Average snowfall in Maine

[ebinmaine 67,498]

Couple of interesting statistics from a local TV station.  

 

 

We live south of Fryeburg, close to pic center.  

 

 

Remember these are "averages". 

Our little town and the next one over actually gets the most annual precipitation of the whole state due to where we're located between the ocean and mountains.  

Some of our storms are more significant than the surrounding areas. 

 

[Racinbob 11,081]

If I'm looking at my streets and trips map right I place your little town just south of Fryeburg? 

[ebinmaine 67,498]

22 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

If I'm looking at my streets and trips map right I place your little town just south of Fryeburg? 

Yessir 

[Racinbob 11,081]

It interesting to see how the ocean affects the weather. The great lakes creates a lot of lake effect snow often measured in feet but they are just puddles compared to the Atlantic. 

[ebinmaine 67,498]

29 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

It interesting to see how the ocean affects the weather. The great lakes creates a lot of lake effect snow often measured in feet but they are just puddles compared to the Atlantic. 

Agreed.  

 

The weather here can be fascinating to watch unfold because of all the microclimate areas. 

We're located on the southernmost SOUTH FACE of a ridge of the White Mountains. 

We're also about halfway between the Atlantic and Mt Washington.  

As most are aware that peak is well known for having amongst the most aggressive and rapidly changing weather in the world. 

Add Sebago Lake to the equation.  

 

LOTS of people get all up in a hoopla about "a Nor'eastah". 

What gets us is.... every OTHER storm.   

 

We've seen many occasions where we have a difference in snowfall between us and Portland as much 8"-11".  

 

That's not much travel distance to see that much variance.  

 

Usually we get more in the hills but there's been occasional storms where we get nothing. Portland gets hammered.   

 

[midpack 866]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

Couple of interesting statistics from a local TV station.  

 

 

 

That little notch where MA drops into CT on the bottom of the medium purple edge is right where I live 😉

[ML3 1,203]

I live in northeast Ohio. About 45min east of Cleveland & about 20min south of Lake Erie. We get "lake effect" snow especially early in winter before lake freezes... if it does freeze. 200" of snowfall in a season is a very mild winter. Last few years have been unusually mild. Typically there will be snow on ground from mid/late November until end of March. We can get a foot of a snow in a squall yet you drive 6-8 miles away & there can be little to no snow. Our city, (Chardon) the townships, county, & state are very well equipped to handle it. 

[ebinmaine 67,498]

9 minutes ago, ML3 said:

I live in northeast Ohio. About 45min east of Cleveland & about 20min south of Lake Erie. We get "lake effect" snow especially early in winter before lake freezes... if it does freeze. 200" of snowfall in a season is a very mild winter. Last few years have been unusually mild. Typically there will be snow on ground from mid/late November until end of March. We can get a foot of a snow in a squall yet you drive 6-8 miles away & there can be little to no snow. Our city, (Chardon) the townships, county, & state are very well equipped to handle it. 

 

Of course you know we're gonna all be needing pictures of your snow removal processes.  

[ML3 1,203]

19 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Of course you know we're gonna all be needing pictures of your snow removal processes.  

Of course. For now it's a single stage on the C105 & 42" blade on the 654. I have a big 2stage Toro walk behind. Ultimately I want to get a 520 Hydro w/2stage or something very similar. 

 

My dad has a Troy Bilt GTX 20 Hydro w/2stage. It's a beast of a snow removal machine. I'd love to have it. It's not a Wheel Horse but at least it's red! Due to his age & other health issues he's unable to use it anymore. Mostly I just use it to clean up after his plow guy. 

Edited November 3, 2023 by ML3

[JCM 9,166]

14 hours ago, midpack said:

That little notch where MA drops into CT on the bottom of the medium purple edge is right where I live 😉

MX 338

[midpack 866]

8 hours ago, JCM said:

MX 338

Right behind my back yard. We park cars for the National

Get free passes too! 😉

[Racinbob 11,081]

That's wild Eric. Are they pretty good at predicting it?

The lake effect off Lake Michigan is the culprit around here. Although they seem to be getting better predicting it they still are quick to tell you their best is still a guess. They are pretty good at predicting the system snow but the lake effect is a crap shoot. We lived in North Liberty before we moved to Florida in 2000. The average annual snowfall there is about 60". The average where I worked in South Bend is about the same at 63". But because of lake effect being so localized it was commonplace leave the office and the skies were blue but I could see the basically stationary cloudbank to the southwest and sure enough, it was only 15 miles but I would drive into blizzard conditions as I got home. The same could happen vice-versa. Now, here in Knox which is only about 20 miles southwest of North Liberty, our average is just over 1/2 that at 34". That's because we are close to being out of the lake effect area. But I'd have said that wasn't true the first winter we lived here. I wasn't ready for real snow that winter. My blower was in bad shape and I didn't have rubber chains for that tractor. I figured the blade tractor could take care of anything we get. Sure enough, it happened. A lake effect band set up straight off the lake and directly over us. It takes a pretty strong wind to get a band this far. But it just sat there. Barely 20 miles wide but bullseyed our driveway. It was about 24" later before it dissipated. Just to our west, nothing. Just to our east 16 miles is where our kids live, nothing. You can bet that I'm ready for another one of those now. I drove to PA to buy a tall chute in almost new condition after nursing the old one through another winter that wasn't nearly as bad and rubber chains for the blower tractor. I had the new blower all set for the worse. Everything tweaked and silicone spray coating to the auger and chute. But I can skip the prepping this year. It never was used last winter and the lubes are still good to go. Oh well. If that's what it takes to ward off the lake effect then I'm happy. 

[ebinmaine 67,498]

34 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

That's wild Eric. Are they pretty good at predicting it?

The lake effect off Lake Michigan is the culprit around here. Although they seem to be getting better predicting it they still are quick to tell you their best is still a guess

 

That's pretty much what it is here too.  

At least the weather folk understand that. 

 

We certainly have bands of locally heavy snow or rain here but nothing like a Great Lakes lake effect.  

 

One of the interesting things to see here in Maine is the effect of altitude on any given storm.  

There are generalized differences in the weather layers around 1500, 2500, 4000 and 6000 feet.  

To a hiker the "4K" list is a bucket item. 

The weather above 4000 is OFTEN different from the base.  

 

A lot of the storms are above the 2500 mark. 

What hits our hills harder is when they set below 1500. The mountains across the street are 1200 to 1600 feet. 

Really not that tall at all but big enough to catch a low lying system like Velcro and let it empty out in our valley.  

 

 

[Lee1977 6,659]

I was up at Mt. Mitchel a few years back . A lady ask the Ranger when they usually got snow up here. He said lady it snows up here ever month.