It sounds unusual to say, but it has been a very fine February day in Rochester as we continue to see lots of sunshine.

The small amount of snowfall this season is a direct connection to the lack of consistency in our winter weather. To date, Rochester has measured only 41 inches of snow, and in a given year we would measure about 74 inches of snow at this point of the season. That is a snowfall deficit of 32 inches.

It is also important to note that average snowfall across Western New York does vary significantly from town to town. In an average season, folks who live south of Rochester in the Genesee Valley will shovel an average 40 to 50 inches of snow, but on the opposite end of the spectrum people who live east of Rochester in the Sodus Bay area will see an average 125 to 130 inches of snow in a season. Geographically, the Rochester airport is actually in a pretty good location to get the statistical mid-range of snowfall. The 30-year average for seasonal snow is 101 inches.

If you include this season’s lack of snow, this will make five consecutive seasons of below-average snowfall and there is little indication that we’ll turn this around anytime soon. And if this winter season were to come to an end today, this season would rank as the third least snowiest season in recorded history.