of the season, and one degree F. colder than the coldest temperature last winter. It's still well above the historical average low temperature (-10 degrees F.), but I'm very happy that it actually got "below 0" at least once this year. The nose hairs in one of my nostrils actually froze!

Note to self: It's snowing right now. We're supposed to get 2 or 3 cm this afternoon, so don't forget to include the totals in a subsequent update!

27 February 2008

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 February 27:

Days with snow cover: 95
Days with complete snow cover: 44
Total snowfall: 106 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -18º Celsius

We had our largest snowfall of the season yesterday: 15 centimeters. It was great to see more than 4 or 5 centimeters on the ground for the first time since mid December.

24 February 2008

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 February 24:
Days with snow cover: 92
Days with complete snow cover: 42
Total snowfall: 91 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -18º Celsius

20 February 2008

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 February 20:

Days with snow cover: 88
Days with complete snow cover: 40
Total snowfall: 88 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -18º Celsius

18 February 2008

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 February 17:

Days with snow cover: 85
Days with complete snow cover: 39
Total snowfall: 85 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -18º Celsius

We had our eighth incidence of freezing rain yesterday, though it wasn't a significant event. This season we've had eight icings, of which five were significant.

Most of the snow has melted, but there are still a few patches where it had drifted.

14 February 2008

This day last year, we received 50 cm of snow...

Through A.D. 2008 February 14:

Days with snow cover: 82
Days with complete snow cover: 36
Total snowfall: 82 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -18º Celsius

We had our seventh freezing rain event of the season Monday night into Tuesday. After receiving 7 cm of snow (our biggest snowfall since mid December), the weather changed and we had 11 hours of freezing rain. It was our fifth "significant" freezing rain event of the season. People in our area continue to be amazed at the bizarre weather.

10 February 2008

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 February 10:

Days with snow cover: 78
Days with complete snow cover: 32
Total snowfall: 75 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -17º Celsius

Since December 23, we've had 11 days with complete snow cover - as compared to 21 from December 01 through December 22.

Since December 17 we've had 25 centimeters (10 inches) of snow - as compared to 50 centimeters (20 inches) from November 16 through December 16.

04 February 2008

Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 February 04:

Days with snow cover: 72
Days with complete snow cover: 30
Total snowfall: 71 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -17º Celsius

The last few weeks have been odd. There were about 10 days in the middle of January that were nice and cold, but we only had two centimeters of snow during that period. Even then, most of that snow melted soon after it fell. The final week of January was characterized by high temperatures between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius. We had a significant ice storm on Friday, February 01. That storm marked our third significant ice storm of the season and our fifth overall. Considering that we only had freezing rain twice in the previous three winters, five in the first half of one winter is exceptional. Even more incredible is the possibility that we'll have a sixth instance tonight!

The insanely horrible first half of the winter of A.D. 2006-2007 was about as crappy as a winter could be. However, the second half of the winter was about as good as a winter could be. So far this winter, out of a possible 9 weeks of winter weather, we've had three weeks with significant snow cover and cold, two weeks with very little snow cover and cold, and four weeks with neither snow cover nor cold. If you factor in the upcoming week, which is supposed to be between 5 and 10 degrees C., we're looking at a winter where 50% of the time has been "like winter" and 50% of it has been like "damned Virginia winter" as I call it. Even though the forecast says that it is going to remain in that 5 degrees C. range, I sure hope that the weathermen are wrong and that we can get enough snow and cold in February to play some more hockey and do some more snowshoeing. Every year Canadian winters look more attractive to me...