PAOC Spotlights

Near the end of one of the most brutal winters on record, Boston finally surpassed those 107.6 inches of snow recorded during the winter of 1995-1996, giving residents something to celebrate.

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With no major snow storm in sight and the first day of spring quickly approaching, it seemed like the winter of 2015 was finally coming to an end. However, more snow fell over Boston and the surrounding suburbs last weekend: Saturday’s rain turned into moderate snowfall late Sunday afternoon, as the surface low moved north over Maine followed by a cold air advection. Although it was only a dusting compared to previous storms this winter—only 2.9 inches—it was enough to break the all-time seasonal snow record with 108.6 inches. The previous record of 107.6 inches was set during the winter of 1995-96.

But Boston broke more than just the seasonal record—numerous winter records have been obliterated since late January. From the Weather Channel:

Record 30-day snowfall: 94.4 inches from Jan. 24- Feb. 22, 2015, inclusive (previous record: 58.8 inches from Jan. 9 - Feb. 7, 1978)

Record snowfall for meteorological winter (December, January and February): 99.4 inches (previous record: 81.5 inches in 1993-94)

Record snow depth*: 37 inches on Feb. 9 (previous record: 31 inches on Jan. 11, 1996; * gaps in this dataset exist)

Fastest six-foot snowfall: 72.5 inches in 18 days from Jan. 24 - Feb. 10, 2015 (previous record: 73 inches in 45 days from Dec. 29, 1993 to Feb. 11, 1994)

Fastest 90-inch snowfall: 23 days from Jan. 24 - Feb. 15, 2015 (previous record: 78 days from Dec. 30, 1993 to Mar. 17, 1994)

Bostonians experienced four calendar days with at least 12 inches of snow—a first for any snow season. To top it off, the city has now had four of its top five snowiest seasons in the last 21 years. Aside from setting new records, this winter has fascinated researchers. Read what MIT Meteorologist Lodovica Illari had to say, here.