Midwest snow drought: Lowest snow cover in 7 years!
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
33.8" of the USA covered with snow today
56.9% covered 1 year ago
28.8% of the Upper Midwest covered with snow today
7 years since this little coverage in the Upper Midwest
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
(22.9% in 2005)
86.3% last year on this date in the Upper Midwest
0.8" average depth of Midwest snow cover today
14.1" average depth of Midwest snow cover last year on this date!
Flurries in the metro today - light dusting at best
1" to 2" along the I-90 corridor in southern Minnesota today
2" to 4" in northern Iowa
Light snowy dusting south today:
A few "lucky" towns will get some light snow today in southern Minnesota, and there may even be enough to plow in northern Iowa.
A weak system passing south of Minnesota will bring a few flurries or snow showers to the metro. A snowy dusting is most likely in the south metro today.
1" yo 2" may fall near the Iowa border, with 2" to 4" in northern Iowa.
At least it's something for drought stricken southern Minnesota!
-Latest Twin Cities radar loop
Snow drought: Lowest snow cover in 7 years in the Midwest!
Overall this winter has been a big bust in the snowfall department.
In fact it's the least snowy winter in 7 years as measured by the percentage of snow cover on this date.
Snow cover today in the Upper Midwest
Snow cover last year!
Looking back over the past few years, this is the least snow cover on this date in 7 years in the Upper Midwest.
The numbers from NOHRSC:
% snow cover in the Upper Midwest
(Western Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakotas & E Montana)
25.4% today
73.6% last year on this date
99.1% in 2010
55.6% in 2009
90.2% in 2008
92.0% in 2007
51.4% in 2006
22.9% in 2005
The more telling number may be the average depth of the snow. This year 0.8". Last year 14.1"
Last year 3 to 6"+ of water was locked up in snow pack ready to be released during the spring melt. This year we'll be lucky to get an inch of runoff if things keep up this way.
The good news? Little or no chance of severe flooding this spring.
The bad news? Little runoff for rivers, lakes & ponds.
There are still some signs of at least some snow in Minnesota next week.
Stay tuned!
PH