Why Spring Is The Most Extreme Season
Snow can be exciting to see in the fall or early winter, but by the time the calendar flips to March, many are sick of seeing flakes fly as we make the gradual pivot to spring.
Although the date of that pivot to the final accumulating snow varies year-to-year, we examine the data for dozens of cities to see when the season typically ends and the latest it's snowed in spring.
The map below shows which month the final measurable snow (at least 0.1 inches) of the season has usually occurred, based on the 1991-2020 average from NOAA. Here are the key takeaways.
The colors of each dot correspond to the month of the season's average last snow, based on 1991-2020 data.
(Data from National Weather Service)
Northeast: Once the spring equinox happens, snow is not typical in areas close to the Northeast coast. Areas farther north and inland can expect the last snowfall to take place in April. Washington, D.C., is a bit earlier with its average date of the season's final snow on Feb. 27.
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However, snow has fallen into May in parts of the region, including in Burlington, Vermont, which experienced its latest snowfall on record on Mother's Day in 1996.
Shown is the average date of the last measurable snow and the latest measurable snow on record.
Midwest: Areas across the Northern Plains into the upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes typically experience the season's final snowfall in April, but areas farther south usually say goodbye to additional snow in March.
The latest snowfall on record for most of the region is in May, even for areas as far south as Amarillo, Texas, where the latest snow on record fell May 4, 1935.
Shown is the average date of the last measurable snow and the latest measurable snow on record.
West: The last snowfall of the season occurs a bit later in the West, with many locations waiting until May or later. April is even the snowiest month of the year for some spots, including Breckenridge, Colorado, where the average April snowfall is 28 inches.
The latest snowfall for many locations in the western U.S. is in June, but a few have experienced the last snow of the season as late as July, including Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, and Yellowstone Lake, Montana.
Shown is the average date of the last measurable snow and the latest measurable snow on record.
Snowfall compared to average east of the Rockies has been a bit topsy-turvy this season, based on the analysis below from Penn State University, which uses data from NOAA. It shows how snowfall this season compares to the average since 2008 as of March 6, with areas in blue and purple above average, and locations in red lagging behind pace.
Historic Winter Storm Enzo brought record-breaking snow to the Gulf Coast, sending that region way above average. Parts of the mid-South, Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic have also seen snowfall surpluses.
To the north, it's been the opposite with below-average snow in the Northern Plains, upper Midwest and along much of the Northeast Interstate 95 corridor. The exception is the Great Lakes snow belts where lake-effect snow was active this season.
It's a mixed story in the West with many locations below average, especially the Southwest. The exceptions are parts of the interior Northwest as well as northeast New Mexico and portions of eastern Colorado.
Snowfall percent of average this season compared to the average since 2008 as of March 6. Areas in blue or purple have above-average snow, while areas in red are below average.
(Source: Penn State University Department Of Meteorology And Atmospheric Science Based On Data From the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center)