Here’s why it doesn’t snow a lot in the north but it goes down in the south

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For example, Amarillo, Texas had over 15 inches of snow – overtaking Green Bay, Wisconsin, which had 11, as well as Chicago and Grand Rapids, Michigan, with about 9 inches each.

When calculating snowfall, the winter season 2020-21 is set from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

San Angelo, Texas got 5.8 inches, which is more than Cincinnati (3.1 inches), Indianapolis (5.4 inches) and Louisville, Kentucky (3.5 inches).

Shreveport, Louisiana grew over 3 inches, which is more than Washington, DC and St. Louis.

The science behind this snow change is simple. In addition to milder temperatures in the northern part of the country, there has not been a large amplified jet stream this year – and both of these factors limit snow systems from moving in the region. So we had a storm track further south, which brought more snow to parts of the south.

Missing polar vortex

Temperatures were one of the biggest contributing factors, because without cold air you can’t have snow.

As of Jan. 1, much of the Midwest and Northeast – including Minneapolis, Chicago, Cleveland and Buffalo – have air temperatures at least 5 to 10 degrees above average. It may not seem like a lot, but it is often enough to tell the difference between rain and snow.

“Additionally, several snow events in Milwaukee this year featured below average snow-to-liquid ratios due to warmer temperatures, so the fallen precipitation did not produce as much snow as it could have. ‘be otherwise,’ says Andy Boxell, senior forecaster at the National Weather Service in Milwaukee.

Statistically, January is the coldest month for Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, and many cities in the Midwest. What is visibly missing is a cold snap from the polar vortex.

We once had an example of a polar vortex disturbance where much of the arctic air moved south to lower latitudes, but which mainly affected Europe and northern Asia. this month. So far, no blast of cold air from the polar vortex has made it to the United States, which has limited the cold air needed to keep the northern precipitation as snow.

It doesn’t look like rugged cold air is coming soon.

The one-month NOAA outlook shows warmer-than-average temperatures across much of the country.

Even without very cold temperatures, some cities in the North have a chance not to take advantage of it this weekend.

The snow is on its way

Winter weather alerts are in effect for more than half a dozen Midwestern states on Saturday in anticipation of heavy snowfall. Several systems are moving through the region over the next few days.

Still, the snow ahead might not be enough to bring them back to normal.

“In terms of closing the deficit in Milwaukee, a few inches are possible on Saturday night and Sunday morning,” Boxell explains. “Monday’s system can bring snow as well, although for now it looks like the heaviest amounts are closer to the Chicago area. At this point, we’ll likely need multiple systems in a fairly short timeframe. short to make up the difference. ”

From Madison, Wisconsin, to Milwaukee, the forecast is 2-4 inches through Monday.

Chicago, Green Bay, and Des Moines, Iowa, are all expected to increase 1-2 inches this weekend.

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