Rindge, NH snowfall

[ORH_wxman]

They probably are near the top of average seasonal snowfall in the BOX CWA. They average even more than skiMRG...but probably do not retain snowpack quite as well as them.

And yes, when you look at the 2010-2011 snowfall map, they got mildly screwed this past winter. It is not a mirage 'nor a purposely lower total. They got less than normal relative to surroundings this year.

Average is likely around 80-81" with 82-83" in the 1300 foot range.

Places like Swanzy, NH and Marlow, NH are probably the only spots that do better than Rindge that have actual people living there...that and Mt. Monadnock, the Wapack range, and Mt. Wachusett if you want to go to places where no people live. New Ipswich, NH is primo too in those areas on the west side that are higher. But Rindge usually does better except for the high points on the west side of New Ipswich. Petersborough is often extremely snowy too. They do better than Rindge in areas above 1200 feet. There's a couple other areas.

But considering we might have a poster moving to Rindge, its worth discussing their snowfall and how ridiculously good their winter climo is.

[nzucker]

They probably are near the top of average seasonal snowfall in the BOX CWA. They average even more than skiMRG...but probably do not retain snowpack quite as well as them.

And yes, when you look at the 2010-2011 snowfall map, they got mildly screwed this past winter. It is not a mirage 'nor a purposely lower total. They got less than normal relative to surroundings this year.

Average is likely around 80-81" with 82-83" in the 1300 foot range.

Places like Swanzy, NH and Marlow, NH are probably the only spots that do better than Rindge that have actual people living there...that and Mt. Monadnock, the Wapack range, and Mt. Wachusett if you want to go to places where no people live. New Ipswich, NH is primo too in those areas on the west side that are higher. But Rindge usually does better except for the high points on the west side of New Ipswich. Petersborough is often extremely snowy too. They do better than Rindge in areas above 1200 feet. There's a couple other areas.

But considering we might have a poster moving to Rindge, its worth discussing their snowfall and how ridiculously good their winter climo is.

LOL just saw this, you are the man Will! Sounds like you are trying to influence my decision a bit?

I am going to call the headmaster and say I would like the job tomorrow, but there is one more candidate in the pool so nothing is locked by any means.

I used to have a close relative in Peterborough, loved that place. Peterborough has a bit more latitude, I imagine the higher spots in town are like 85"? I don't think I'll be too shocked by the snowfall though since I've spent so much time in the Poconos...the only disadvantage in southern NH is you don't have many houses above like 1200'...I know quite a few people who live on the ridges in NE PA at like 2000' or so, probably get hammered. I always wanted to exchange our house in the lake valley for one of those isolated places that I would hike past when I was exploring during that 10/16/09 storm. Even we are at 1500' though...the Allegheny Plateau really has a ton of surprise elevation, especially as you get further west towards Wellsville...all of those areas are higher than you think.

[ORH_wxman]

Only accept the job if you want it. Do not let me influence you. I posted the info on snowfall only as a perk and some genuine info. You should only take that job if you feel like you will want it It's a big decision...and only if you feel comfortable being a bit isolated for a year or two.

The place is a mecca for snow and winter climo, but you still have to only take the job if you want it. The deal you are getting seems pretty good to me in the state of employment in 2011, so I'd be pretty excited personally if I were you, but you still have to evaluate all the pros and cons.

[nzucker]

Only accept the job if you want it. Do not let me influence you. I posted the info on snowfall only as a perk and some genuine info. You should only take that job if you feel like you will want it.

LOL, believe me the snowfall chart is not the main factor, although I am a sick enough weenie that it comes into consideration. I've been looking for a full-time teaching position for foreign languages for quite a while, really ever since I finished my cooking job in Montana in late summer of last year after graduating from Midd in May. I would never want to turn down what I have sought for so long just because the location might be a little out there...after all it is still in my favorite part of the country, near Boston, and closer to home than college. The headmaster is also giving me a lot of latitude on the curriculum, which is a huge advantage...I'd really teach what I want to this very special group of students. And, as you say, it is a good deal financially, and I could use the money after being a per-diem substitute all last year and not having much work this summer.

