Weather
The onslaught of winter storms across the United States these last couple of weeks has resulted in the most widespread snow coverage across the lower 48 since records began.
As of Tuesday, February 16th, snow is on the ground in 73.2% of the lower 48, according to the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC). According to the NOAA, the last time the nation saw close to that kind of coverage was in Fall 2003, which is as far back as the records go.
Currently, only Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina are the only states without snow.
Nearly three-quarters of the Lower 48 is covered by snow today (February 16). This marks the highest daily coverage since this data began being kept in 2003.
2/16/2021 — 73.2%
1/12/2011 — 70.9%
2/15/2021 — 70.4%
1/31/2010 — 69.7%
1/11/2011 — 69.4% pic.twitter.com/pMsu88juKe— Steve Bowen (@SteveBowenWx) February 16, 2021
The snow coverage expansion has been quite spectacular – on January 22nd, only 26% of the lower 48 had snow on the ground. Winter storm Uri has played a significant part in this, dumping snow deep into the south. Just three days before Uri went from coast to coast, only about half of the US was covered.
Global warming is rad
The records only go back to 2003 and much of the west is below average, even if they have snow on the ground, Edgelord