Tag Archives: snow

The Chances for a White Christmas 2015

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The Holiday Season is here and many people are dreaming of a white Christmas. The likelihood of seeing those dreams come true, however, are largely dependent on where you live.

According to NOAA, a white Christmas is defined as having at least one inch of snow on the ground on December 25th.  In the US, the climatological probability of having snow for Christmas is greatest across the northern tier of the country. Moving south, average temperatures increase and the chance of snow steadily decreases.

Here in New York City, the historical chance of having a white Christmas is about 12%. This low probability is largely due to the city’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its moderating influence on temperature. This year, with record breaking warm temperatures in the forecast, the city’s already minimal chance for snow has largely melted away.

Snow or no snow, The Weather Gamut wishes you and your family a very Happy Holiday!

Source: NOAA

The historical chances for a white Christmas across the contiguous US. Source: NOAA

NYC Monthly Summary: March 2015

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March 2015 was a bit of a weather rollercoaster in New York City. We had highs ranging from a chilly 27°F to a relatively balmy 62°F. In the end though, with 23 out of 31 days posting below average readings, the cold won out. The extended cold snaps helped lower the city’s mean temperature for the month to 38.1°F, which is 4.4°F below normal. That makes March 2015 the coldest March the city has seen in 31 years.

In terms of precipitation, March 2015 was unusually snowy. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, it was NYC’s 6th snowiest March on record. The city measured 18.6 inches of snow in Central Park, which is a staggering 14.7 inches above average. We even had snow falling on the first day of spring.

Rainfall was also abundant. The city received 4.72 inches, which is 0.36 inches above average for the month.

Credit: The Weather Gamut.

Credit: The Weather Gamut.

NYC Seasonal Summary: Winter 2014-15

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For the second year in a row, New York City had an unusually cold and snowy winter. While last year saw the term polar vortex go viral, this winter was actually colder in the Big Apple.

The city’s average temperature for this past meteorological winter (December, January, and February) was 31.4°F. That is 3.7°F below normal and 1.6°F below last winter’s average. This winter,  December posted an above average reading, but both January and February were significantly colder than normal.  In fact, February 2015 was the city’s 3rd coldest February on record.

In terms of snowfall, every month this winter, with the exception of December, was an overachiever. January brought the city 16.9 inches of snow, February produced 13.6 inches, and March delivered a whopping 18.6 inches. All together,  the city saw 49.1 inches of snow in Central Park.  On average, NYC typically gets 25.8 inches for the entire winter season.

A Snowy Start to Spring in NYC

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Spring got off to a cold a snowy start in New York City this year. The high temperature on the Equinox was 38°F, which is 13°F below average. The first day of the new season also brought snowfall to the Big Apple with 4.5 inches accumulating in Central Park. Month to date, the city has measured 18.6 inches of snow. March, on average, typically brings NYC a modest overall total of 3.9 inches.

Snow falls on the Spring Equinox in NYC

Snow falling on the Spring Equinox in NYC, March 20th at 6:45PM.                        Image Credit: The Weather Gamut.

Lack of Snow Pushes Iditarod Race North

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Record cold and snowy conditions have dominated the weather in the eastern US this winter. The western part of the country, however, has been exceptionally warm and dry. That includes Alaska, where the famous Iditarod Dog Sled Race got underway today.

Due to a lack of snow, this year’s Iditarod had to be moved north 225 miles from its traditional starting point in Anchorage, AK to Fairbanks, AK. In a typical winter season, the city of Anchorage collects 60 inches of snow. So far this year, they have only received 20 inches.

Meteorologists at the NWS office in Anchorage attribute Alaska’s unseasonably warm winter and its dearth of snow to a highly amplified jet stream, which allowed warmer Pacific air to dominate the region. Above average sea surface temperatures along the coastline of this country’s northern most state also contributed to its unusually mild conditions.

Ending in Nome, AK, the annual race spans 1000 miles of arctic tundra and commemorates the journey made by dogsledders in 1925 to deliver medical supplies for a diphtheria outbreak in that city. This year was the second time in the event’s 43-year competitive history that the starting point had to be moved because of poor snow conditions. The last time was in 2003.