[ORH_wxman]

Well if you do accept that job, then congrats on improving your winter snow climo by like 275%. You will even get to rib me at 900 feet in N ORH city...that school is at 1280 feet in Rindge, NH. That is an absolute jealousy spot for me...they rake it in. You are near a lake too. Buy a pair of ice skates if you like doing that.

[ORH_wxman]

If you do indeed take that job, hopefully we get another 2001. Then you will see something you haven't ever seen before....a snowpack of at least 10 inches (even in open fields) last through mid-April...and the snow pack in the woods not dying until early May. That would also require a 2001 snowpack of near 50 inches on April 1st.

[nzucker]

Well if you do accept that job, then congrats on improving your winter snow climo by like 275%. You will even get to rib me at 900 feet in N ORH city...that school is at 1280 feet in Rindge, NH. That is an absolute jealousy spot for me...they rake it in. You are near a lake too. Buy a pair of ice skates if you like doing that.

They have three lakes/ponds on campus...it is 1700 acres of mostly wilderness. Just insanely beautiful, wow. I have never seen such a small school (30 students) with so much land. They have a beach for swimming on the largest lake, which also has this sweet island with old pines, and they do provide rowboats and canoes for staff and students to take out.

Yeah, to go from 38" average to 82" would be nice.

My dream though is to move up to Quebec (since I am fluent in French) and get like 200" a year in one of those crazy towns like Trois Rivieres or Sept Iles. That is god's country up there for sure, although Rindge is a nice move away from the dirty city and lack of nature LOL.

[nzucker]

If you do indeed take that job, hopefully we get another 2001. Then you will see something you haven't ever seen before....a snowpack of at least 10 inches (even in open fields) last through mid-April...and the snow pack in the woods not dying until early May. That would also require a 2001 snowpack of near 50 inches on April 1st.

We do have some of the same parameters with a weak Nina following a stronger Nina and -QBO.

[ORH_wxman]

They have three lakes/ponds on campus...it is 1700 acres of mostly wilderness. Just insanely beautiful, wow. I have never seen such a small school (30 students) with so much land. They have a beach for swimming on the largest lake, which also has this sweet island with old pines, and they do provide rowboats and canoes for staff and students to take out.

Yeah, to go from 38" average to 82" would be nice.

My dream though is to move up to Quebec (since I am fluent in French) and get like 200" a year in one of those crazy towns like Trois Rivieres or Sept Iles. That is god's country up there for sure, although Rindge is a nice move away from the dirty city and lack of nature LOL.

You will finally see why CT_Blizz laughs at Dobbs Ferry...and then you can actually laugh at CT_Blizz up there. The biggest thing you will notice up in Rindge other than big snowstorms is the snow pack retention. You'll always have snow on the ground there. Even in crappy winters where they get 50", they will keep snow on the ground for a long time...a 4" snowfall on Dec 27 will rot there for two weeks if you don't get much more...even if there is a "torch" in between...Rindge will have a couple days at 39-41F while Dobbs Ferry is 53F and Hartford, CT is 47F. So that snow will only slowly melt and still be there.

[nzucker]

You will finally see why CT_Blizz laughs at Dobbs Ferry...and then you can actually laugh at CT_Blizz up there. The biggest thing you will notice up in Rindge other than big snowstorms is the snow pack retention. You'll always have snow on the ground there. Even in crappy winters where they get 50", they will keep snow on the ground for a long time...a 4" snowfall on Dec 27 will rot there for two weeks if you don't get much more...even if there is a "torch" in between...Rindge will have a couple days at 39-41F while Dobbs Ferry is 53F and Hartford, CT is 47F. So that snow will only slowly melt and still be there.

Areas between the Greens and Whites/ORH hills always have nice cold air damming. I always noticed that BTV would torch on S/SW winds but sometimes those places with quite a bit less latitude but on the other side of the spine would stay in the 30s or low 40s. I can't imagine average highs are much more than upper 20s in January, so 39-41 would be as far above average as 50F is for Dobbs Ferry.

