ABUS34 KAKQ 130251

     PNSAKQ



     ...SOME INTERESTING SNOWFALL (OR LACK THEREOF) STATISTICS IN NORFOLK 

     DURING THE 1990S...



     THE DECADE OF THE 1990S WAS THE LEAST SNOWIEST FOR NORFOLK SINCE  

     RECORDS WERE KEPT IN 1871. 



     THE 1990S SAW A TOTAL OF 35.4 INCHES OF SNOW IN NORFOLK...THE LOWEST 

     FOR ANY DECADE SINCE RECORDS WERE KEPT...AND 16.5 INCHES LESS THAN 

     THE 52.4 INCHES DURING THE 1950S.

       

     SNOWFALL BY DECADES IN NORFOLK



     1890S          105.6 INCHES * 

     1900S           70.6 INCHES *   

     1910S          111.8 INCHES *

     1920S           57.8 INCHES * 

     1930S          105.2 INCHES *

     1940S           92.8 INCHES *

     1950S           52.4 INCHES

     1960S          105.9 INCHES 

     1970S           72.5 INCHES

     1980S           99.8 INCHES

     1990S           35.9 INCHES



     * NOTE: MEASUREMENTS TAKEN IN DOWNTOWN NORFOLK UNTIL 1953...5 MILES 

       SOUTHWEST OF THE CURRENT AIRPORT LOCATION 



     IF YOU CONSIDER THE NUMBER OF SNOWFALLS OF 4" OR GREATER BY 

     DECADE...THE 1990S SAW ONLY 2 SNOWFALLS OF 4" OR MORE. THE TWO 

     SNOWFALLS WERE THE LEAST EVER FOR A DECADE. 



     BOTH SNOWFALLS OCCURRED IN THE WINTER OF 1995-96. 6.1 INCHES FELL ON 

     JANUARY 6-7, 1996 AND 6.1 INCHES FELL ON FEBRUARY 4, 1996. 



     FOUR SNOWFALLS OF 4" OR GREATER OCCURED IN THE DECADES OF THE 1920S

     AND THE 1950S.   



     AN INCREDIBLE 5 OUT OF A TOTAL OF 8 WINTERS WHERE ONLY A TRACE OF 

     SNOW WAS MEASURED OCCURRED DURING THE DECADE OF THE 1990S. 



     INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH THE LAST TIME AN INCH OF SNOW WAS REPORTED ON 

     THE GROUND AT NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS ON FEBRUARY 16, 

     1996...NEARLY 4 YEARS AGO. THIS IS THE LONGEST INTERVAL ON RECORD

     BETWEEN ONE INCH SNOWFALLS.



     HUGH COBB 

     WFO WAKEFIELD