What Does A Snowless November Mean For Minneapolis Winter?
With just a few days left in November 2017 and a forecast of mid 40’s throughout the week, it is unlikely we will see any snowfall here in the Twin Cities before the end of the month. With leaf cleanups being nearly done, we began to wonder how we are going to keep our staff busy, so we decided to do some research to see if we could get an idea of how busy we will be this winter.
According to DNR records, there has only been 4 years in recorded history where the Twin Cities has not seen at least 0.01 inches in snow before the end of November. During those 4 years we saw a total snowfall for the year to average 45 inches with one year coming in with a meager 28.9 inches of snow.
So does no snowfall in November mean we are going to have little to no snow this year? Well, believe it or not, the Twin Cities averages just 45.3 inches of snowfall on a year basis. This data suggest that we are still on pace to reach our average snowfall this winter.
However, if you take a look at this chart from the DNR, it appears that no snowfall in November will likely produce more snowfall than most years where November received up to 3 inches of snowfall. Heck, even years where November saw up to 11 inches of snowfall we ended up with more snowfall throughout the winters where no snow fell in November.
Farmer’s Almanac Prediction
Being unsatisfied with the research above, we decided to head over to the Farmer’s Almanac to see their predictions.
So far, the Farmer’s Almanac is way off! They predicted the snow would start falling as soon as November 5th with November 21st through 30th being very cold. With November being nearly over and a near 60 degree day on Monday and no snowfall, I think they missed the mark.
The Farmer’s Almanac goes on to say that we should expect a warmer than normal winter with below normal precipitation.
My prediction, I believe we will see near average temperatures as we head into the heart of winter and near average snowfall. I don’t think we will see the 10 to 12 inch snowfall in one night but expect to see a few snowfalls of at least 7 to 8 inches with a bunch of 4 to 6 inch snowfalls throughout the season.
Are You Ready For Winter?
At Peter Doran Lawn & Landscaping we offer a variety of services in the winter including snow plowing, snow shoveling, roof raking and ice melting. Grab your free estimate today to ensure you are prepared for those large snowfalls that are surely to come this winter.