CT Blizz is in sort of a meh spot, I think. Not a lot of big storms nor a huge average.

[ORH_wxman]

Areas between the Greens and Whites/ORH hills always have nice cold air damming. I always noticed that BTV would torch on S/SW winds but sometimes those places with quite a bit less latitude but on the other side of the spine would stay in the 30s or low 40s. I can't imagine average highs are much more than upper 20s in January, so 39-41 would be as far above average as 50F is for Dobbs Ferry.

CT Blizz is in sort of a meh spot, I think. Not a lot of big storms nor a huge average.

I've seen setups where I'm 31F and freezing rain and BTV is 39F and heavy rain...it happens probably once every 2-3 winters. CT_blizz is in a pretty good spot. He averages probably a little shy of 60". He pretends its more, but with that said, we shouldn't pretend its a bad spot. Its not. He just likes to pretend it more than it is...but it blows away most areas SW of him like Hartford and Dobbs Ferry. He is a bit under 1000 feet so that helps him.

He doesn;t get good CAD though. He will torch really quick in CAD setups...he will hold it for a few hours then the rubber band snaps...the rubber band holds tight though right over ORH...which is why we often see the south side of the city get rain and the north side is getting a big ice storm. The topography of the city promotes that.

Rindge, NH is usually rotting at 29F in these setups while I'm at 31F and ice. Rindge will have already gotten 3-4" of front end snow, and then icing on top of that, but that is routine for that area. Its probably a big deal for Dobbs Ferry to get 4" of snow and then more wintry precip...but with Rindge that is normal. You'll get used to those storms where it goes to sleet and freezing rain but never goes above freezing...unlike Dobbs Ferry where it flips and then you spike to 47F before it falls to 28F behind the front. Those triple point lows always save Monadnocks and N ORH hills...I'm often included in that, but I'm sometimes not, and I get jealous of those northern hills.

[A-L-E-X]

LOL just saw this, you are the man Will! Sounds like you are trying to influence my decision a bit?

I am going to call the headmaster and say I would like the job tomorrow, but there is one more candidate in the pool so nothing is locked by any means.

I used to have a close relative in Peterborough, loved that place. Peterborough has a bit more latitude, I imagine the higher spots in town are like 85"? I don't think I'll be too shocked by the snowfall though since I've spent so much time in the Poconos...the only disadvantage in southern NH is you don't have many houses above like 1200'...I know quite a few people who live on the ridges in NE PA at like 2000' or so, probably get hammered. I always wanted to exchange our house in the lake valley for one of those isolated places that I would hike past when I was exploring during that 10/16/09 storm. Even we are at 1500' though...the Allegheny Plateau really has a ton of surprise elevation, especially as you get further west towards Wellsville...all of those areas are higher than you think.

You're going to move there and we will never hear from you again. Decades from now you'll be the inspiration for "Yeti" sightings

[A-L-E-X]

If you do indeed take that job, hopefully we get another 2001. Then you will see something you haven't ever seen before....a snowpack of at least 10 inches (even in open fields) last through mid-April...and the snow pack in the woods not dying until early May. That would also require a 2001 snowpack of near 50 inches on April 1st.

Yes and he will have a whole new perspective on his current home in Dobbs Ferry lol. It won't seem like a "mountain" anymore.

[free_man]

I think someone forgot to mention Temple, NH as a weenie spot. After doing lots of investigating in that area ( driving around aimlessly for days in Temple, Sharon, NI, Greenville, Lyndeborough, Peterboro, Jaffery) it actually appears as favorable as New Ipswich, if not more so being slightly further north. There are some great spots above 1300-1500' and yes people live there.

[Damage In Tolland]

[DomNH]

LOL just saw this, you are the man Will! Sounds like you are trying to influence my decision a bit?

I am going to call the headmaster and say I would like the job tomorrow, but there is one more candidate in the pool so nothing is locked by any means.

