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Five Interesting Facts and Statistics About

SNOWCompiled by Sean J. Jordan

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The first day of Spring is March 20th.

Of course, you wouldn’t know it by looking out my

office window today!

But, since I’ve got snow on the brain today…

I thought I’d dig up some facts and statistics about snow!

Photo credit: Mommamia (Flickr.com)

Snow scientist Charles Knight of the National Center for Atmospheric

Research in Boulder, CO estimates that there are 10 quintillion (a 10 followed

by 18 zeros) water molecules in a typical snow crystal.

Photo credit: Nedral (Flickr.com)Source: National Geographic

The near-infinite possibilities of how snow crystals can form means that it’s

highly unlikely for any two to look alike!

The largest US snowfall within 24 hours was

75.8 inches.

It occurred on April 14, 1921 in Silver Lake, Colorado.

But the storm kept going, leaving a record 95 inches on the ground by the end!

Photo credit: Thomas Tolkien (Flickr.com)Source: Currentresults.com

Snow doesn’t just fall in the winter.

The Rainer Paradise Ranger Station in Washington state gets

snow most summers.

The record summer snowfall there is 16.6 inches, set in 1973.

Photo credit: EVRT Studio (Flickr.com)Source: Currentresults.com

Thompson Pass, AK holds the record for two of the largest US snow storms.

A 1953 storm lasted for five days and produced 175.4

inches.

And a 1955 storm lasted for seven days and produced 186.9!

Photo credit: Steve Loya (Flickr.com)Source: NCDC

The snowiest state in the US is Alaska.

Among the lower 48 states, the snowiest cities are:

Photo credit: Postopp1 (Flickr.com)Source: USA Today

City Average Snowfall (inches)

Blue Canyon, CA 240.3

Marquette, MI 141.0

Sault Ste. Marie, MI 117.4

Syracuse, NY 115.6

Caribou, ME 111.6

Mount Shasta, CA 104.9

Lander, WY 100.4

Flagstaff, AZ 100.3

As much as my family (and my dogs!) love the sight of fresh snow...

I can’t help but hope this is the last we’ll see of snow until the end of 2011!