Winter 2015 has certainly been a tough one for Long Islanders. Winter Storm Juno slammed the east end just a few weeks ago, and last night we got yet another few inches of snow. In fact, it’s so cold in our area that owls from the arctic have been spotted in New York City enjoying the freezing temperatures.
So how does this year’s winter compare to the history of Long Island? While it may not be the worst winter we’ve seen (yet), we have already gotten over 30 inches of snow since the beginning of 2015.
As of February 12, the total snowfall on Long Island is 33.2 inches. Compared to last year’s total snowfall of 68 inches, it’s not all that bad. Last January was also the worst month for snow fall on record since 1947, with a total of 24.8 inches.
According to data collected at the Brookhaven National Laboratory*, the 1995-1996 winter was the worst we’ve seen since 1947, with over 90 inches in total.
Coming in second was the 2004-2005 winter season, with a total of 78.5 inches. A pretty big leap from first to second. The third worst winter season in terms of snow fall was back in 1996-1967, with a total of 74.9 inches.
Although naming winter storms is a relatively new trend in the meteorological community (The Weather Channel started doing this in 2011), there was one winter storm way back in 1888 that was worthy of going down in history.
It’s known simply as the Great Blizzard of 1888. The storm lasted for about four days, and ravaged the entire northeast, with snowfall totaling anywhere between 20-60 inches throughout New York, New Jersey, Long Island and New England.
No matter how bad the winter storms get, be thankful we don’t have to deal with snowdrifts over 50 feet. Over 400 people died as a result of this blizzard.
While the winter may not be the greatest time of year, it is important to remember that things can always be worse, and that spring is just around the corner.
*All data collected after 2008 was done by the National Weather Service
[Source: Brookhaven National Laboratory]