Winter 2021-22: Final Grade

[HoarfrostHubb]

Somehow a scrubby pile of snow still exists a few houses down from me     This past winter can get bent

 

[tamarack]

1 hour ago, ORH_wxman said:

Yeah we’re due for some good Decembers. We’ve paid back our surplus from the 2000s at this point. It’s kind of like how we had a pretty long stretch of lousy Marches until 2013 broke it and then we had a bunch of good ones. I’m feeling a december turn-around at some point here soon. 
 

The funny part though is on paper, the interior had great snow Decembers in 2019 and 2020 but the cutters rendered them pretty mediocre for sensible wx. 2019 did keep pack most of the month but it had the same feel as this winter where it was often thin and icy because it was leftovers from a cutter.  Last really wintry December here was 2017. 

Both December and March haven't been pulling their weight over the past 3-4 winters here.  We've had 3 straight BN snow totals, and Jan-Feb have been 95% of average but Dec-Mar only 60%.  Including 18-19, my most recent AN winter, the 4 Jan-Febs had 105% snow while Dec-Mar had that same 60%.  Perhaps making up for 16-17 and 17-18, when both December and March had 2-year totals near 170% of average?

[OceanStWx]

20 minutes ago, tamarack said:

Both December and March haven't been pulling their weight over the past 3-4 winters here.  We've had 3 straight BN snow totals, and Jan-Feb have been 95% of average but Dec-Mar only 60%.  Including 18-19, my most recent AN winter, the 4 Jan-Febs had 105% snow while Dec-Mar had that same 60%.  Perhaps making up for 16-17 and 17-18, when both December and March had 2-year totals near 170% of average?

Just running back my (very) short period of record at the new house and my top months for snowfall have been Dec 2020 (25.5"), Dec 2019 (25.3"), Jan 2019 (21.0"), Jan 2022 (18.5"), and Nov 2018 (15.9"). 

Making November a winter month again.

[tamarack]

6 hours ago, OceanStWx said:

Just running back my (very) short period of record at the new house and my top months for snowfall have been Dec 2020 (25.5"), Dec 2019 (25.3"), Jan 2019 (21.0"), Jan 2022 (18.5"), and Nov 2018 (15.9"). 

Making November a winter month again.

Beat me in both Decembers but not the Nov-Jan totals.  Had 15.9" here in 12/19 and only 9.3" in 12/20, thanks to getting a 1.9" fringe from the 17th death band.  Totals for those 5 months give you 4.2" more than here.  Not quite according to climo . . .   

[The 4 Seasons]

Final seasonal total across the state includes reports from here, BDR and BDL climo sites, and COOP sites.

 

 

[40/70 Benchmark]

On 4/9/2022 at 7:53 AM, ORH_wxman said:

Yeah we’re due for some good Decembers. We’ve paid back our surplus from the 2000s at this point. It’s kind of like how we had a pretty long stretch of lousy Marches until 2013 broke it and then we had a bunch of good ones. I’m feeling a december turn-around at some point here soon. 
 

The funny part though is on paper, the interior had great snow Decembers in 2019 and 2020 but the cutters rendered them pretty mediocre for sensible wx. 2019 did keep pack most of the month but it had the same feel as this winter where it was often thin and icy because it was leftovers from a cutter.  Last really wintry December here was 2017. 

That 12/19 event was great....easily best event since I moved to Methuen 10/18...followed by 2/1/21.

I think we will be here a few more years, so hopefully the worm turns soon.

[codfishsnowman]

25 inches for the season 45-50 is avg 

Some cold days though  

What little snow we had stuck around to some degree

Final grade C minus

[Ginx snewx]

[chris9277]

Snow storms/events: B

We had 4 plowable/significant snowfalls (Jan 7, Jan 29 (blizzard), Feb 13, Feb 25). November had 1 small event right after Thanksgiving, brought 1 inch and needed sanding. December had 2 small event around Christmas that needed sanding. March had 3 inches on Mar 9th, was was a quick plow. Amounts on Jan 7/Feb 13 overperformed.

