WeatherWorks 2013-14 Winter Forecast an Overall Success

Although it has certainly been a busy and arduous year for workers in the snow and ice industry, at least this go around there was fair warning. The complete Winter Outlook issued by WeatherWorks back on October 18, 2013 captured many of the finer details of the forecast with overwhelming accuracy - in terms of both temperature and snowfall departures. Verification or observed conditions during the December 1st through February 28th time period are depicted below for reference.

The heart of the coldest conditions were centered across the Upper Plains and Midwest, where departures for the period ran as much as 6 to 10 degrees degrees below normal. Although not quite as severe closer to home, locations across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast still managed to run several degrees below average. Readings for the big cities along the I-95 corridor all averaged between 2 and 4 degrees colder than normal for the winter season (refer to image above). The highest departures occurred during the months of January and February, when temperatures averaged between 4 and 8 degrees below normal across these same locations.

Along with the cold there was plenty of snow to go around for almost all areas. Both Newark and Philadelphia received over 60 inches of snow this season, which was good enough for 6th and 3rd all-time, respectively. Islip, Bridgeport, and Boston all finished with snowfall totals ranging from 55 to 60 inches, making it one of the top-20 snowiest years on record for each city. Although Baltimore and Washington D.C. have not seen quite as much, their totals are also running 5 to 10 inches above average. For a more in-depth look at statistics concerning this winter's snow and cold refer to our side-bar article to the left. 

As can be seen from the maps above, WeatherWorks captured this idea quite accurately. These images were included in our official Winter Forecast and were available to all our clients by the third week in October 2013. Note the large and expansive area of below normal temperatures that were highlighted across the Midwest, Northeast and New England. The highest likelihood of occurrence specifically targeted the Upper Plains and Midwest (darkest shading of blue), where this winter ended up ranking within the top-5 coldest for numerous locations. The snowfall outlook proved even more useful for those which work in the snow and ice industry. The threat for above average snowfall is highlighted region-wide…which gave our subscribers a good idea of the busy winter they were in store for.

Could your company benefit from this kind of insight more than one to two months in advance? Contact Kevin Hopler to upgrade your service package today! If you are interested in more than seasonal outlooks, be sure to ask about our more detailed products such as Winter Risk – where we provide week by week forecasts up to a month in advance during the winter season in order to increase your company’s bottom line!