Snow: We’re No. 101
Miles to go, but winter of 2014-15 off to mighty slow start for snow.
A day like this is hard to like. For snow-lovers, cold rain is a bitter consolation prize; for sane people, it's just plain unpleasant.
Even though precipitation this month now is 15 to 20 percent above normal and temperatures significantly below, Philadelphia's official monthly snow total stands at 1.5 inches.
Adding that tenth of an inch on Dec. 11, the seasonal figure comes to 1.6.
In 131 years of recordkeeping, for snow through a Jan. 12, the winter of 2014-15 would be tied with 2008 for 101st on the list.
Of the 29 winters behind this one in the standings, 10 had no measureable snow through Jan. 12. Not surprisingly, that list includes some of the most snow-deprived winters.
But also on that list is 1965-66, which we mention to remind readers that while the meteorological winter is approaching the midpoint, we are well shy of halftime for the typical Philadelphia snow season.
Snowfall for the '65-'66 winter finished at 27.6 inches, or 5-plus inches above average, even though nothing measureable showed up until Jan. 22.
In the period of record, less than a third of the seasonal total has fallen by Jan. 12, or just under 7 inches.
But that's about 4 times what has fallen so far this winter. By contrast, by Jan. 12, 1996, 43 inches had been measured officially in Philadelphia, far and away the record.
No significant snow threats are on the horizon. Snow requires a measure of luck (good, or bad, depending on one's perspective), and so far this hasn't been 1996 for the plowing business.