Seems like a number of people are getting frustrated by the lack of snow around here. In fact, I have had notes in recent weeks from people figuring our lack of snow is from “global warming”, the Asian tsunami, or nuclear testing. The simple fact is this: Birmingham is a southern city and it just doesn’t snow that much here. Based on weather records here going back to 1880, we get a significant snow (four inches or more) once every nine years! The probability of getting more than four inches of snow for any one given winter season is only 14 percent. The chance of getting more than one inch of snow for a winter season is 38 percent.
If you look at the other way, the chance of Birmingham getting less than one inch of snow during any winter is 59 percent. So, the bottom line is that we should expect no big snow events during a winter, and for the snow fans, be pleasantly surprised if we do get one. We did have back to back winters with good snow events in the early 90s; 4.5 inches was measured here on January 18, 1992, and the following year the “Blizzard of 93” dumped 13 inches of snow at the Birmingham Airport, and almost two feet on some of the southern suburbs of the city.
But, we went a total of 23 years without a four inch snow from 1940 to 1963! Yes, we had some snow events in those 23 years, but they were all under four inches. I would image you didn’t hear about “global warming”, tsunamis, or nuclear testing back then. Just the simple realization that Birmingham is a southern city that doesn’t get much snow.
Keep in mind we saw some very nice snow showers in north and east Alabama this past weekend on Sunday morning. And, the winter is far from over. I have learned snow fans don’t give up easily...
And, YES, I am a snow fan myself!
If you look at the other way, the chance of Birmingham getting less than one inch of snow during any winter is 59 percent. So, the bottom line is that we should expect no big snow events during a winter, and for the snow fans, be pleasantly surprised if we do get one. We did have back to back winters with good snow events in the early 90s; 4.5 inches was measured here on January 18, 1992, and the following year the “Blizzard of 93” dumped 13 inches of snow at the Birmingham Airport, and almost two feet on some of the southern suburbs of the city.
But, we went a total of 23 years without a four inch snow from 1940 to 1963! Yes, we had some snow events in those 23 years, but they were all under four inches. I would image you didn’t hear about “global warming”, tsunamis, or nuclear testing back then. Just the simple realization that Birmingham is a southern city that doesn’t get much snow.
Keep in mind we saw some very nice snow showers in north and east Alabama this past weekend on Sunday morning. And, the winter is far from over. I have learned snow fans don’t give up easily...
And, YES, I am a snow fan myself!
on January 25, 2005, 2:16 pm
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