Snow vs Rain: D-

While there was the 4 heavy snowstorms I mentioned above, we also had heavy rain on Jan 17th, Feb 4th, Feb 18th, Feb 22nd. Plus there was rain at the end of the Feb 25th storm. 

Snowdepth retention: F-/G/H

Only going to list the 4 significant snowfalls here:

Jan 7th, (14 inch) was down to 4 inch by Jan 9th mild wet day here, then down to 2 inch Jan 13th with more mild weather. Entirely gone by Jan 17th.

Jan 29th (blizzard, 25 inch), was down to 2 inch by Feb 5th, with numerous ice puddles in the snow, which lasted for another week before drying out completely. Blizzard snow was all but mounds 6 days later.

Feb 13 (8 inch). was down to patches on Feb 17th with mild air on Feb 16 and 17th.

Feb 25 (8 inch), was down to patches on Mar 6. This one had the best retention, but still was not impressive

Overall season snowfall: B

Winter enjoyment: D

Depends on what you call "enjoyment". If you like watching huge snowstorms and then rapid melt away of these snowstorms, this was the winter for you. Otherwise, for enjoyment of the snow, it was only for a couple of days really. There was some ice nearby, however it was thin and was not safe for any person to walk on it without falling.

Temperature: C

Flipping back and forth between mild and balmy, and bone chilling cold.

Overall grade: B, plenty of annoying snow events that occured frequently throughout the winter, and cold penetration at times was noticable, however warm rain also blended in and ruined any significant depth the snow could have. (would of been a C- had it not of been the blizzard, the blizzard brings it up 1 letter grade)

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

On 4/18/2022 at 4:13 PM, codfishsnowman said:

25 inches for the season 45-50 is avg 

Some cold days though  

What little snow we had stuck around to some degree

Final grade C minus

I would have loved to be in your class in high school, if you were a teacher. I’d write my name down and randomly circle a few answers…and collect a passing grade for just existing because a C- for a winter which produced 50% of your seasonal average is generous grading.

[codfishsnowman]

On 4/26/2022 at 5:47 PM, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

I would have loved to be in your class in high school, if you were a teacher. I’d write my name down and randomly circle a few answers…and collect a passing grade for just existing because a C- for a winter which produced 50% of your seasonal average is generous grading.

I am getting soft in my old age, and having lived through the 80s seen much worse

[Typhoon Tip]

On 4/2/2022 at 6:36 PM, ORH_wxman said:

I’ll give it a C- here. Though I considered a D+, but I can’t give it a grade that low when I’m just over 55” here for the season and climo is in the low/mid 60s.
 

But there were way too many cutters this winter which prevented my pack from ever reaching 20” and in my subjective grading I weight the holiday period a little extra which was mostly garbage (although we did get an inch of snow on Xmas Eve which produced a white Xmas). I also did get 4 warning events though which is ok (1/7, 1/29, 2/13-14, and 2/25).

 

Winter hill would get a D+ though since they did worse in the 2/13 event, blizzard, and the 1/7 event and their climo is already a higher starting point. 

 

Hmm. 
personally I think a C has to be on the average with modest tolerance in either direction.  … I’m assuming people are grading snow as the primary subjective weighting.  

Just trying to have some kind of consistently cogent criteria. 

Fir every partial grade, up or down, requires 10% +-

So 10% below normal = C- … 10% above = C+ … and on and so on. I don’t do the seasonal grade thing but if I did, I’d try to follow something like that. Such that … what is that, 70% above normal is equivalent to an A+. So in order to pass the winter cannot be less than -40 (C-, D+, D, D-) %

Thing is … even tho that would be arithmetically fair … people get pissed the closer to average things are shaking out and would court yard judge it worse. So much below C- is likely why so many Fs. 

