A few spots in the U.S. are running ahead of snow averages as we hid mid-December

Temperatures for many areas have been running significantly behind normal since around Thanksgiving, providing plenty of opportunities for ample snow when a moisture-laden system develops. 

A quick look at the National Weather Service’s seasonal snowfall analysis through this morning (December 10) shows that a significant chunk of the contiguous United States has already seen some accumulating snow so far this season. “Accumulating snow” counts as at least 0.1 inches or more. 

Aside from the West Coast, the Southeast, and random counties on the Plains, the most conspicuous clear spot exists from southern New Jersey up the coast through Cape Cod.

Atlantic City, New York’s Central Park, and Boston’s Logan Airport have all only reported a “trace” of snow this year, which means that it snowed but didn’t stick to the ground. 

We’ve been seeing the snow come down elsewhere. Persistent bursts of cool air moving over the relatively warm lakes have switched on the lake-effect snow machine for the traditional snowbelt communities downwind from the Great Lakes.

Several major winter storms have also traversed the Midwest and Great Lakes, which have padded seasonal snowfall totals throughout the region.

Chicago’s O’Hare Airport has picked up 17.2 inches of snow this season, which far outpaces the 4.2 inches you’d expect to see by December 10th. Detroit has seen 10.9 inches of snow, going above and beyond the 4.1 inches they’d normally pick up through this point in the season.

This year’s favorable pattern for snow in the east is due in large part to ridges of high pressure setting up over the western half of North America. We can see this pattern reflected in the region’s seasonal snowfall totals.

Colorado Springs has only seen 5.2 inches of snow this year, which is down from their typical 8.4 inches by this point in December. Folks in Boise have only seen a mere dusting of snow when they’d normally have seen 3.5 inches by now.

The latest forecast from the Climate Prediction Center continues to show below-average temperatures favored across the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes, which could further add to the region’s snowfall totals, with above-average temperatures dominating much of the rest of the U.S. through the end of the month.