Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand ForksFlurries for February?

PENDULUM SWINGS

After a couple of very snowy years in the Red River Valley, the pendulum has swung in the other direction.  We're not breaking records for lack of snow this season, but the disparity between the average and last year's amount is significant.

Here are some interesting snow numbers:

11.9" Total snow so far this season in Fargo.

31.0" Average snow totals in Fargo.

59.2" Total snow this time one year ago in Fargo.

We had seen nearly 5 times the amount of snow last year at this time in Fargo.  The same goes for Grand Forks in the lack-of-snow department.

Recent January snow falls have just now put enough snow on the ground for some to enjoy winter activities like cross-country skiing and sledding.  However, warmer weather isn't helping to maintain the 4 inches of snow on the ground in Fargo and 3 inches in Grand Forks as of Feb. 1st.

WE'RE NOT ALONE

But we're not the only ones missing out on a solid blanket of white.  The entire country (except for poor Alaska) has had a dry season.  Just click the graphics.  In the Upper Midwest about a quarter of the ground is covered with snow, compared to nearly 100% one year ago on this date.  Nationwide, only 19.2% of the ground is under snow cover.  More than half of the country had a blanket of white at this time during a snowy period.

SNOWCAST

So can we expect more snow to come before this winter end?  At this point, no major storms are poised to target the Red River Valley in the next couple of weeks.  The Climate Prediction Center's does shine a small ray of hope in its latest outlook.  There are equal chances of above/below average precipitation through the rest of the season given the current weather trends and what climate models are telling us.  What is average additional snowfall over the next few of months?

Fargo: 19.1"

Grand Forks:  16.4"

With equal chances of going above or below these numbers, it's not clear whether we'll see more snowy skies.  However, it better than a below average outlook, giving at least some hope for those hoping for a little more winter wonderland.

By Meteorologist Lisa Green