I used to have a close relative in Peterborough, loved that place. Peterborough has a bit more latitude, I imagine the higher spots in town are like 85"? I don't think I'll be too shocked by the snowfall though since I've spent so much time in the Poconos...the only disadvantage in southern NH is you don't have many houses above like 1200'...I know quite a few people who live on the ridges in NE PA at like 2000' or so, probably get hammered. I always wanted to exchange our house in the lake valley for one of those isolated places that I would hike past when I was exploring during that 10/16/09 storm. Even we are at 1500' though...the Allegheny Plateau really has a ton of surprise elevation, especially as you get further west towards Wellsville...all of those areas are higher than you think.

Rindge? Meh...if you want a real snowy area move to Nashua.

[wxmanmitch]

There's a 1,500+ foot ridge just to the north of Rindge in Dublin that probably averages about 90" a winter. Great area for snow and living. It's classic rural NH with lakes and mountains without the long drive north (well, at least from Massachusetts perspective). I've been up in that area several times myself and love it.

[weatherMA]

They probably are near the top of average seasonal snowfall in the BOX CWA. They average even more than skiMRG...but probably do not retain snowpack quite as well as them.

And yes, when you look at the 2010-2011 snowfall map, they got mildly screwed this past winter. It is not a mirage 'nor a purposely lower total. They got less than normal relative to surroundings this year.

Average is likely around 80-81" with 82-83" in the 1300 foot range.

Places like Swanzy, NH and Marlow, NH are probably the only spots that do better than Rindge that have actual people living there...that and Mt. Monadnock, the Wapack range, and Mt. Wachusett if you want to go to places where no people live. New Ipswich, NH is primo too in those areas on the west side that are higher. But Rindge usually does better except for the high points on the west side of New Ipswich. Petersborough is often extremely snowy too. They do better than Rindge in areas above 1200 feet. There's a couple other areas.

But considering we might have a poster moving to Rindge, its worth discussing their snowfall and how ridiculously good their winter climo is.

Ski MRG<I average 115"<Ski MRG

[40/70 Benchmark]

:weenie:

[CapturedNature]

I think someone forgot to mention Temple, NH as a weenie spot. After doing lots of investigating in that area ( driving around aimlessly for days in Temple, Sharon, NI, Greenville, Lyndeborough, Peterboro, Jaffery) it actually appears as favorable as New Ipswich, if not more so being slightly further north. There are some great spots above 1300-1500' and yes people live there.

A long time ago I used to provide forecasts for the Temple Mt Ski area in Temple. Their elevation was over 1500' and I recall that they did very well for snow. Temple and Rindge may be a wash though given that Rindge is further west but Temple (especially by Temple MT) is a little higher.

[tamarack]

A long time ago I used to provide forecasts for the Temple Mt Ski area in Temple. Their elevation was over 1500' and I recall that they did very well for snow. Temple and Rindge may be a wash though given that Rindge is further west but Temple (especially by Temple MT) is a little higher.

Temple Mt area was always the hairiest part of our drives to Dublin when our daughter was in school at DCA (which is about 200' or so higher than Dublin "downtown", and quite snowy itself.) It's not just the elevation but lots of sharp and well-shaded turns on Rt 101. Seems like Jaffrey is a good snow-catcher as well, though its town center is lower than in Rindge.

[free_man]

A long time ago I used to provide forecasts for the Temple Mt Ski area in Temple. Their elevation was over 1500' and I recall that they did very well for snow. Temple and Rindge may be a wash though given that Rindge is further west but Temple (especially by Temple MT) is a little higher.

Yeah it's very similar overall. Rindge is a more modern and livable town, though...quite a few areas we looked at did not have hi-speed internet yet ;D

[Snow Bow]

Yeah it's very similar overall. Rindge is a more modern and livable town, though...quite a few areas we looked at did not have hi-speed internet yet ;D

Yeah my friend who lives there just got high speed a year or so ago. Either way its not a long ride to go to where you need to get things anyways. But like you said Rindge is much more livable and modern.

[ORH_wxman]

Sometimes I'll drive up in that region along Rt 202 north out of Winchendon, MA and there will be still nearly 100% snow cover there 2-3 weeks after it has melted out IMBY. Then you go E on 124 and the snow pack will diminish to almost nothing once east of New Ipswich toward Brookline.

