Snow: An elite season
Winter cracks the Top 10; adds to two-year record.
Snow: An elite season
The final total hasn't been posted yet, but the 4.5 inches measured officially as of 1 a.m. places the winter of 2010-11 No. 11 on the Philadelphia all-time list.
That bumped the seasonal total to 42.5, knocking out the legendary winter of 1957-58 from the 10th spot, at 41.8.
We say legendary because it was characterized by a surprise snow in December, a paralyzing blizzard in February and an attack of heavy, wet snow at the spring equinox.
The two-year snow total is up to a ridiculous 121.2, over 10 feet, and about six seasons' worth of snow for typical Philadelphia winters. That's far and away a two-winter record.
This is only the second time in the 125-year period of record that snowfall has exceeded 40 inches in back-to-back winters; it also happened in 1977-78 and '78-'79.
One big difference between this winter and its predecessors is that this one isn't over yet.
Tony Wood has been writing about the atmosphere for The Inquirer for 26 years. E-mail Tony here. And read all his columns here.
