river talk

A white Christmas

By SCOTT RANDO
Posted 12/30/20

Winter started this year with a snowstorm that averaged from one to two feet of snow that fell mostly through the night. Some areas of the northern tier of Pennsylvania and across the border to New …

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river talk

A white Christmas

Posted

Winter started this year with a snowstorm that averaged from one to two feet of snow that fell mostly through the night. Some areas of the northern tier of Pennsylvania and across the border to New York had more than 40 inches of snow. In Shohola, PA, amounts varied from 12 to 15 inches.

Shoveling and clearing this snow was a little easier than many past snowstorms. The temperature was in the low 20s, and it was drier snow. That made it lighter and easier to move from walkways and driveways. It also was good for snowshoeing, and if you were near one of the areas of heavier snowfall, it was the way to travel down the trails. Cross country skiing was good, too, but breaking trail through virgin snow of one to two feet requires some effort.

The nature of the snowfall from this storm also accounted for fewer power outages than in some past storms. A dry snow has less potential to stick to powerlines and branches of trees. During the storm of March 2018, there was not only a large volume of snowfall (more than two feet) but it was also a few degrees warmer, causing it to stick to trees. This resulted in a large number of downed trees and branches across the road, causing power outages in the region that, in some cases, lasted more than two weeks.

A few degrees of temperature can make the difference in getting no snow, snow that only sticks to non-asphalt surfaces, or a snow that causes big headaches. Our snowstorm of December 21 promised potential of a white Christmas, but at press deadline, the predicted forecast calls for a cold front to pass late on Christmas Eve preceded by mild temperatures and a large amount of rain. Snow showers are forecast on the backside of the front for Christmas Day.

Whether it’s white or not, I hope all of you have a happy and safe holiday season!

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snow, storms, weather, winter

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