[nzucker]

Well I just told the headmaster I am interested, and he is going to check my references tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

[HoarfrostHubb]

Will, does Rindge do better than Weenie Ridge?

[ORH_wxman]

Will, does Rindge do better than Weenie Ridge?

The areas above 1200-1300 feet certainly would I think. Down around 1000 feet its probably pretty close. I'm not quite as well versed with Rindge's microclimate vs weenie ridge in Princeton though so I'm not sure if I'd be able to differentiate between an inch or two when comparing them for long term averages. Maybe we'll get a better idea the next winter or two if Socks posts a lot of pics for us so we can maybe see some of the subtle differences...esp during icing events is where you tend to notice them visually. I do know they have some great microclimates up there though.

[wxmanmitch]

Is Weenie Ridge Mt. Wachusett? A 2,000' hilltop at 42.5º N will probably be a bit colder overall than 1,200' or 1,300' at 42.75º N. This is a negligible difference in latitude, and I would tend to think that elevation will play a bigger role in determining temperature than latitude there. As far as seasonal snowfall, there probably isn't a large difference between the two. Mt. Wachusett probably will do better in elevation events, assuming the mix/rain line stays to the south of their latitude, while Rindge, NH will probably do a bit better in a latitudinal event where the rain/mix/snow line is above Mt. Wachusett but below Rindge. Whichever type of event dominates during the course of a winter will ultimately determine which location gets more snow. Of course, snowfall for a season will also depend on things like the overall storm track and luck with meso banding.

Based on seasonal snowfall norms across the northeast part of the country, I propose a grossly crude rule that 1,000' of elevation equals roughly 1.5 degrees latitude when it comes to mean snowfall. For instance, a location at 1,000 feet at 42º N will have roughly the same mean seasonal snowfall as a sea-level location at about 43.5º N. ORH has approximate the same average snow as PWM while UNV has the about the same as BOS. This "rule" neglects orographic and coastal modified boundary layer effects, but I'm simply trying to build some sort of a relationship between elevation and latitude.

[HoarfrostHubb]

The place Will calls Weenie Ridge is a road that goes along Wachusett but not the summit. Maxes out at 1500' or so (I think)

[ORH_wxman]

Is Weenie Ridge Mt. Wachusett? A 2,000' hilltop at 42.5º N will probably be a bit colder overall than 1,200' or 1,300' at 42.75º N. This is a negligible difference in latitude, and I would tend to think that elevation will play a bigger role in determining temperature than latitude there. As far as seasonal snowfall, there probably isn't a large difference between the two. Mt. Wachusett probably will do better in elevation events, assuming the mix/rain line stays to the south of their latitude, while Rindge, NH will probably do a bit better in a latitudinal event where the rain/mix/snow line is above Mt. Wachusett but below Rindge. Whichever type of event dominates during the course of a winter will ultimately determine which location gets more snow. Of course, snowfall for a season will also depend on things like the overall storm track and luck with meso banding.

Based on seasonal snowfall norms across the northeast part of the country, I propose a grossly crude rule that 1,000' of elevation equals roughly 1.5 degrees latitude when it comes to mean snowfall. For instance, a location at 1,000 feet at 42º N will have roughly the same mean seasonal snowfall as a sea-level location at about 43.5º N. ORH has approximate the same average snow as PWM while UNV has the about the same as BOS. This "rule" neglects orographic and coastal modified boundary layer effects, but I'm simply trying to build some sort of a relationship between elevation and latitude.

Weenie ridge is the ridge line leading to Wachusett, its around 1300-1400 feet. Not the summit itself. The top of Wachusett probably gets about 85" per year if I had to guess. Ridnge is likely in the 80-82" range depending on if you are near 1000 feet there or 1300 feet. The highest places above 1400 feet you can tack on a little. I've generally found that if you are in close proximity to an area (and aren't right along the ocean), that for every 100 feet of elevation, its close to 1" of annual snowfall...but other factors can negate that or enhance it such as if one location is in a nice upslope spot and the other is in a shadow, etc, etc as you mentioned.