The First Day of Spring Flurries

The Salem News
Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Heavy winter doesn't go quietly
By Will Broaddus

With yesterday's inch of snow, locals might have wondered whether winter had followed them into spring.

Snowfall in December, January and February added up to 91 inches, according to Salem meteorologist Arthur Francis — not a record, but it definitely left an impression. The number to beat is 138.8 inches, the total for the 1995-96 season, Francis said.

Yesterday's inch melted before most of it could accumulate, Francis said, and odds are that winter is finally behind us. With an average snowfall of 4.4 inches over the past 30 years, April tends to live up to seasonal expectations.

There have been exceptions. Fifteen inches fell during April in 1982, and in 1997, 18 inches fell on April 1, after it started to snow on the night of March 31.

"That was that April Fool's Day blizzard, most in the last 30 years," Francis said. "We had thunderstorms and the winds were up to 74 miles per hour."  (Jan. 12, 2011)

Spring has arrived -- even the mountain of snow blocking Chip Ahoy has melted away. Though the night temperatures are still falling slightly below freezing, the days have begun to reach into the fifties. By the end of this weekend, it's supposed to warm up and possibly reach the low-70s.

With this winter's cribboards refinishing project almost done, I'm planning to uncover Chip Ahoy on Sunday, a week later than last year's ceremony.  (Apr. 5, 2011)

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