Snow flurries spoil shortest winter record
Flurries in the region this morning have officially ruined Rochester’s chance of its shortest winter on record.
About two-tenths of an inch of snow fell at the Greater Rochester International Airport this morning, starting about 6 a.m., said David Thomas, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
Until today, the snow season was only 90 days long – from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28, when about a half-inch fell just after the last large snow storm of the season. According to the Weather Service, no snow fell in Rochester in November or March.
Today’s flurries stretched the season by another 58 days, making it 148 days long, Thomas said, adding that an average snow season in Rochester is 158 days.
Thomas said he expects today’s flakes to melt by noon.
“The snow’s not going to stand a chance,” he said, adding that today’s high is expected to reach the mid-40s.
But more flakes could fall in the region tonight or early tomorrow, Thomas said. Although he said he does not expect any accumulation, eastern Wayne County could see some flakes stick. Thomas said the Adirondack region could see several inches of snow overnight.
While it is rare for snow to fall late in the season, today’s flakes are not the latest – or the most – on record. The snowfall record for today is three-tenths of an inch, set in 1946, Thomas sad.
“The last time we had measurable snow this late in the season in Rochester was May 12, 1996, when 1.1 inches fell,” he said. And many area residents will remember the Mother’s Day snowstorm, on May 8, 1989, when 10.7 inches blanketed the Rochester region.
By the end of the work week, highs will become warmer, Thomas said. Tomorrow, the high will reach into the 50s. By Thursday, it’s expected to reach 60 and by Friday, it should be 70. The normal high for late April in Rochester is 60.
