When will it start to snow in Massachusetts this winter?
BOSTON - If you are thinking it is too early to talk snow, here's a reminder that you have just 39 shopping days until Christmas. Before you know it, the flakes will be flying in the Boston area - but how soon, exactly?
When does Boston see the first snow of the season?
Looking strictly at averages, our first measurable snowfall in the city of Boston comes around Nov. 28, which just so happens to be Thanksgiving this year.
Farther inland, the first measurable snow date is earlier. In Worcester for example, the average is Nov. 18.
These "first" dates have been trending later and later in recent years. Last year it took until Dec. 6th in Boston to measure some snow. Since 2015, it has only snowed twice in the city before Thanksgiving.
Widening the scope a bit, we see the average date of the first inch of snow in Boston is Dec. 11 (Nov. 26 in Worcester).
The first 3"+ storm in Boston comes on Dec. 27 (Dec 11. in Worcester).
We are getting fewer and fewer white Christmases in recent years. Technically there is about a 50-50 chance north and west of Boston, but you might want to bet the under on that proposition in our current climate state.
Boston's last big snowstorm
What about bigger storms, you ask? Well, we kind of don't get those anymore. That's a bit of sarcasm, but it has been nearly 1,000 days since the city of Boston had 4" or more in a single storm, the longest such streak on record.
We have to go all the way back to Feb. 25, 2022, for what some would call a "real" snowstorm.
The last two winters have both placed in the Top 5 least snowy winters in Boston's recorded history.
If keep this up, we are going to forget how to drive in snow.
How much snow will Boston see this winter?
Is this winter going to be another "dud"? Sorry to be a tease but you're going to have to wait until next Thursday for that answer. This is when we are airing our official WBZ Winter Weather Forecast!
For now, there is no snow in the forecast in the short term. There are some hints of a possible pattern change (colder/wetter) in the 7-14 day period but frankly, we'll believe it when we see it.
Many of you could have cleared the snow over the last few paltry years with a dust buster. Still, it can't hurt to gas up the snowblower and give it a test run sometime soon.