Winter wonderland vs snow drought: Where snow is (and isn’t) piling up this season

While the Rockies are behind, parts of the Midwest and New England are seeing a blockbuster snow season.

As Christmas approaches, some regions of the United States are receiving more snow than usual, while others are falling well short of the historical average.

Snow currently covers the ground in the Plains, Midwest, mid-Atlantic and New England. The percent coverage for the entire country is above the historical average. On Dec. 5, the 45% coverage was a record high for the last 20 years. It had fallen to 34.9% as of this writing.

Still, even after the country set a record last week, it's a story of haves and have-nots.

Snow data from NOAA's National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC) shows that most of the western two-thirds of the country, as well as much of the I-95 corridor, is stuck at near-zero percent of the historical average snowfall through Dec. 9.

On the other hand, the Ohio Valley and parts of New England are above the historical average to date, as much as 500 percent of what they should have by this time of year.

More than a foot above average snow in the Midwest

Residents in parts of the Midwest, from Dubuque, Iowa, through Chicago, Illinois, have seen snowfall totals running more than a foot above the historical average for this time of year. South Bend, Indiana, has recorded 23.5 inches, nearly 2 feet above the norm.

In Chicago, with 17.1 inches so far, the season is the snowiest since 1978.

New England ski resorts rejoice after fresh snow

The heavier-than-average snow has led to record snow depths and early openings for ski resorts in New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.

Jay Peak in Vermont has accumulated 12 feet of snow so far this season. The resort opened early on Nov. 22 when they saw their first snow. The snowfall at this point is the maximum they have ever recorded, according to the resort's weather reporter, even counting the 1968-69 season, which was their snowiest on record.

At nearby Mount Mansfield, Vermont, the snow depth was 50 inches Saturday, a new daily record and more than twice their average. At Mount Washington, New Hampshire, where only researchers brave the "worst weather in the world," 82.2 inches of snow had accumulated by Dec. 9, ahead of their historical average of 67.9 inches.

Western US, I-95 corridor falling behind average snowfall

Meanwhile, most of the West is below the historical average snowfall to date. The biggest deficits are in Wyoming, with Lander 21.5 inches behind average, and Casper 14.9 inches behind. Ely, Nevada, is 9.9 inches below normal.

On the other side of the country, along the I-95 corridor, it's a snow drought.

Boston has yet to see more than a couple of snowflakes. The same goes for New York City and Philadelphia, but these areas only average 1-2 inches by Dec. 9.

One exception is Richmond, Virginia, which received 6 inches of snow between two storms that bookended last weekend. Its historical average is only 0.3 of an inch for this time of year.

The reason for the snow in the East

It has been an unusually cold December in the northeastern and midwestern United States, with temperatures 5 to 12 degrees below historical average in most locations.

This comes after the Great Lakes were unusually warm in October, leading to more lake-effect snow than usual. The combination has led to the record snowfalls from Chicago into New England.

When is more snow and cold coming?

AccuWeather meteorologists say the jet stream will help usher additional swaths of snow farther south this week than recent storms, allowing for the potential for accumulating snow and travel disruptions to occur in some of the same areas that have already had above-average snowfall this season.

Report a Typo