Iditarod

Musher and dog sled team on the Iditarod Trail, AK.   Credit: ADN

Weather and Art: Snowflakes

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We have all heard the phrase, “no two snowflakes are alike.” This popular adage originated in the late nineteenth century and is widely credited to Wilson Bentley, a farmer from Jericho, Vermont with a deep curiosity about water’s various forms. He was also the first person to photograph individual snowflakes.

Bentley collected fresh falling snowflakes on a blackboard and documented them for posterity with a technique known as photomicrography. This is a photographic process that involves attaching a camera to a microscope. Working in the late 1880s and early 1900s – the days before film – Bentley’s images were captured on emulsion covered glass plates. His first icy masterpiece dates to 1885.

During the course of his lifetime, Bentley photographed more than 5000 individual snowflakes and did not find any two to be exactly alike. In 1931, he published a book of his work entitled, “Snow Crystals.” Extensive collections of his images can be seen at the Jericho Historical Society in Vermont and the Buffalo Museum of Science in upstate New York.

Scientists today continue to study how snow crystals grow.

Photo of an individual snowflake circa Winter 1901-02 by Wilson Bentley.                   Credit: Wilson Bentley/Smithsonian Institution Archives

Photo of an individual snowflake circa Winter 1901-02 by Wilson Bentley.                   Credit: Wilson Bentley/Smithsonian Institution Archives

NYC Monthly Summary: February 2015

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February was frigid in New York City this year! With an average monthly temperature of 23.9°F, it was the city’s 3rd coldest February on record.

We experienced several arctic outbreaks that caused fountains to freeze and ice to form on both the Hudson and East Rivers. Overall, we had 15 out of 28 days where our high temperature did not get above freezing. We also had 7 days where our low temperature dropped into the single digits, including February 20th when the mercury plummeted to 2°F in Central Park, marking a new record low for the date. Our normal high for the month is 42°F and our normal low is 29°F.

These relentlessly cold conditions were produced by an almost continuous deep dip in the jet stream that allowed arctic air to dive south into our region. Some scientists suggest there may be a connection between these extended periods of extreme cold and climate change. They say as the Arctic warms, the jet stream slows down creating a wavier configuration that allows weather systems to stay in place longer.

In terms of precipitation, February is usually a snowy month in the Big Apple and this year was no exception. The city had 13.6 inches accumulate in Central Park, which is 4.4 inches above average. The month did not bring us a single blockbuster snow event, but rather a string of small storms. Rainfall, on the other hand, was lacking.  The city only received 2.04 inches, which is 1.05 inches below normal for the month.

Credit: The Weather Gamut

Credit: The Weather Gamut

The Different Shapes of Snowflakes

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There is an old saying: “no two snowflakes are alike.” While that may well be true, their basic shapes are driven by temperature and atmospheric moisture content. Here is a look at their general categories.

snow-morphology-diagram

Snowflake morphology diagram.  Image Credit: Kenneth Libbrecht/CalTech

A Winter Weary Snowman in NYC

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We are only half way through winter and it seems some people have already had enough. I spotted this message-bearing, battered snow-person in Columbus Circle today as the Big Apple gears up for yet another round of wintry precipitation.

A Winter weary snowman in Columbus Circle, NYC. Photo Credit: The Weather Gamut

A winter weary snowman in Columbus Circle, NYC.                  Photo Credit: The Weather Gamut

NYC Monthly Summary: January 2015

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January is typically the coldest month on the calendar for New York City and this year was no exception. We had nine days where the high temperature did not get above freezing and two overnight lows in the single digits. While there were also a few unseasonably warm days, the multiple bouts of extreme cold brought the city’s average monthly temperature down to 29.9°F.  That is 2.7°F below normal.

On the precipitation side of things, the city had 11 days with measurable rainfall.  In all, we received a remarkable 5.23 inches of rain, which is 1.58 inches above normal. Of this impressive total, 2.1 inches fell in a single day, January 18th, setting a new daily rainfall record for the date. Snow was also plentiful with 16.9 inches measured in Central Park. Most of this fell during a single storm – a clipper system that transitioned to a nor’easter – at the end of the month. On average, January usually brings the city a total of 7 inches of snow.

Credit: The Weather Gamut

Credit: The Weather Gamut

Credit: The Weather Gamut

Credit: The Weather Gamut