It's either 'feast or famine' in Camelot's snowfall records
Every year at this time, I'm asked to update our local area snowfall records dating back some 117 winter seasons to the inception of such statistics in 1895. Three out of the last four winters have been in the 'TOP TEN,' actually in the 'TOP FOUR'!
The winter of 2009-10, during a mild 'El Nino' event, by extreme contrast, was in the 'BOTTOM TEN' in seasonal snowfall. There have been 96 winter seasons since 1895 with either more than 80 inches of snow or less than 55 inches. Only 21 winters were near our 69.8 inch norm. As far as winter snowfall is concerned, it's 'feast' or 'famine' in Coeur d'Alene and the rest of the Inland Empire.
Here are these records:
THE 'TOP 10' SNOWIEST WINTERS (NORMAL: 69.8" - ALL ABOVE 100 INCHES!)
1. 2007-08 - 172.9" (190+ inches in Rathdrum!)
2. 2008-09 - 145.6" (100+ inches more snow than ever in 2007-09 over a two-season span!)
3. 1915-16 - 124.2" (181.5" at Sandpoint)
4. 2010-11 - 121.0" (69.0" at Spokane)
5. 1968-69 - 117.8" (82.4" in January, 1969 alone in Coeur d'Alene)
6. 1949-50 - 111.6" (93.5" at Spokane)
7. 1992-93 - 103.7" (145.3" at Hayden Lake)
8. 1931-32 - 103.6" (134.7" at Sandpoint)
9. 1996-97 - 101.4" (150.5" at Sandpoint)
10. 1896-97 - 100.5" (100 years earlier than number 9)
SPECIAL NOTE: Since the 'Sun went silent' in 2007, record snows also have buried the northern U.S. and southern Canada. 'Killer freezes' have wiped out citrus and vegetable crops in Florida, Texas and Old Mexico. Remember this spring's tomato shortage, deadly tornadoes and disastrous floods?
THE 'BOTTOM TEN' MOST OPEN 'SNOWLESS' WINTERS (ALL BELOW 20 INCHES!)
1. 1933-34 - 11.2"
2. 1943-44 - 13.6"
3. 1987-88 - 14.1"
4. 1914-15 - 14.3"
5. 1941-42 - 14.4"
6. 1966-67 - 15.8"
7. 1908-09 - 16.1"
8. 1929-30 - 17.8"
9. 2009-10 - 18.4"
10. 1899-00 - 19.4"
Next week in 'Gems,' I'll feature the TEN SNOWIEST MONTHS and the TEN SNOWIEST DAYS in Coeur d'Alene since 1895 ... A Halloween 'bag of tricks.'
NORTH IDAHO WEATHER REVIEW AND LONG-RANGE OUTLOOKS
We've had some cool, foggy mornings lately in town, but thus far, still haven't seen a KILLER FREEZE yet this fall in the Coeur d'Alene area. The afternoon hours have been generally mild and sunny with highs near 60 degrees.
I do see some light frosts arriving between Oct. 25-29, as temperatures plunge locally into the upper 20s and lower 30s. But, I don't predict that any major outbreaks of Arctic air will push into the Inland Empire until the 'full moon' cycle of Nov. 10-17, when we'll probably see our first wet snowflakes of the 2011-12 'La Nina'-dominated winter season sometime around Veterans' Day.
Halloween should be cool and dry for the 'trick or treaters,' but not as cold as in recent years when we've seen temperatures near the freezing mark. A couple of times since 2003, we've seen snow flurries on Halloween in the region.
Looking farther down the meteorological roadway, Randy and I still predict that least Lookout Pass will be open for skiing by the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The other ski resorts may not have enough snow to open until early December, But, as usual, only time will tell.
Remember, last November was the snowiest on record since at least 1895 in Coeur d'Alene. We measured a whopping 38.3 inches of rather wet snow on Player Drive compared to the November average snowfall of just 8.7 inches in town. This November should bring us around a 'foot' of snow in Coeur d'Alene with upwards of 20 inches expected in the snowier Twin Lakes area and points north.
Cliff Harris is a climatologist who writes a weekly column for The Press. His opinions are his own. Email sfharris@roadrunner.com