First Alert Weather In-Depth: A weird season for snowfall

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – I think you will agree this has been a wild and wacky winter season, just from the standpoint of snowfall.

To illustrate this, you only need make a comparison to the average month-by-month snowfall. Typically in Rochester our snowiest months are December, January, and February. Over the years these three months usually measure well over 20 inches of snow. Obviously, this season has been much different and on this month-by-month basis there has been a huge aberration for the 2022-2023 season. This year there is not the usual “bell curve” with the greatest snowfall situated in the middle of the season. November and December measured very little snowfall (less than five inches for each month) and surprisingly our the greatest amount of snow has happened this month with over 19 inches for March. Typically, at this point in the season, there is 98 inches of the white stuff measured at the Rochester Airport. But as of today, we are running almost 50 inches below normal. If the season were to end today, this would rank as number 10 for the least snowiest season since 1925.

However, you know some additional snow is likely before the end of the season. The average date for the last measurable snowfall is April 15, and the earliest date is March 16, 1931.  Let’s hope it does not go this late, but the latest date for the last snowfall is May 19^th, 1976.  As they say though, “This year all bets are off.”