Eastern snow drought leaves 2 US cities with 1st snowless February ever on record
2 US cities see 1st snowless February on record
By
Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Mar 2, 2020 12:19 AM EDT
Heavy lake-effect snow piles up in Croghan, New York, on Feb. 28 and Feb. 29, as shown by a webcam, completely burying a 4-foot fence and snow stake.
After all 29 days of February came to a close, two cities in the United States broke records for experiencing their first recorded February without any snow.
Baltimore, Maryland, and Islip, New York, both recorded no snow for the entire month of February for the first time, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.
Baltimore's weather data dates back to 1891. In 129 years, the city has experienced 14 Februarys with just traces of snow (when snowfall is reported but there is no accumulation) and 31 Februarys with less than an inch of snow, including the 14 that had just a trace. The last two times they received only a trace were in 2017 and 2002.
Baltimore's snowiest February on record was 2010, when they received 50 inches.
"The winter of 2009-10 also wound up being the snowiest on record for Baltimore, thanks in part to that February total," Sojda said.
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While data from Islip, New York, can be recorded from 1964, Sojda said there is a gap in data for the winters of 1999-2004.
There are three years on record where Islip received only a trace of snow in the entire month of February, with 1998 being the most recent. The city has had Februarys with less than an inch of snow only six times, the most recent being 2012.
Baltimore Skyline at City Hall Square (ferrantraite/Getty E+)
"Interestingly enough, Islip’s second snowiest winter, the winter of 2017-18, only saw 1.4 inches of snow in February, but then they got 31.9 inches in March," Sojda said.
As a whole, the region experienced a very warm February. AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyson Hoegg said many cities in the region had temperatures that were 4 degrees above average for the month.
The average temperature in Baltimore for the month was even higher, at 6.1 degrees above normal. Islip was 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit above average.
The amount of rainfall both locations had in February was almost at average levels.
In Central Park, about 50 miles from Islip, they recorded a trace, which tied for second with 2002 as their least snowy February. The least snowy February on record for Central Park occurred in 1998 when 0 inches were reported.
Philadelphia also received trace amounts of snow in February of 2002, although Sojda said 2018, 2017, 2016, 2013 and 2012 were "relatively snowless," only getting 1-2 inches of snow for the entire year.
"With temperatures being well above average for most of the month, any precipitation that fell was largely in the form of rain. When it did get cold enough for snow, there was little to no precipitation," Hoegg said.
Across the nation, California has also experienced a record-breaking February in terms of precipitation — for them in the form of a drought.
San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and Redding, California, all had no rainfall for the entire month, breaking records from 1953, 1964 and 1988.
Downtown, San Francisco also recorded no rain for the entire month of February in 1864, one year before the Civil War ended. The trace rain in 1953 was recorded at the airport.
"On average, these places typically receive over 4 inches of rain in February, so to have no rain at all is definitely unusual," Hoegg said.
She said that the wet season in California is nearing its end, but the state still usually receives a "decent" amount of precipitation in March.
Hoegg said the explanation for the dry month is likely the storm tracks that were "not conducive" to traveling over the cities.
"Any storms that formed over the Pacific Northwest typically dove southeastward into the Plains and then either through the Southeast or turned into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes," she said.
The storms rarely moved southward into California and if they did, the precipitation associated with them was very spotty in nature and areas could easily have missed out on any rain."
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather News
Eastern snow drought leaves 2 US cities with 1st snowless February ever on record
2 US cities see 1st snowless February on record
By Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Mar 2, 2020 12:19 AM EDT
Heavy lake-effect snow piles up in Croghan, New York, on Feb. 28 and Feb. 29, as shown by a webcam, completely burying a 4-foot fence and snow stake.
After all 29 days of February came to a close, two cities in the United States broke records for experiencing their first recorded February without any snow.
Baltimore, Maryland, and Islip, New York, both recorded no snow for the entire month of February for the first time, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.
Baltimore's weather data dates back to 1891. In 129 years, the city has experienced 14 Februarys with just traces of snow (when snowfall is reported but there is no accumulation) and 31 Februarys with less than an inch of snow, including the 14 that had just a trace. The last two times they received only a trace were in 2017 and 2002.
Baltimore's snowiest February on record was 2010, when they received 50 inches.
"The winter of 2009-10 also wound up being the snowiest on record for Baltimore, thanks in part to that February total," Sojda said.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
While data from Islip, New York, can be recorded from 1964, Sojda said there is a gap in data for the winters of 1999-2004.
There are three years on record where Islip received only a trace of snow in the entire month of February, with 1998 being the most recent. The city has had Februarys with less than an inch of snow only six times, the most recent being 2012.
Baltimore Skyline at City Hall Square (ferrantraite/Getty E+)
"Interestingly enough, Islip’s second snowiest winter, the winter of 2017-18, only saw 1.4 inches of snow in February, but then they got 31.9 inches in March," Sojda said.
As a whole, the region experienced a very warm February. AccuWeather Meteorologist Alyson Hoegg said many cities in the region had temperatures that were 4 degrees above average for the month.
The average temperature in Baltimore for the month was even higher, at 6.1 degrees above normal. Islip was 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit above average.
The amount of rainfall both locations had in February was almost at average levels.
In Central Park, about 50 miles from Islip, they recorded a trace, which tied for second with 2002 as their least snowy February. The least snowy February on record for Central Park occurred in 1998 when 0 inches were reported.
Philadelphia also received trace amounts of snow in February of 2002, although Sojda said 2018, 2017, 2016, 2013 and 2012 were "relatively snowless," only getting 1-2 inches of snow for the entire year.
"With temperatures being well above average for most of the month, any precipitation that fell was largely in the form of rain. When it did get cold enough for snow, there was little to no precipitation," Hoegg said.
Across the nation, California has also experienced a record-breaking February in terms of precipitation — for them in the form of a drought.
San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and Redding, California, all had no rainfall for the entire month, breaking records from 1953, 1964 and 1988.
Downtown, San Francisco also recorded no rain for the entire month of February in 1864, one year before the Civil War ended. The trace rain in 1953 was recorded at the airport.
"On average, these places typically receive over 4 inches of rain in February, so to have no rain at all is definitely unusual," Hoegg said.
She said that the wet season in California is nearing its end, but the state still usually receives a "decent" amount of precipitation in March.
Hoegg said the explanation for the dry month is likely the storm tracks that were "not conducive" to traveling over the cities.
Related:
"Any storms that formed over the Pacific Northwest typically dove southeastward into the Plains and then either through the Southeast or turned into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes," she said.
The storms rarely moved southward into California and if they did, the precipitation associated with them was very spotty in nature and areas could easily have missed out on any rain."
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo