ANOTHER LATE SNOW December 7, 2009
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2009′s first measurable snowfall has tied with 1937 for the latest snow on record at the National Weather Service offices in South Burlington. So the list is now topped by December 7, 1937 and December 7, 2009. (BFP, 12/9/09)
LATE SNOWS IN BURLINGTON November 28, 2009
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On average, the first measurable snow hits Burlington around November 6. Meteorologists at the National Weather Service have compiled a list of years with late first snows. Most of those years, but not all of them, went on to have below average snow for the season. Normal snowfall is about 80 inches. Here’s the list from Matt Sutkoski’s blog, BFP, 11/28/09):
FIRST SNOW (SEASON TOTAL)
- Dec 07, 1937 (45.1 inches)
- Dec 05, 1915 (54.4 inches)
- Dec 01, 1948 (40.7 inches)
- Nov 30, 1918 (69.6 inches)
- Nov 30, 1953 (83.6 inches)
- Nov 30, 1960 (51.6 inches)
- Nov 28, 1913 (56.5 inches)
- Nov 27, 1941 (57.7 inches)
- Nov 26, 1982 (80.5 inches)
- Nov 25, 1957 (94.9 inches)
WHITE CHRISTMAS? November 28, 2009
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Most of Vermont has a 76 to 90 percent chance of a white Christmas based on data collected by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) from 1988-2005. A sliver of the state along Lake Champlain, including Burllington, shows a 61 to 75 percent chance of snow. For more information, visit the NCDC Web site.
SNOW IN DECEMBER December 15, 2007
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According to the National Weather Service in South Burlington, the snowiest December in this area was 1970, with 56.7 inches. The least snowy December was 1912, with only 1.4 inches. The largest December snowstorm occurred December 25-28, 1969, when 29.8 inches fell. (Matt Sutkoski, Burlington Free Press, 12/15/07)
SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS December 19, 2002
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Cornell University’s Northeast Regional Climate Center puts out a white Christmas probability list annually. In 2002, the examination of historical records and extrapolation of possibilities found that if there is an inch or more of snow on the ground December 18, the chances for a white Christmas greatly improve for most areas. Burlington ordinarily has a 69 percent chance, improved to 80 percent based on the snow on the ground December 18. Caribou, Maine, the snowiest populated town in the Northeast, topped the 2002 list with a 94 percent chance of a white Christmas.
SNOW ON THANKSGIVING November 21, 2002
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Burlington is the second-likeliest Northeast city to have a cover of snow for Thanksgiving, with a 34 percent probability. The front runner is Caribou, Maine, which has a 67 percent probability. Predictions are based on a 30-year average of Northeast snowfall from 1971 to 2000. Big cities farther south, such as New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia all have a zero chance of snow.
SNOW RECORDS October 9, 2001
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Trace September 20, 1991
Earliest 1 inch of snow October 9, 1979
Earliest 3 inches of snow October 10, 1925
Earliest 6 inches of snow November 1, 1993*
Earliest 12 inches of snow November 16, 1906 *
*6- and 12-inch snows don’t occur every winter
(BFP, 10/19/01)
SNOW AT THE STAKE ON MT. MANSFIELD April 5, 2001
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On March 31, 2001, the famous 12-foot snow stake atop Mt. Mansfield needed a little help for the first time in its 35-year history. Snowfall counters added a temporary 14-inch extension to the venerable measuring stick just in case the region gets another significant dump. The permanent snow stake, which was erected in 1966, is 144 inches tall. It is located in the woods off the Toll Road on the way to the Nose, at an elevation of about 3,900 feet. The most snow ever at the top of the mountain was recorded in 1969, when 149 inches covered the ground.
It appears that the winter of 2000-2001 will go into the record books as the overall snowiest on record. As of April 4, a total of 315 inches had fallen atop the mountain, making this winter the third-snowiest ever. Just six more inches are needed to set a new all-time high. The record of 320 inches was set in 1968-69. A total of 317 inches fell in 1970-71. During the past 11 years Mt. Mansfield has averaged nearly 23 inches of snow during April. Only twice since 1990 has less than six inches fallen. Last April saw 41 inches top off what had been an unexceptional snow year. (John Zicconi, Stowe Reporter, 4/5/01)
