What Winter?

By: Corey Potvin

What has happened to our weather? No doubt there isn't a single person out there who hasn't noticed our conspicuous lack of the white stuff. [This article was written before the nor'easter] Usually the ground is snow-covered by this time of the year. All we've got is puddles and a few patches of slush. What's going on? Could global warming be showing its ugly head?

No. Global warming takes place at a very gradual pace, albeit that pace is increasing as more greenhouse gases get packed into the atmosphere. We can't blame global warming and El Ninõ for everything. My guess is that we're in the middle of a very unlucky weather pattern, and all weather patterns have to change sometime. However, I wouldn't immediately rule out the possibility of a record low snowfall season. So far, Portland has broken one record, and completely obliterated another. First, this is the latest the city has ever gone (since records began in 1888) without receiving an inch of snow at one time. The previous record was January 7th in 1958. More amazingly, this is the latest Portland has gone without receiving any measurable snowfall (1/10 inch or more). The previous record was December 24th in 1912. December 24 came and went three weeks ago. It's official: so far this winter is really bizarre.

In order for Portland to break the record for seasonal snowfall, it must fall short of the previous record of 27.5" set in the winter of 1979-80. Whether or not this will be the case is impossible to tell, but statistically it's improbable. February and March could bring some of our traditional late-season nor'easters. Even in the absence of a superstorm, though, two or three feet of snow could easily accumulate from a series of not-so-spectacular systems. It is my personal hope that the snow will hold off until the end of the season, at which time we will be pounded with all the snow we should have gotten months before. If this turns out to be the case, we'll remember 1999-2000 as the year without a winter...until BAM!