US Snowfall almost absent, and that's abnormal

Columbus (WCMH) – We are just 40 days away from the 1st day of Winter 2016, and shockingly almost none of the country has snowfall on the ground right now.

Current snowfall in the US is at just 0.3%, it was 2.1% last month:

On this map, I noted the areas of the country that actually have some snowfall, and what percentage of that region has it. Notice a complete absence of snowfall in the upper mid section of the country and the Great Lakes states.So how strange is this that we have almost no snowfall on November 11th across the lower 48?

Very! Considering last month we had 2.1% coverage of snowfall, and this is the lowest number we have had since 2003 records from NOAA.

Below is the snowfall cover as of November 11th for each year:

2016 0.3%
2015 14.9%
2014 19.5%
2013 11.0%
2012 29.6%
2011 14.8%
2010 15.4%
2009 2.8%
2008 18.3%
2007 3.4%
2006 12.4%
2005 6.6%
2004 3.6%
2003 9.9%
Average: 11.6%

When do we typically see our first snowfall here in Columbus?

According to data from NOAA since Winter of 1931, on average we get our first measurable snowfall (0.01″ or greater) on November 21st. The earliest measurable (0.01″) since 1931 has been October 19 (1981). The latest on record was this year, 2016 for the Winter of 15-16, when we had our first snowfall in January 10th.Since 1931 Winter Season how many times has our first measurable snowfall come in each month:

October 5 times (6%)
November 60 times (71%)
December 19 times (22%)
January 1 time (1%)

(Below is data since 1931 from NOAA on 1st snowfall of 0.01″ or greater for each Winter season)

Winter Season	First 0.01″+ Snow
1931-1932	Nov-27 (1931)
1932-1933	Dec-10 (1932)
1933-1934	Nov-08 (1933)
1934-1935	Dec-08 (1934)
1935-1936	Nov-29 (1935)
1936-1937	Nov-04 (1936)
1937-1938	Nov-18 (1937)
1938-1939	Nov-23 (1938)
1939-1940	Dec-03 (1939)
1940-1941	Nov-15 (1940)
1941-1942	Nov-09 (1941)
1942-1943	Nov-29 (1942)
1943-1944	Nov-10 (1943)
1944-1945	Dec-11 (1944)
1945-1946	Nov-22 (1945)
1946-1947	Dec-16 (1946)
1947-1948	Nov-25 (1947)
1948-1949	Dec-10 (1948)
1949-1950	Dec-08 (1949)
1950-1951	Nov-23 (1950)
1951-1952	Nov-01 (1951)
1952-1953	Nov-29 (1952)
1953-1954	Nov-07 (1953)
1954-1955	Oct-31 (1954)
1955-1956	Nov-18 (1955)
1956-1957	Nov-21 (1956)
1957-1958	Dec-03 (1957)
1958-1959	Nov-28 (1958)
1959-1960	Nov-25 (1959)
1960-1961	Nov-29 (1960)
1961-1962	Nov-19 (1961)
1962-1963	Oct-25 (1962)
1963-1964	Nov-13 (1963)
1964-1965	Nov-29 (1964)
1965-1966	Nov-28 (1965)
1966-1967	Nov-02 (1966)
1967-1968	Nov-05 (1967)
1968-1969	Nov-09 (1968)
1969-1970	Nov-13 (1969)
1970-1971	Nov-15 (1970)
1971-1972	Nov-06 (1971)
1972-1973	Nov-26 (1972)
1973-1974	Dec-10 (1973)
1974-1975	Nov-13 (1974)
1975-1976	Nov-25 (1975)
1976-1977	Nov-21 (1976)
1977-1978	Nov-26 (1977)
1978-1979	Nov-26 (1978)
1979-1980	Nov-28 (1979)
1980-1981	Nov-17 (1980)
1981-1982	Nov-21 (1981)
1982-1983	Dec-10 (1982)
1983-1984	Nov-11 (1983)
1984-1985	Nov-18 (1984)
1985-1986	Dec-02 (1985)
1986-1987	Nov-11 (1986)
1987-1988	Nov-20 (1987)
1988-1989	Nov-06 (1988)
1989-1990	Oct-19 (1989)
1990-1991	Dec-04 (1990)
1991-1992	Nov-07 (1991)
1992-1993	Nov-05 (1992)
1993-1994	Oct-30 (1993)
1994-1995	Dec-10 (1994)
1995-1996	Nov-11 (1995)
1996-1997	Nov-09 (1996)
1997-1998	Nov-04 (1997)
1998-1999	Dec-16 (1998)
1999-2000	Nov-02 (1999)
2000-2001	Nov-14 (2000)
2001-2002	Dec-24 (2001)
2002-2003	Nov-22 (2002)
2003-2004	Nov-24 (2003)
2004-2005	Nov-25 (2004)
2005-2006	Nov-23 (2005)
2006-2007	Nov-20 (2006)
2007-2008	Dec-05 (2007)
2008-2009	Nov-17 (2008)
2009-2010	Dec-18 (2009)
2010-2011	Dec-01 (2010)
2011-2012	Dec-17 (2011)
2012-2013	Oct-30 (2012)
2013-2014	Nov-11 (2013)
2014-2015	Nov-16 (2014)
2015-2016	Jan-10 (2016)