Winter: My Three Questions
Because I live in Minnesnowta.
Every winter season I have three questions:
One: Will it snow by Halloween?
In this millennium the answer has usually been no. Back in 1991, we had an historic blizzard on Halloween, and I think it was 1997 that we had a cold rain followed a few days later by enough snow to stick. The result was a frozen layer of ice under the snow, which made it treacherous to walk on. More snow later made it a permanent fixture all winter long:
Date High Low Rain Snow Depth
1997-10-31 +61.0 +32.0 0.3 0.0 0.0
1997-11-01 +45.0 +34.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1997-11-02 +34.0 +30.0 0.1 1.0 0.0
1997-11-03 +34.0 +31.0 0.0 0.1 0.0
1997-11-04 +34.0 +31.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1997-11-05 +38.0 +33.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1997-11-06 +43.0 +36.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1997-11-07 +44.0 +36.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1997-11-08 +43.0 +32.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1997-11-09 +39.0 +29.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1997-11-10 +32.0 +22.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1997-11-11 +28.0 +18.0 0.0 0.5 0.0
1997-11-12 +28.0 +12.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1997-11-13 +32.0 +24.0 0.3 4.0 1.0
1997-11-14 +35.0 +28.0 0.1 1.0 4.0
1997-11-15 +28.0 +18.0 0.0 0.3 5.0We haven’t seen anything like that since. Most Halloweens have been pretty mild. That blizzard of 1991 stands out, but 1996 was colder. There are some very warm years recently (1999, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2008, and 2022).
This year, we got a dusting (photo above), but it vanished almost as soon as it hit the ground. It was pretty, though. Falling snow is lovely.1
Two: Will it snow by Thanksgiving?
Again, in this millennium the answer is usually no. We did get a bit of a storm in the last two days, but it didn’t amount to much. What you see in the photo above has already melted (it’s 1:23 PM now).
Thanksgiving, of course, comes at the end of November, so the weather is typically cooler than for Halloween, but we’ve still had fairly mild Thanksgivings in the last three decades:
2014 was a chilly one, but we’ve had lows above +10 for the most part along with some very unseasonal highs (1998, 2011, 2012, and 2017).
While I can do without snow for Halloween (think of the children!), I rather like, not just snow on the ground for Thanksgiving, but a lovely snow falling outside. I recall many family and friend Thanksgivings enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving dinner while the snow poured outside.2
No way to know what we’ll get for Thanksgiving this year, but I wouldn’t mind some snow.
The big question for the kid in all of us is:
Three: Will it snow by Christmas?
And there have been many where it didn’t. Here’s the view out my bedroom window on December 25th of last year:
Ugh. A brown Christmas kinda sucks. The deciduous trees are naked and sleeping, the grass is brown3, and it’s just chilly enough to be annoying without the brisk and bracing True Cold of winter.
Here’s the temperature chart:
Definitely cooler than the Thanksgiving temperatures but still pretty mild for Minnesota (where sub-zero temps were historically normal for Christmas). One thing to note is that the variation between the daily high and low seems a bit tighter in the 2000s. I suspect winter weather is more consistent because the snow provides something of a temperature anchor.
The real question here, the one that matters, is this third one about Christmas. Somehow, at least for us northerners, Christmas isn’t Christmas without snow.4
With that in mind, one last chart:
The many snow-free Christmases are bad enough, but for the last 30 years or so, we rarely even have a foot on the ground at Christmas.
And the weird thing is, I kinda like getting out there and shoveling my sidewalk and driveway (even though the condo crew eventually comes around to do it for us):
It gets me outside and is good exercise. I see it as the adult version of going out and playing in the snow. And that clean driveway gives me a nice immediate sense of accomplishment.
Any other fans of winter snow out there or does everyone hate it?
Until next time…
For the first few snowfalls, anyway. It gets old quick.
Contrary to what a former friend claimed, I say snow can pour. As can flour, sugar, sand, and any number of solids. I agree with her that it sounds a little funny to say the snow is pouring outside, but I find it an apt description for certain kinds of snowfall. (The “Eskimos” aren’t the only ones with lots of ways of describing snow. Anyone who lives in snow country has the vocabulary.)
Except last year it was so warm the grass started growing in mid-winter.
I lived in Los Angles for almost 20 years and never got used to decorated palm trees and no snow.
It snows in the mountains around here and I like it there. Usually 5000 feet and up. We had the first big snowstorm this week and everyone got stuck