[tamarack]

On 4/28/2022 at 6:09 PM, Typhoon Tip said:

Hmm. 
personally I think a C has to be on the average with modest tolerance in either direction.  … I’m assuming people are grading snow as the primary subjective weighting.  

Just trying to have some kind of consistently cogent criteria. 

Fir every partial grade, up or down, requires 10% +-

So 10% below normal = C- … 10% above = C+ … and on and so on. I don’t do the seasonal grade thing but if I did, I’d try to follow something like that. Such that … what is that, 70% above normal is equivalent to an A+. So in order to pass the winter cannot be less than -40 (C-, D+, D, D-) %

Thing is … even tho that would be arithmetically fair … people get pissed the closer to average things are shaking out and would court yard judge it worse. So much below C- is likely why so many Fs. 

Maybe arithmetically fair, but not always logical - probably works best for places averaging 60" (+/- 10"?)  Much higher/lower would result in illogical grade distribution.  Comparing/grading 1990-91 thru 21-22 to the 1991-2020 norms for NYC would yield 22% of A+, 34% F and only 16% C, a reverse bell curve.  CAR goes the other way, with one A (their 197.8" in 2007-08, highest ever by 15", didn't rate A+, only 164% of avg), no F's and 56% C's, for a squashed bell.
Of course, I have no better suggestion.  

[Sey-Mour Snow]

On 4/10/2022 at 10:48 PM, The 4 Seasons said:

Final seasonal total across the state includes reports from here, BDR and BDL climo sites, and COOP sites.

 

 

D-

[wxmanmitch]

D+, final snowfall total 117.9".

It was just barely good enough not be a total dead ratter, but it was a solidly subpar winter with both below normal snowfall and snowpack retention. Max depth was only 18-19" in January after the MLK weekend storm. 

A couple of good 18"+ storms would've gotten me to near average, but luck was not on my side with year. There were lots of light to moderate snows from fast moving clippers and SWFEs, but the pattern was generally hostile for nor'easters except for the 1/29 storm that I was only fringed by. Then there was that stalled front storm a week later that brought a general 12-18" just to the north and I had nothing but 32-33° F and rain that ended as flurries. That was a rough week. 

The winter made a modest late recovery in March after losing most of my pack in late February, but this is not Mt. Mansfield, so it was gone by the end of the month and April saw only a few light to moderate transient snows. Hopefully next winter delivers big!

[40/70 Benchmark]

10 hours ago, wxmanmitch said:

D+, final snowfall total 117.9".

It was just barely good enough not be a total dead ratter, but it was a solidly subpar winter with both below normal snowfall and snowpack retention. Max depth was only 18-19" in January after the MLK weekend storm. 

A couple of good 18"+ storms would've gotten me to near average, but luck was not on my side with year. There were lots of light to moderate snows from fast moving clippers and SWFEs, but the pattern was generally hostile for nor'easters except for the 1/29 storm that I was only fringed by. Then there was that stalled front storm a week later that brought a general 12-18" just to the north and I had nothing but 32-33° F and rain that ended as flurries. That was a rough week. 

The winter made a modest late recovery in March after losing most of my pack in late February, but this is not Mt. Mansfield, so it was gone by the end of the month and April saw only a few light to moderate transient snows. Hopefully next winter delivers big!

Four consecutive seasons now of greater than 10" below average IMBY....have to think that a good season is coming. I can't fathom more than one more stinker without a good year. I could possibly see a triple-dip cool ENSO being bleh next year, but 2023-2024 will def turn the worm if next season does not. We usually get a modoki el nino within a year or two of coming out of these triple decker la nina seasons.....57-58, 77-78, 86-87 and 2002-2003.

[tamarack]

Only 3 BN in a row here.  They were low by 3" (thanks to 22" post-equinox), 36" then 21".  However, the 6 years prior to 19-20 included 5 with 100"+ (avg here is currently 88"), interrupted by 2015-16.