Greatest snow-cover on record for this time of year. More typical of late December or early January.
A little more than 50% of the continental U.S. is now covered in snow, stretching from coast-to-coast along the northern tier of the country, dipping south all the way to northern Texas.
This greatly exceeds the average amount at this time of year, and is a more typical reading for late December or early January. And there’s still more snow on the way.
Could lead to a record high snow-cover reading for the Northern Hemisphere this month
The 50.4% snow cover extent on Nov. 17 is the greatest snow cover extent so early in the season in NOAA’s database, which dates back to 2003. The Rutgers University Global Snow Lab also shows a highly unusual snow cover extent at this time of year across the Lower 48 states, potentially leading to a record high snow cover reading for the Northern Hemisphere this month.
Temperatures akin to mid-winter
The daytime high temperature on Tuesday may not get above 32 F (0 C) from Washington, D.C., to Boston, Massachusetts, with strong winds making it feel even more like mid-winter than the week before Thanksgiving.