I’m getting dirty looks from snow lovers again, after such a powdery and promising start back in early December. Then came an extended thaw and a little over a half-inch of rain Monday night that froze into glaze ice. We’re left with “nasty snow” and no great prospects for big snowstorms looking out one to two weeks.
What happened to a persistent snow cover of 4 inches or more? In the 1970s the Twin Cities averaged 80-100 days every winter with over 4 inches on the ground. Since 2000 only 45-55 days with over 4 inches of what I call “usable snow.”
The 1930s saw similar low snow cover amounts, but that was due to Dust Bowl drought.
Since 2000 our lack of persistent snow on the ground is a symptom of warming winters. It still snows, but midwinter rain and thaw cycles quickly erase the base. Ugh.
Unless we see thick, persistent fog, temperatures Wednesday should rise into the 35- to 40-degree range with a few 30s into next week, followed by colder (but not polar) air the last half of January. Models hint at a few inches of snow on Saturday as a storm winds up over the Great Lakes. Hooray.
