Is snowfall record in sight?
Is snowfall record in sight?
By STU MERRY
The latest three-month climate outlook continues to reflect a continuation of the current LaNina affected weather pattern. The forecast continues to be for enhanced chances of below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation for western and central North Dakota.
It’s enough to send shivers down one’s spine. But that forecast is what National Weather Service (NWS) officials are predicting as they look ahead to February, March and April.
To add insult to injury, the existing snowpack across North Dakota is conducive to an enhanced risk of flooding during the spring melt season. Basin-wide, averages are already one of the highest water contents in the historical record, NWS officials say.
January snowfall was officially listed at 16.7 inches. Since October, 63.6 inches of snow have fallen this season. The record is 77.7 inches, recorded during the 2008-09 season.
Prior to the 2008-09 season, the record stood at 65.3 inches (according to the National climate Data Center in Asheville, N.C.) – that was recorded during the winter of 1998-99.
