Some Snowcover Statistics for the Twin Cities

Winter returned in full-force for the 2000-2001 season. As of March 13, 2001 in the Twin Cities there has been a snow cover of at least an inch for 97 consecutive days. There has been a snow cover of 12 inches or more for 33 consecutive days. The snowdepth at Chanhassen on March 13 was 23 inches. A snow cover of this depth has only occurred a few times this late in the season. Below you will find some statistics to compare this season to snow seasons back to 1948. 


Here are stretches of 1 inch or more snowdepth of 100 days or longer since 1948 for the Twin Cities.
 

<-------Time Period-------->    number of days
11/22/1950   to   04/04/1951      134
12/17/1951   to   03/31/1952      105
11/26/1952   to   03/13/1953      109
11/28/1955   to   03/22/1956      115
12/09/1961   to   03/30/1962      112
11/27/1964   to   04/10/1965      136
12/07/1969   to   03/25/1970      109
12/11/1970   to   03/27/1971      107
11/23/1971   to   03/19/1972      117
01/03/1975   to   04/13/1975      101
11/17/1978   to   03/22/1979      126
11/19/1981   to   03/28/1982      130
11/22/1985   to   03/24/1986      123
11/23/1991   to   03/02/1992      100
11/27/1995   to   03/12/1996      106
11/21/1996   to   03/21/1997      122
What may be more interesting is the number of consecutive days that the Twin Cities has had at least a foot of snow on the ground. As of March 13 the Twin Cities has had 33 consecutive days of at least 12 inches on the ground. This puts the Twin Cities in smaller company. See the table below. The all time record is 1969. 
 
Consecutive days of at least 12 inches on the ground.

<-------Time Period-------->  number of days
02/19/1962   to   03/24/1962       34
01/14/1967   to   03/14/1967       60
01/01/1969   to   03/16/1969       75
12/23/1969   to   02/22/1970       62
01/26/1975   to   03/19/1975       53
01/12/1979   to   03/19/1979       67
12/14/1983   to   02/12/1984       61
12/18/1996   to   01/21/1997       36
Chanhassen reported a snowdepth of 23 inches on March 13. Here are the only days since 1948 that had a snow depth 23 inches or greater at a date as late as this. Note that snow from 1948 to 2000 was measured at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. 
Days that had a snowdepth of 23 inches or more later than March 13.

 Year Month Day    Snowdepth
 1951   3    13    24
 1951   3    18    27
 1951   3    19    26
 1951   3    20    25
 1951   3    21    23
 1962   3    13    27
 1962   3    14    26
 1962   3    15    24
 1962   3    16    23
 1965   3    29    27
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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/snow010313.htm
Last modified: March 14, 2001