Climatological Atlas of Snowfall and Snow Depth for the Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada

Richard P. Cember and Daniel S. Wilks

NRCC Research Publication RR 93-1

Snowfall and snow cover are among the most important climatic elements of the cold season in the northeastern region of the United States. The presence and amount of snow affects a wide variety of enterprises. The Northeast Regional Climate Center (NRCC) receives large numbers of requests for information concerning snowfall and snow depth. Those requesting information represents a diverse group of professionals: consulting engineers, law enforcement officials, transportation interests, attorneys, meteorological researchers, insurance companies, and others. In responding to these requests, it became apparent that a detailed and comprehensive presentation of the climatology of snowfall and snow depth for the Northeast would be helpful to a wide spectrum of users in government, industry and research.

The snowfall and snow depth climatology of the Northeast for the recent past is depicted in maps of four kinds:

  1. Selected percentiles of monthly and seasonal total snowfall
  2. Selected percentiles of seasonal maximum snow depth
  3. For specified calendar periods, percentages of daily observations in which snowfall totals for the previous 24 hours equalled or exceeded selected threshold values (I inch, 2 inches, 4 inches, 6 inches)
  4. For specified calendar periods, percentages of daily observations in which depth of snow on the ground equalled or exceeded selected threshold values (2 inches, 4 inches, 6 inches, 12 inches)

Maps of type (1) can be used to estimate probabilities for given monthly or winter total snowfalls. Maps of type (2) can be used in the same way, with respect to the single day during a given winter with the deepest snow cover. Maps of type (3) and (4) can be used to estimate probabilities for particular depths of snowfall and snow cover, respectively, on individual days throughout the winter.

216 pp.

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