Snowfall Totals Per Decade(Coastal Cities)

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by Infamous92

I don't want to venture too far off topic but I find the differences within NYC itself to be intriguing.

JFK Airport:

2010: 47.2" (8.2% less snowfall than Central Park)
2011: 42.0" (32.1% less snowfall than Central Park)
2012: 3.7" (50% less snowfall than Central Park)

Total: 92.9"....which looks to be on par with Baltimore's 93". That ocean influence can really make a huge difference.

Good catch! That is interesting. Thanks. Probably why Bridgeport is a lot too. How does Islip look?

I still cant get past how snowy its been on the coast past few years and then again we break a record max november snowstorm total this year. Maybe your right. The warm Atlantic is favoring these results. OR... more moisture in the atmosphere in the warming world so its falling as snow when the temps are right at the surface.

Here's Albany's totals. Their average since 1950 is 62"

2009-10: 45.4"
2010-11: 87.2"
2011-12: 23.3"

2 of last 3 years below normal compared to NYC 2 of 3 years above normal

[Patricius Maximus]

Originally Posted by Cambium

Maybe your right. The warm Atlantic is favoring these results. OR... more moisture in the atmosphere in the warming world so its falling as snow when the temps are right at the surface.

The warm Atlantic would also tend to make temperatures near the ocean too warm for snow, so if anything warming would cause less snow in the Mid-Atlantic, since getting snow is pretty dicey there to begin with. For big storms and snow, a warmer Atlantic is better, but only if colder air streams in from the interior. The new normal in a warmer climate would resemble the warm/wet winters of the past, and most of them were terrible if you're looking for snow*.

Even if warm/wet winters would cause more snow, the season for snow would be shorter, but events like Snowtober, Sandy, and the Election Day 2012 snowstorm have shown that it's gotten longer. More intense storms occurring in the midst of colder air and lengthened snow seasons are signs of cooling, not warming. Winters like 2009-10 and 2010-11, and Autumns like 2011 and 2012, demonstrate the characteristics of a cooling climate, whereas winters resembling 1995-96 demonstrate the characteristics of a warming climate. The first set is more straight up colder/snowier/stormier, but the second set are warm/wet winters that can produce a big snow dump or two on rare occasions, usually happening in January or early February, melts quickly, and is otherwise just warm and rainy.

*A warm/wet winter is good for snow in places where moisture is the main driver of snow totals, northern New England for example. This is because even when it's 2F or 5F above normal, it's still cold enough for snow. This is obviously not the case in NYC or Washington, where 2F or 5F above normal elicits cries of "winter cancel".

[nei]

Originally Posted by Patricius Maximus

Even if warm/wet winters would cause more snow, the season for snow would be shorter, but events like Snowtober, Sandy, and the Election Day 2012 snowstorm have shown that it's gotten longer. More intense storms occurring in the midst of colder air and lengthened snow seasons are signs of cooling, not warming. Winters like 2009-10 and 2010-11, and Autumns like 2011 and 2012, demonstrate the characteristics of a cooling climate, whereas winters resembling 1995-96 demonstrate the characteristics of a warming climate. The first set is more straight up colder/snowier/stormier, but the second set are warm/wet winters that can produce a big snow dump or two on rare occasions, usually happening in January or early February, melts quickly, and is otherwise just warm and rainy.

I'm not sure your classification follows, though I have the best sense of the general snowfall patterns from the NYC area, maybe yours works elsewhere. The 1995-1996 season was little different temperature than the other two seasons you've mentioned and it had a below average temperature-wise March and the snowiest in decades. Snowtober (if you're refering to 2011) was in the midst of a very warm fall, for many places the warmest on record. Which shows that unusual snow events are possible even in warmer than average weather overall.

The 2009-2010 season was interesting. Many of the storms that brought huge snowfall to the south by the coast either completely missed us up here or colder air flowed to the south and west and we were on the warm side of the storm. It was strange to drive south and see the ground go from nearly bare to deeply snow-covered. It was also warmer than average for us, though not to last year's levels.

*A warm/wet winter is good for snow in places where moisture is the main driver of snow totals, northern New England for example. This is because even when it's 2F or 5F above normal, it's still cold enough for snow. This is obviously not the case in NYC or Washington, where 2F or 5F above normal elicits cries of "winter cancel".

In NYC: There have been above average winters that have had snowy months, because a warm winter can hide variability and may have a below average section. Looking at the list of snowiest months and comparing it to their temperatures, most of the snowiest months were below average though only by 2-3°F. There was one month (Feb 2006) that was around average and very snowy, but few above average months are particularly snowy.

NYC Central Park Monthly Snowfall

CPK NORMAL & EXTREMES