2011-12 Northeast/Mid Atlantic Snow Drought: Deficit Near 60%

With 3 weeks left in February, the winter of 2011-12 enters its fourth quarter with a major snow deficit in much of the U.S. In sharp contrast with last season, Northeast and Mid Atlantic winter snowfall to date is averaging nearly 60% below the climatological mean.

National Weather Service reports through February 6 show that stations from northern Maine to central North Carolina have all seen snowfall amounts below normal. In absolute terms, the deficit amounts range from 2.8" at Caribou, Maine to over 41" at Syracuse, New York. Percentage-wise, Caribou is only 5.3% below normal, while the southern locations in Virginia and North Carolina are at 100%, with no measurable snow reported.

The 3 major reporting locations in the Washington, DC region are all over 80% below normal, with Baltimore's BWI at nearly 90%.

The stations shown in the charts are:

CAR Caribou ME 
BGR Bangor ME         
BTV Burlington VT     
PWM Portland ME     
CON Concord NH      
ALB Albany NY       
BGM Binghamton NY   
SYR Syracuse NY     
BOS Boston MA       
ORH Worcester MA    
PVD Providence RI     
BDL Hartford CT       
BDR Bridgeport CT     
NYC Central Park NY   
EWR Newark NJ         
AVP Scranton PA       
ACY Atlantic City NJ  
PHL Philadelphia PA   
ABE Allentown PA      
ILG Wilmington DE     
BWI Baltimore MD      
DCA Washington DC     
IAD Dulles VA         
RIC Richmond VA       
ORF Norfolk VA        
RDU Raleigh NC          

Images (click to enlarge): Total winter snowfall to date vs. average, snowfall deficit in inches, and snowfall percentage deficit; all data from December 1, 2011 through February 6, 2012 from National Weather Service; charts by CapitalClimate