That’s why it doesn’t snow much in the north, but it goes down in the south

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For example, Amarillo, Texas, has had more than 15 inches of snow, surpassing Green Bay, Wisconsin, which has had 11, as well as Chicago and Grand Rapids, Michigan, with about 9 inches each.

When snowfall is calculated, the 2020-21 winter season is defined as July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

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

Shreveport, Louisiana, has been more than 3 inches, which is more than Washington, DC and St. Louis. Louis.

The science behind this snowfall change is simple. In addition to the milder storms in the northern part of the country, this year there has not been a large amplified lightning stream, and both factors limit the movement of snow systems across the region. So we had a storm track further south, which has brought more snow to some places in the south.

The polar vortex is missing

Temperatures have been one of the main factors that have contributed, as without cold air you can’t have snow.

Since Jan. 1, much of the Midwest and Northeast, including Minneapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, and Buffalo, have had air temperatures at least 5 to 10 degrees above average. This may not sound like much, but it is enough to often differentiate between rain and snow.

“In addition, several snow events in Milwaukee this year have had below-average snow-liquid ratios due to warmer temperatures, so the precipitation that has fallen has not produced as much snow as it would have been from a otherwise, ”says Andy Boxell, the chief forecaster at the Milwaukee National Weather Service.

Statistically, January is the coldest month in Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cincinnati and many midwestern cities. What is noticeably missing is a cold blow from the polar vortex.

We’ve already had an example of this interruption of the polar vortex in which a large section of Arctic air has shifted southward to lower latitudes, but it has mostly affected Europe and North Asia this month. So far, no explosion of cold air from the polar vortex has reached the United States and this has limited the cold air needed to keep northern precipitation as snow.

Robust cold air doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon.

NOAA’s one-month outlook shows warmer-than-average temperatures in much of the country.

Even without super cold temperatures, some northern cities have a snowstorm this weekend.

The snow is on its way

Winter weather warnings are in effect for more than half a dozen states in the Midwest on Saturday, in preparation for heavy snowfall. Various systems are moving around the region in the coming days.

Still, the next snow may not be enough to get them back to normal.

“When it comes to compensating for the deficit in Milwaukee, a few inches are possible Saturday night and Sunday morning,” Boxell says. “Monday’s system may also bring some snow, though at the moment it looks like the heavier amounts will be closer to the Chicago area. At this point, we’ll probably need several systems in a fairly short order to make up for the difference “.

From Madison, Wisconsin, to Milwaukee, the forecast calls for 2 to 4 inches by Monday.

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

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