A snowy west and snow-starved east: Taking stock of winter

When it comes to snow, the winter thus far has been a tale of a nation divided.

West of the Continental Divide and north of the Central Plains, plentiful snow has blanketed or even buried the landscape. But, to the east, precious little has fallen.

The snow shows no sign of stopping in the Sierra Nevada and much of the intermountain region. The amount of snow has overwhelmed certain ski areas, even forcing some to close briefly. But, in the east, it’s a lack of snow shutting down slopes.

Winter has a little time left. Still, most of the haves and have-nots probably won’t change much in its waning weeks. Let’s take a look at where things stand.

The haves:

Buffalo with 124.8 inches vs. seasonal average of 95.4 inches - Much of the snow fell in lake-effect blitzes capped by the five-day historic storm around Christmas. More than 50 inches fell, with blizzard conditions lasting for a day and a half. Snowfall has been much lighter but relatively regular since.

Caribou, Maine, with 108.5 inches vs. seasonal average of 118 inches - Snow has been frequent, and often heavy. While it has yet to reach its full-season average, it can typically expect an additional 2 feet or more into spring. It’s also an East Coast oddball, with abundant snow in a winter with little anywhere else.

Duluth, Minn., with 102.7 inches vs. seasonal average of 90.2 inches - The National Weather Service office in Duluth measured 100 inches Monday morning. It’s part of a swath of above-average snowfall that stretches from Minneapolis to the shores of Lake Superior.

Bismark, N.D., with 85.6 inches vs. seasonal average of 50.5 inches - The area got clobbered by a blizzard in November, which delivered the city’s second snowiest day on record. Then 30 inches fell among multiple storms in December. After a quieter January, the snow machine flipped back on. During the first week of March, 15.6 inches has already fallen.

Flagstaff, Ariz., with 142.9 inches vs. seasonal average of 90.1 inches - Like much of the intermountain west surrounding the Four Corners, snow has fallen frequently. Of the top five snowfall days, at least one occurred monthly December to March. Flagstaff opened March with 21.2 inches on the 1st.

The Sierra Nevada with 35 to 50 feet, nearing twice seasonal averages - Aside from one or two breaks, a relentless onslaught of storms has hit the mountain region. Dodge Ridge ski area reports 612 inches on the season, and Palisades Tahoe is up to 597 inches. Mammoth Mountain has seen upward of 700 inches at its 11,000-foot summit.

The have-nots:

Chicago with 17.9 inches vs. seasonal average of 38.4 inches - Chicago has seen below-average snowfall every winter month so far. It did open March with close to 4 inches of snow, and averages about 5 inches the rest of the way. Most of northern Illinois and Indiana have seen well below average amounts.

Amarillo, Texas, with 3.4 inches vs. seasonal average of 17.2 inches - Much of the zone from the Southern Plains to the central Kansas prairie has seen less snow than usual, a region where drought relief has not come this winter. Just to the northeast, from Colorado into Nebraska, snow has been comparatively abundant.

Omaha, with 11.9 inches vs. seasonal average of 27.1 inches - The winter storm track has consistently focused west of Omaha, drawing in mild air and limiting snowfall. It is part of a broad swath of below-average snow from the southern High Plains to the southern Great Lakes.

Oswego, N.Y., with 40.2 inches vs. seasonal average of 140.1 inches - Just 120 miles northeast of Buffalo, a totally different snow story unfolds. Only small belts off Lake Erie and Lake Ontario have seen significant snow this winter. The rest of the zone from Cleveland to the famed Tug Hill Plateau are wondering where the snow went.

Elkins, W.Va., with 9.5 inches vs. seasonal average of 68.9 inches - Snow amounts are very depressed in Elkins and even more so in the snowiest parts of West Virginia. Places around the Allegheny crest are close to 100 inches below average to date, making them among the least snowy in the country compared to average. These locations typically see snow in the spring, but recovering from the current deficits will be difficult.

Interstate 95 megalopolis from Washington to Boston, with amounts 1 to 25 percent of seasonal average - The snowfall deficits in this region are historic.

Washington has 0.4 inches, compared to the seasonal average of 13.7 inches.

Philadelphia has 0.3 inches, compared to the seasonal average of 23.1 inches.

New York has 2.2 inches, compared to the seasonal average of 29.8 inches.

Boston has 10.9 inches, compared to the seasonal average of 49.2 inches.

Winter’s final weeks

In the West, the rich are set to get richer, although snow levels are forecast to rise with warmer storms entering from the Pacific Ocean.

The Upper Midwest should also see a steady supply of snow coming in. Some of that may bleed over into the southern Great Lakes, including Chicago, where snow has been scarce thus far.

Snow-starved regions of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic may see a more favorable pattern for snow through late March. High elevation areas in the interior of these regions have the best snow prospects, although some snow could sneak into areas closer to sea level on occasion.