Where Was the Snow in 2011/2012?
Fresh Air Educators 04.12.12
Usually the snowmobile season would be wrapping up around this time. But, on March 19th, the homepage of the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers said it all: “The end of the season has arrived.” Indeed, Vermont’s snowmobile season did come to a rapid end after an odd week’s worth of summer weather in mid march, and little snowfall throughout most of the winter. Vermont isn’t the only state to have been hit with such a tough year for snowmobiling; much of the country experienced a warm winter with very little snow. While trails generally close around this time, this year many closed a month early.
With no snow to enjoy, we turned to the Internet for answers. Not surprisingly this winter season was one of the warmest on record for many states.
[Data from the National Climate Data Center]
Looking at these snowfall numbers, it’s easy to get discouraged. But don’t despair! While this year was a bit of a disappointment, weather experts agree that it may be largely due to a combination of La Niña and a stronger-than-usual Arctic oscillation. If this sounds complicated, you can read one expert’s explanation on NASA’s site here. What we do know is that La Niña should be gone with the wind before next winter.
So enjoy your summer.
Get out the fishing rod and ATV, and you’ll be back on the snow in no time.
