ROCHESTER, N.Y. – You might be thinking that winter is finally winding down and that it’s time to put away the snow shovel. But before you rush to judgment, it’s important to consider that winter might not be quite done with us yet.

Let’s take a closer look at the latest snowfall totals for the Rochester Airport. At this time of year, Rochester typically would have accumulated 93 inches of snow—the 30-year average. However, we’re currently running below that average, with just 86 inches so far. That’s a seven-inch deficit, and interestingly, this shortfall has occurred in just the past two weeks. This dip isn’t a surprise, as we’ve recently seen a significant shift in our weather pattern.

A chart tracking the temperature over the past 31 days illustrates the drastic change. While the middle of February was consistently cold—bitterly cold at times—the last two weeks have brought much warmer weather. It’s been warm enough at times that it felt more like late April rather than mid-March. This shift is also reflected in our monthly temperatures. January and February were much colder than usual, but so far, March has been noticeably warmer.

Looking ahead, it’s important to note that the weather pattern will be shifting again. Early forecasts indicate a possible resurgence of winter starting during the middle of next week, possibly continuing through the end of March. How much colder it will get and whether more snow will fall are still open questions. However, we want to remind everyone that it may be too early to put the snow shovel away for good here in Western New York.