Temperatures warmed very nicely on Wednesday with highs some 15-20 degrees above average for some parts of the state. Are such warm conditions in the winter typically followed by snowfall? The featured chart presents the frequency of having at least one day of measurable snowfall for the three days following a day with the given high temperature departure. These values are only presented for dates during December, January, and February (DJF). A rather smooth signal appears in the chart with the highest frequencies at temperatures below climatology and warmer than average temperatures leading to a decrease in frequency. There appears to be an interesting inflection point around +20 degrees above average whereby frequencies actually increase. This can probably be explained by the most extreme temperature warm ups being associated with intense storm systems that bring colder weather and snow with the cold front passage.

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Tags:   snow   winter