On Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:32:52 GMT, "Michael Mattias"
<mmattias@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>"Pete Dashwood" <dashwood@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>news:62saitF24usbkU1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>> However, as our Summer is now regretfully drawing to a close, I may be
>> heading that way again soon...
>
>Summer? What's that?
>
>With yesterday's snow, we have now broken into the top ten all-time
seasonal
>snowfalls since they started keeping records in 1881. We're up to 82
inches
>(or in deference to my distintguished colleagues in the rest of the
world,
>2.08 meters).
>
>The record is 102 inches; our historical averages are 11 inches in March
and
>2 inches in April. So we *do* have shot at it....
Much of Chicagoland received 65 inches this winter, although the official
reading at
O'Hare is only 51. The average is 38; the record is 90 (1979). We're not
going to break
the record.
Highway departments in northern Illinois are running out of salt because
we've had 30
'snow events' requiring road clearing, twice the usual number.
Road clearing in Chicagoland is outstandingly good. Roads are clear two
hours after snow
stops falling. In 1979, roads were impassible for a week following a two
foot snowfall.
People got so mad about it, they voted the mayor, Michael Bilandic, out of
office. (He
went on to become chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.)
Politicians learned to
spare no expense clearing snow.
Snow clearing on the East Coast isn't as good. Long Island (Suffolk
County) is terrible.
Some are blaming a moderate La Niņa, which is a .5C drop in Pacific
surface temperature.
Historically, the summer following a La Niņa winter has been hotter than
normal.
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