Friday, December 10, 2010

Syracuse Snowless String Snapped Sharply

The National Weather Service reports that the 1" of snow which fell at Syracuse, NY on December 3 ended a string of 280 days with less than an inch of snow which began on February 26. This was 7 days less than the record of 287 days from February 26 to December 8 last year.

Since that first snowfall of the season, Syracuse has set 3 consecutive daily snowfall records:
Date    Amount  Old Record Year
Dec. 6 12.2" 8.8" 2000
Dec. 7 9.3" 7.0" 1958
Dec. 8 14.9" 8.9" 1961
Through Dec. 9, measurable snow has now fallen at Syracuse every day this month except for the 2nd. The monthly total so far of 47.7" is over 50% above the average December total of 28.6". On the other hand, this is still well below the top 5 snowiest Decembers since 1950:
1. 70.3  2000
2. 64.6 1989
3. 52.9 2005
4. 52.5 1969
5. 51.9 1970
The December daily snowfall record at Syracuse is 18.6", set on the 30th in 1997. The annual average snowfall is 121.1".

Another extended bout of lake-effect snow is likely next week.

As of last evening, NWS reports show 5-day storm totals approaching 5 feet in a few places:
********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL 12/4-12/9/2010****************

LOCATION STORM TOTAL TIME/DATE COMMENTS
SNOWFALL OF
(INCHES) MEASUREMENT


NEW YORK

...BROOME COUNTY...
BINGHAMTON REG 21.7 700 AM 12/9 BINGHAMTON AIRPORT
WHITNEY POINT 16.8 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.7 SSE
WINDSOR 13.4 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 8 SE
CHENANGO FORKS 11.1 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 3 SE
BINGHAMTON 8.4 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.8 SW
VESTAL 7.9 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 2.8 SSE

...CAYUGA COUNTY...
AUBURN 20.3 1023 AM 12/9 COOP
CAYUGA 16.0 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 3.2 ESE
AUBURN 15.6 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 8.3 SSE
LOCKE 13.3 1029 AM 12/9 COOP

...CHEMUNG COUNTY...
VAN ETTEN 1.6 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.3 ENE

...CHENANGO COUNTY...
SHERBURNE 28.3 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 3.6 NNE
SHERBURNE 16.2 1030 AM 12/9 COOP
NORWICH 8.1 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 5.4 W

...CORTLAND COUNTY...
FREETOWN 15.0 1001 AM 12/9 COCORAHS
MCGRAW 15.0 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 5.2 SE
WILLET 14.8 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.8 E
MARATHON 13.1 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1 NW
MARATHON 8.6 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.7 WSW

...DELAWARE COUNTY...
HAMDEN 12.3 1005 AM 12/9 COCORAHS

...MADISON COUNTY...
FENNER 50.6 827 AM 12/9 SPOTTER
CAZENOVIA 48.7 838 AM 12/9 SPOTTER
MORRISVILLE 35.2 1040 AM 12/9 COOP MRRN6
MUNNSVILLE 32.0 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 2 SW
LAKEPORT 26.5 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS
CAZENOVIA 25.8 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 2.9 SE
EARLVILLE 19.7 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.4 W
CANASTOTA 16.8 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.9 S
ONEIDA 15.4 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.7 NNE

...ONEIDA COUNTY...
DURHAMVILLE 17.9 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 3.5 NNW
VERNON 17.8 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.4 NNW
POINT ROCK 15.5 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.6 SE
NEW HARTFORD 10.6 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.8 S
STOKES CORNER 10.2 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.4 NE
LAKE DELTA 10.1 1031 AM 12/9 COOP
WHITESBORO 8.9 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 3.9 NE
ROME 7.8 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 4.8 SSE
WESTERNVILLE 7.7 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 2 NW
WESTMORELAND 7.6 1030 AM 12/9 SPOTTER
HOLLAND PATENT 7.4 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.5 WSW
BOONVILLE 3.5 1032 AM 12/9 COOP
BOONVILLE 3.3 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 8 E
MARCY 2.0 804 AM 12/9 COCORAHS

