Winnipesaukee Forum - View Single Post - 2/26/08-2/27/08 & 2/29 (leap Day)

CanisLupusArctos · 02-28-2008, 11:04 AM

At Concord, this is now the snowiest meteorological winter on record. Meteorological winter means the months of Dec-Jan-Feb. as opposed to astronomical winter which begins with the solstice and ends with the equinox (Dec 20 to March 20).

The meteorological winter in Concord is now up to 100.1 inches of snow, breaking the old record of 78.0 inches in 1886-87. The normal snowfall for this time period is 45.6 inches. This winter is the only time Concord has ever received more than 100 inches of snow during meteorological winter.

This is now the 8th snowiest season on record. The snow season begins July 1 and ends June 30, in order to allow as much time as possible on either side of the winter season. For the snow season, Concord now has 102.2 inches. This reflects the light snowfall we had in November, which is considered meteorological autumn.

Here are the rankings of snow seasons at Concord, from the National Weather Service:

1. 122.0 INCHES 1873/74

2. 115.0 INCHES 1872/73

3. 112.4 INCHES 1995/96

4. 111.0 INCHES 1886/87

5. 111.0 INCHES 1887/88

6. 103.2 INCHES 1898/99

7. 103.0 INCHES 1874/75

8. 102.2 INCHES 2007/08 <==

9. 100.0 INCHES 1875/76

10. 100.0 INCHES 1971/72

...On a historical note... The records go back to 1869 in Concord. Some historians argue that we had much greater snows prior to the Industrial Revolution (mid-1800s). Historical records (not scientific) show that the world (including New England) had a 'Year Without A Summer' in the late 1820s thanks to a massive volcanic eruption in the Pacific Ocean. Farmer journals and other historical writings indicate New England had snow in every month during that time.

The Weather Channel's Bill Keneely (a Plymouth State alum) just posted a comparison of NH's snowpack to Steamboat Springs CO and Truckee, CA... two notoriously snowy places.

Currently in Concord the snow depth is 42 inches (it's 37 on Black Cat). Steamboat, CO has 39 inches, and Truckee CA has 33 inches.

***And there is more on the way***

R2B, it looks like you've called it once again. The NWS is now on board with your thinking for Friday night, which you posted last night. They're waiting for one more run of the models (to check for consistency) before they issue a winter storm watch for the possibility of 6"+ on Friday night. Assuming the next model run is consistent with the last, you should see NH highlighted in a winter storm watch beginning later today.

***Potential Problems Next Week***

With all this snow on the ground, warm air and rain have actually become our default enemies now. Seems strange to say, especially for the winter-weary, but R2B was right when he said that what we need in order to safely dwindle the snowpack are warm days and cold nights to gradually melt the snow. This would hopefully take place over a period of several weeks, not days. To that, I would add that an extremely dry period (like September & October were) is also needed. It doesn't look like we're going to get that.

Sunday through Wednesday is looking like a very stormy period, and warm air is going to try to invade. Rain on the existing snowpack means roofs and structures with snow on them will begin to collapse more readily as the snow gets weighed down with the rain in it.

Rain also filters to the bottom of the snowpack (which is December's snow, now ice) where it re-freezes and thickens that layer of ice. This makes the landscape much less capable of absorbing future moisture (like spring rainstorms) and the snowpack more resistant to melting.

Finally, the state's rivers and lakes need to be ready to accept the runoff from melting snow, before we can safely receive spring weather. At the moment, they're all frozen solid. They, too, need to thaw gradually. When rivers thaw too quickly it results in ice jams that dam up the river and cause overflowing. Last April we saw what happens when the lake thaws too quickly, as we had aircraft carriers made of ice drifting around the lake, bashing into everything on the shore.

Bottom line: As funny as it sounds, if there must be a storm, pray that it's snow...

02-28-2008, 11:04 AM	#26
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	Record Breaking At Concord, this is now the snowiest meteorological winter on record. Meteorological winter means the months of Dec-Jan-Feb. as opposed to astronomical winter which begins with the solstice and ends with the equinox (Dec 20 to March 20). The meteorological winter in Concord is now up to 100.1 inches of snow, breaking the old record of 78.0 inches in 1886-87. The normal snowfall for this time period is 45.6 inches. This winter is the only time Concord has ever received more than 100 inches of snow during meteorological winter. This is now the 8th snowiest season on record. The snow season begins July 1 and ends June 30, in order to allow as much time as possible on either side of the winter season. For the snow season, Concord now has 102.2 inches. This reflects the light snowfall we had in November, which is considered meteorological autumn. Here are the rankings of snow seasons at Concord, from the National Weather Service: 1. 122.0 INCHES 1873/74 2. 115.0 INCHES 1872/73 3. 112.4 INCHES 1995/96 4. 111.0 INCHES 1886/87 5. 111.0 INCHES 1887/88 6. 103.2 INCHES 1898/99 7. 103.0 INCHES 1874/75 8. 102.2 INCHES 2007/08 <== 9. 100.0 INCHES 1875/76 10. 100.0 INCHES 1971/72 ...On a historical note... The records go back to 1869 in Concord. Some historians argue that we had much greater snows prior to the Industrial Revolution (mid-1800s). Historical records (not scientific) show that the world (including New England) had a 'Year Without A Summer' in the late 1820s thanks to a massive volcanic eruption in the Pacific Ocean. Farmer journals and other historical writings indicate New England had snow in every month during that time. The Weather Channel's Bill Keneely (a Plymouth State alum) just posted a comparison of NH's snowpack to Steamboat Springs CO and Truckee, CA... two notoriously snowy places. Currently in Concord the snow depth is 42 inches (it's 37 on Black Cat). Steamboat, CO has 39 inches, and Truckee CA has 33 inches. *And there is more on the way* R2B, it looks like you've called it once again. The NWS is now on board with your thinking for Friday night, which you posted last night. They're waiting for one more run of the models (to check for consistency) before they issue a winter storm watch for the possibility of 6"+ on Friday night. Assuming the next model run is consistent with the last, you should see NH highlighted in a winter storm watch beginning later today. *Potential Problems Next Week* With all this snow on the ground, warm air and rain have actually become our default enemies now. Seems strange to say, especially for the winter-weary, but R2B was right when he said that what we need in order to safely dwindle the snowpack are warm days and cold nights to gradually melt the snow. This would hopefully take place over a period of several weeks, not days. To that, I would add that an extremely dry period (like September & October were) is also needed. It doesn't look like we're going to get that. Sunday through Wednesday is looking like a very stormy period, and warm air is going to try to invade. Rain on the existing snowpack means roofs and structures with snow on them will begin to collapse more readily as the snow gets weighed down with the rain in it. Rain also filters to the bottom of the snowpack (which is December's snow, now ice) where it re-freezes and thickens that layer of ice. This makes the landscape much less capable of absorbing future moisture (like spring rainstorms) and the snowpack more resistant to melting. Finally, the state's rivers and lakes need to be ready to accept the runoff from melting snow, before we can safely receive spring weather. At the moment, they're all frozen solid. They, too, need to thaw gradually. When rivers thaw too quickly it results in ice jams that dam up the river and cause overflowing. Last April we saw what happens when the lake thaws too quickly, as we had aircraft carriers made of ice drifting around the lake, bashing into everything on the shore. Bottom line: As funny as it sounds, if there must be a storm, pray that it's snow...