Has It Been Unusually Not Snowy This Winter? (Minneapolis, St. Paul: to move, car)

[SmoothOperator545]

Howdy hey folks.

I moved to Minneapolis with my wife back in mid-November. That half of the month was unusually warm from what I saw on my weather app, but once the first week of December was up it started feeling like winter again.

I'm sure it's not news to anyone reading this that it has been pretty frigid since late-December, but something I have been thinking about is that it hasn't been all that snowy. I recall reading that Minneapolis gets about 57 inches of snow per year on average, but so far it seems like the total snowfall has been something like a foot. I'm sure it's a bit more if you count the stuff that falls but doesn't stick but I know for certain that NYC (where I moved from) has definitely outdone Minneapolis for total snowfall this winter.

Perhaps it's a case of Minneapolis getting less than usual and NYC getting more than usual, so I'd love to hear from people who have experienced multiple winters here on what they think of this.

[mn55110]

Your final paragraph was spot-on. New York City and the east coast has been having an above normal winter for snowfall, while Minneapolis has been below normal for snowfall.

Keep in mind however that Minnesota's two months with the highest snow totals are January and March. In the last few years, as winters are now warmer than usual, this one included, the Twin Cities are now experiencing more freezing rain and ice storms-keeping snowfall amounts down.

With Spring arriving early last year, the mild winter of 2017, brought us our final snowstorm on Monday May 01, 2017. Any snow which falls during May in Minneapolis-St. Paul melts within a day-or-two, and are rare events.

The bottom line is that your observation is correct, and we have plenty of Winter remaining, including our two snowiest months.

[Citykid3785]

First off, yes, we are running at about a 2 foot deficit on our snow totals. But secondly, many falsely assume that because we are a cold, "winter" metro that we get a ton of snow. Our average annual snowfall is about 45 inches, which is less snow than many parts of the East coast and Midwest. Parts of Indiana and Ohio get more snow for instance. And the snow we do get comes in the form of "Alberta clippers," cold dry airmasses from Canada that only drop a few inches at a time. This is unlike the northeast or the Rockies.

Snow goes hand in hand with moisture, and often our air is too cold to hold lots of moisture. That's what you're seeing this year.....small to non-existent snowfalls coupled with subzero temps. But we are so cold that when the snow falls, it stays all season.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by SmoothOperator545

Howdy hey folks.

I moved to Minneapolis with my wife back in mid-November. That half of the month was unusually warm from what I saw on my weather app, but once the first week of December was up it started feeling like winter again.

I'm sure it's not news to anyone reading this that it has been pretty frigid since late-December, but something I have been thinking about is that it hasn't been all that snowy. I recall reading that Minneapolis gets about 57 inches of snow per year on average, but so far it seems like the total snowfall has been something like a foot. I'm sure it's a bit more if you count the stuff that falls but doesn't stick but I know for certain that NYC (where I moved from) has definitely outdone Minneapolis for total snowfall this winter.

Perhaps it's a case of Minneapolis getting less than usual and NYC getting more than usual, so I'd love to hear from people who have experienced multiple winters here on what they think of this.

To describe MN weather best is realizing it has a higher than average standard deviation. In other words, if you pay attention to averages, you will quickly get confused.

The COLDEST February temp on record is -60 degrees on February 2, 1996. I remember that day.. It HURT to breath. The WARMEST on record is Feb. 26, 1896, when it reached +64 degrees F. That's a 124 degree difference.
Last year, only a trace of snow was measured in the entire month of February with extremely warm weather. One year, MN got 1.5 of snow in June 4th (a record) . In summary, get use to patterns that set in. Later, it can quickly turn. That's the reality. It's why I am sitting in Phoenix right now until it warms up.

[SmoothOperator545]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

To describe MN weather best is realizing it has a higher than average standard deviation. In other words, if you pay attention to averages, you will quickly get confused.

The COLDEST February temp on record is -60 degrees on February 2, 1996. I remember that day.. It HURT to breath. The WARMEST on record is Feb. 26, 1896, when it reached +64 degrees F. That's a 124 degree difference.
Last year, only a trace of snow was measured in the entire month of February with extremely warm weather. One year, MN got 1.5 of snow in June 4th (a record) . In summary, get use to patterns that set in. Later, it can quickly turn. That's the reality. It's why I am sitting in Phoenix right now until it warms up.

That does seem to have a lot of truth to it. From my own observations, it's the places that get the most extreme weather that also tend to have the most periods of "unusual" weather, especially in the cold and snow departments.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem like places like Phoenix get nearly as many "cool" summers as Minneapolis gets "warm" winters, eh? That might have swayed our decision to move there instead of here, although given I love the cold and Minneapolis has been great to us so far.

[Pincho-toot]

I been saying the same thing (moved here in August) though the snowfall we had two days ago was awesome! I hope next winter is snowier.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by mn55110

Your final paragraph was spot-on. New York City and the east coast has been having an above normal winter for snowfall, while Minneapolis has been below normal for snowfall.

Keep in mind however that Minnesota's two months with the highest snow totals are January and March. In the last few years, as winters are now warmer than usual, this one included, the Twin Cities are now experiencing more freezing rain and ice storms-keeping snowfall amounts down.

With Spring arriving early last year, the mild winter of 2017, brought us our final snowstorm on Monday May 01, 2017. Any snow which falls during May in Minneapolis-St. Paul melts within a day-or-two, and are rare events.

The bottom line is that your observation is correct, and we have plenty of Winter remaining, including our two snowiest months.

Idk where in Minnesota you were but the Twin Cities did NOT get a snowstorm May 1st last year. All that happened was it rained and turned to snow flurries for a little while. It was in the mid 30s so it wasn't freezing and nothing stuck. I was sitting in Caribou Coffee in Minneapolis when that happened. It wasn't a snowstorm at all. I think we only have had 3 snowstorms this winter. Early December, last Thursday and this past Sunday.

[mn55110]

BadgerFilms, I made a couple different stops on May 01, 2017, one in Woodbury another in White Bear Lake and after each destination, needed to clear my car of snow in order to see out the windows. In addition, the I-694/I-494 beltway was slippery driving.

I cannot speak for conditions you experienced at a Caribou Coffee location in Minneapolis, but they were rough in the East Metro. Those I passed whose vehicles had spun-out or were in a ditch would also classify that as a snowstorm. Fortunately, everything had melted by the following afternoon.

The latest Twin Cities snowfall I can remember was right around 2005 when our final snowfall was either May 12th or 13th, and that snow did not last long.

Those wet heavy snow totals the Original Poster is accustomed to, usually occur when the jet stream progresses North bringing with it moisture from the Gulf of Mexico; more often taking place in March and April.

An earlier poster was correct in stating that our snow events this time of year are usually associated with "Alberta Clippers" dry light snow, with lower totals, but bitter cold temperatures immediately behind the front.

The Jet Stream is usually too far South of Minnesota in January to bring-in a lot of snow, however that is not always the case. Weather in Minneapolis and St Paul is very unpredictable.

[wamer27]

We’ve had 5 snow events of an inch or more, I know this as 1 inch is my plowing minimum. These are perfect snow totals for my company. Weather patterns run about 7 days, look at this coming Sunday, another storm just like the past Sunday. We have gotten less snow in last 5+ years. The average seems to be about 15 plowable storms per winter, but that average seems to be going down.

[WoodburyWoody]

As we are about to head into the historical bottom of temps for the year (historically, the 24th for the Twin Cities), the Minnesota Winter Misery Index shows this to be an incredibly mild winter so far, as most have been over the past ten years:

The Twin Cities Winter Misery Index: Minnesota DNR