...ONONDAGA COUNTY...
DE WITT 58.2 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.4 WSW
SYRACUSE 58.2 1009 AM 12/9 COCORAHS
LIVERPOOL 54.7 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 3.1 N
CLAY 52.1 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 4.6 NW
VILLAGE GREEN 49.6 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 2.6 ESE
SYRACUSE 46.1 500 PM 12/9 SYRACUSE AIRPORT
CAMILLUS 45.2 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1 W
CLAY 44.2 1010 AM 12/9 COCORAHS
FAYETTEVILLE 40.4 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.6 W
MARCELLUS 36.1 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.6 E
BREWERTON 34.4 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.5 ESE
SYRACUSE 33.8 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.4 SE
BREWERTON 23.5 1032 AM 12/9 COOP BWTN6
JAMESVILLE 22.3 1012 AM 12/9 COCORAHS
POMPEY 22.3 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 2 NNW
TULLY 17.0 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 1.7 WSW

...OTSEGO COUNTY...
HARTWICK 18.8 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS
WORCESTER 18.5 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 4 SSW
COOPERSTOWN 17.6 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.3 S
UNADILLA FORKS 16.8 1014 AM 12/9 COCORAHS
RICHFIELD SPRINGS 13.5 700 AM 12/9 COCORAHS 0.5 ESE
MARYLAND 10.9 1033 AM 12/9 COOP
NEW BERLIN 6.0 900 AM 12/9 COCORAHS
Image (click to enlarge): Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse, Wednesday morning (Dec. 8), from Syracuse Post-Standard.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Drought Dispatch: Florida's Fall Increased Intensity


The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows that the intensity of the ongoing drought increased in Florida through the last reporting week of November and the end of meteorological fall. As of November 30, only 4% of the state (in the extreme southeast) was free of drought conditions, down from 8% the previous week and 74% at the beginning of autumn. The portion of the state in Extreme Drought (Category D3), the second highest category, was 8%, up from 2% the previous week.

Dry conditions in Florida began to become established in mid summer, and they have steadily increased since then. Although percentages of normal precipitation increased somewhat in November from October's ultra bone-dry levels, particularly in a small area on the southwestern coast and panhandle, they were well below 75% over much of the state.

November precipitation was substantially substandard in most of east-central Florida. The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that the measurable rainfall on November 2 ended a 34-day dry spell at both Orlando and Melbourne. This was the 4th longest rain-free stretch at Orlando on record and the 5th longest at Melbourne. Melbourne was the only major reporting station in the region to report above-average rainfall for the month. The total of 4.62" for the autumn season at Daytona Beach was a new record low, surpassing the 5.37" in 1925.
STATION           NOV 2010      30 YEAR   DEPARTURE     PERCENT OF
RAINFALL NORMAL FROM NORMAL NORMAL

DAYTONA BEACH 0.95" 3.03" -2.08" 31%
(DAB)
ORLANDO 1.68" 2.32" -0.64" 72%
(MCO)
MELBOURNE 3.43" 3.12" +0.31" 110%
(MLB)
VERO BEACH 2.43" 3.04" -0.61" 80%
(VRB)
CLERMONT 1.67" 2.40" -0.73" 70%
(CLRF1)
DELAND 1.74" 2.72" -0.98" 64%
(DELF1)
SANFORD 1.37" 2.96" -1.59" 46%
(SFNF1)
TITUSVILLE 1.71" 3.45" -1.74" 50%
(TITF1)
FORT PIERCE 1.38" 3.50" -2.12" 39%
(FPCF1)
STUART 2.29" 4.23" -1.94" 54%
(STRF1)
Images (click to enlarge): Florida drought monitor for November 30, 2010 from USDA/NOAA--intensity ranges from D0/Abnormally Dry (yellow) through D3/Extreme Drought (red); Florida percent of normal precipitation for October and November 2010, from National Weather Service

Seasonal Outlook

Latest seasonal forecast: Click here.


Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.