U.S. loses 25% of national snow cover in just 72 hours
Snow cover in the Continental United States fell from 45.1% on Saturday to just 19.7% coverage on Tuesday -- over a 25% drop in just 72 hours.
(FOX Weather)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- As winter begins its fade into spring, the lingering snowpack is also starting its fade into bare ground.
And the fade is happening rather quickly!
Snow cover in the Continental United States fell from 45.1% on Saturday to just 19.7% coverage on Tuesday -- over a 25% drop in just 72 hours, according to the NWS's Weather Prediction Center.
A snowstorm brought a little snow across parts of the upper Midwest into the Northeast over the weekend, but rapidly warming temperatures melted nearly all that fell by Tuesday, save for inland New England.
Warmer temperatures in the northern Rockies helped melt some of the lower elevation snows there. But the NWS says it's not just the warmer temperatures March is bringing that's responsible for all the snowmelt.
"While warmer average March temps may take part of the blame, another explanation is the sun!" WPC forecasters wrote on Twitter. "Longer days and an increasing sun angle can aid in the snowmelt process!"