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Lookin' like a fool with yo snow on the ground

Feb 19, 2010; 11:01 AM ET

"Lookin' like a fool with yo snow on the ground."

-- Weatherman's youtube reinterpretation of American Idol's "Pants on the Ground"

Thanks to blog reader George for pointing out this article to me. FoxBusiness.com is claiming that Des Moines, Iowa has received "25+ feet of snow" via "50 straight days of snowfall of more than 5 inches." AccuWeather.com records show that the city has received only 28.5 inches of snow in 2010 (about 50 days), many with no snow at all. The National Weather Service in Des Moines shows a similar amount: 28.7".

For sure, this season is setting some snow records, but we need to separate snowfall records from snow cover (snow on the ground... lookin' like a fool with yo snow on the ground). Snow cover is harder to claim records on because the data is less well maintained. I tweeted last week about how all 48 continental U.S. states had snow cover on February 13th. No way to tell if that was a record, but it was pretty unusual.

Snow Depth Nationwide On February 14th

So what's wrong with Fox's article? They don't quote a source... even if they had mistaken snowfall for snow cover, AccuWeather.com shows that Des Moines has had 77 days straight with over 5 inches of snow cover. The NWS issued this statement on Feb. 16th saying that the old record of 54 consectutive days of 5+ snow cover had been broken, and the new record was then 70 days - this is probably the source where the numbers were misinterpreted from. The NWS goes on to say that this season ranks 9th, not 1st, for snowfall, and the maximum seasonal snowfall ever in Des Moines was 71 inches, so the idea of 25 feet (300 inches) in 50 days is utter nonsense.

Why the record? Since Des Moines is only 9th for snowfall, it's not the snow, as much as the persistent cold, that has allowed this to happen. According to AccuWeather.com they are 6 degrees below normal for this month, with January coming in at -3.5 F. They haven't been above 35 degrees since January 24th, so the snow just can't melt.

A similar situation is unfolding in other areas... many reports from our Facebook Fans in the Tennessee and North Carolina mountains say that the snow just won't leave there this season, which is really unusual. I expect snow cover records are being broken in those areas as well, though data is not well maintained and unless the NWS issues a statement, we wouldn't know for sure. They issued a statement for Grand Island Nebraska earlier this month saying they had broken their 3+ and 1 foot plus snow cover records.

At Mount Mitchell, North Carolina, the snow depth was 58 inches as of this writing (thanks to blog reader Trent for pointing this out), and over at Mount Leconte, Tennessee it's 38 inches. Trent says that the record for snow cover at Mount Leconte is 40 inches but at Mount Mitchell, they've set an all-time new depth record (for themselves and the state of North Carolina) -- previously 50 inches set in 1942 and 1993, and that they could be on the way to a new February or seasonal snow total there (data is harder to get for that).

Today's NOAA NOHRSC satellite estimate of snow depth analysis shown above quotes the highest snow depths in the southern Appalachians as between 50 and 75 inches in parts of western Maryland, eastern West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania. A couple places included in those higher amounts are Vinco, PA where StormChaser Ron keeps getting pounded with upslope snow, and Seven Springs Ski Resort in PA, who is saying on their website today that they have had 180 inches* of snow since December 10th (again, could be a record but no way to know) and show snow depths in a video that appear to be close to 75 inches. But the most impressive seasonal snowfall report comes from Timberline Four Seasons, WV who claims 217 inches this season (not to be confused with the Timberline Lodge in Oregon, there's your 25 feet of snow!). *I had incorrectly shown this as "108 inches" earlier, which made me doubt the Timberline number, something I now see as plausible.

Of course, with record snow cover, Spring flooding is always a threat, and that's something we're asking our Facebook Fans about today. Here's a map of major rivers along with the water equivalent of the current snow depth:

Comments (6):

Wally:

Here in lowly Roanoke, VA (edge of the mts.) we still have snow on the ground ... since Dec. 18. Well, sunny spots did give way in places. Only 46"+ so far, but it make everyone here recall the "60's" and the cold decade it was.

Posted by Wally | February 20, 2010 8:46 AM

Mr P:

Furthermore, on un-identified networks, live reports from out in the snow during the east coast's Feb blizzards showed boot top snow level measurements. More than once, the live reports said: "30 inches" confusing the metric reading in centimeters with the actual 12 inch depth (12" times 2.54 cm per inch is just a bit over 30 cm).

(Un)fortunately, actual snow levels got up to 30" and a retraction was unecessary.

Mr. P.

Posted by Mr P | February 19, 2010 6:56 PM

Keith Blabermann:

Gee Hank....imagine that !

I guess your younger than 30 because for many years CNN/BBC/MSNBC/ and so on had numerous storys which they either mistated facts or simply hid the true story somewhere near the classified section on page 46.

More recently it was the storys about Acorn which took 7 days for the MSM to report it after Fox did. Imagine that ! Or how about Faniie Mae or Freddy Mac ?

anyways ..enjoy the snow and get your head unfrozen from all the BS your led to believe.

By the way...if your going to delete this than delete Hanks comments.

Posted by Keith Blabermann | February 19, 2010 4:55 PM

Hank - S.Jersey:

Gee imagine that. A Fox news channel light on the facts and making things up as they go. Shocking, I tell you. Shocking!

Posted by Hank - S.Jersey | February 19, 2010 12:42 PM

Steve:

These blizzards are somewhat unusual in that there hasn't been a huge washout a few days afterwards. When I used to live in Philly, blizzards followed by 50-degree rainstorms seemed to happen every year or two. The blizzard in 1996 was a catastrophe with heavy rain five days later. This past December, it started raining on Christmas morning and shot up to 50 degrees with high winds, and 12 inches disappeared in less than a day.

But this time, it doesn't seem like there have been any rainstorms to wash all the snow away suddenly. Unlike here in State College where it's always cloudy, I hear from relatives that the strengthening sun there in Philly is just eating away at it day after day. I don't remember the last time that there wasn't a big rainstorm after a blizzard like this. It would be interesting to see if there is any correlation between blizzards and rainstorms that closely follow them.

Posted by Steve | February 19, 2010 12:13 PM

Ken:

Seven Springs is saying that they have had 180" not 108" since December 1st. I've seen on the local Baltimore news that Garret County Maryland has had 189" so far this season. So the WV total may be in the ball park.

FROM JESSE: Thanks, I have corrected that, it does make the WV much more plausible.

Posted by Ken | February 19, 2010 11:51 AM

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

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Jesse Ferrell
Jesse Ferrell's WeatherMatrix blog covers extreme weather worldwide with a concentration on weather photos and Social Media.

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