Hi needtoknowit,
The only mountain on your list which has an official weather station
is Mount Sunapee. It gives a good number of stats, but unfortunately
the "Number of Days with Daily Snowfall Amount >= 3.0 in." isn't one
of them. That's the bad news, the good news is that they do give the
number of days with daily snowfall amount with more than 2" and more
than 5". You'll also find on the link that I provided the number of
2-day and 3-day periods with snowfall amounts of more than 2" and more
than 5". For the other ski hills, you'll have to rely on ski hill
operators' reports.
>>> MOUNT SUNAPEE
Annual Average: 90" (min 41.1" - max 153.4")
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/SCopTab1?state=New%20Hampshire&station=MOUNT%20SUNAPEE&coopid=275629&short=27
Number of Days with Daily Snowfall Amount >= 2.0".
MOUNT SUNAPEE, New Hampshire 62.4 days
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/SCopTab3?state=New%20Hampshire&station=MOUNT%20SUNAPEE&coopid=275629&short=27¶m=14
Number of Days with Daily Snowfall Amount >= 5.0".
MOUNT SUNAPEE, New Hampshire 25.9 days
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/SCopTab3?state=New%20Hampshire&station=MOUNT%20SUNAPEE&coopid=275629&short=27¶m=15
For more data links, click here:
Station Snow Climatology
MOUNT SUNAPEE, New Hampshire.
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/SCoptions4?station=275629MOUNT+SUNAPEE&state=New+Hampshire&short=27#STATIST
Avg. Snowfall: 100
http://www.onthesnow.com/NH/287/
>>> Tenney Mountain
Average Snowfall: 120 in.
http://www.newenglandusa.com/rec_guide/nh.html
Average Snowfall: 140
http://www.onthesnow.com/ski/media_affiliates/philly/profiles/NH/458/
Avg. Snowfall: 140
http://www.onthesnow.com/NH/458/
>>> Ragged Mountain
Average Snowfall: 120 in.
http://www.newenglandusa.com/rec_guide/nh.html
Average Snowfall: 100
http://www.onthesnow.com/ski/media_affiliates/philly/profiles/NH/333/index.html
Avg. Snowfall: 100
http://www.onthesnow.com/NH/333/
>>> Dartmouth Skiway
Average Snowfall: 105 in.
http://www.newenglandusa.com/rec_guide/nh.html
Average Snowfall: 70
http://www.aminews.com/NH/128/
>>> Gunstock
Average Snowfall: 100 in.
http://www.newenglandusa.com/rec_guide/nh.html
Average Snowfall: 100
http://www.onthesnow.com/ski/media_affiliates/philly/profiles/NH/165/index.html
Avg. Snowfall: 100
http://www.aminews.com/NH/165/
>>> Pats Peak
Average Snowfall: 90 in.
http://www.newenglandusa.com/rec_guide/nh.html
Average Snowfall: 73
http://www.onthesnow.com/ski/media_affiliates/philly/profiles/NH/315/index.html
Avg. Snowfall: 73
http://www.onthesnow.com/NH/315/
I trust that the data available satisfies your request. If not, or if
you have any questions, please post a clarification request *before*
closing/rating my answer and I'll be happy to reply.
Thank you,
hummer
Google Search Terms Used:
new hampshire "average snowfall" tenney
nh "average snowfall" tenney
nh "average snowfall"
"average snowfall" Tenney
"average snowfall" Mount Sunapee
"average snowfall" Ragged Mountain
"average snowfall" Dartmouth Skiway
"average snowfall" Gunstock
"average snowfall" Pats Peak
etc.
I also searched the NOAA website. |
Request for Answer Clarification by
needtoknowit-ga
on
20 Feb 2005 11:52 PST
Thanks for your answer. I'm a bit confused by the Sunapee info,
however. Do the number of days of more than 2" include the 6 days
above 5" too? Or is the 2" chart really for 2-5" days? Why do the
annual totals not equal the August-July totals? And what do your notes
below mean, where you say something about 62.4 days of >=2.0"? And
25.9 days of >=5.0"?
|
Clarification of Answer by
hummer-ga
on
20 Feb 2005 13:40 PST
Hi needtoknowit,
Project Description:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/scproject.html
"Do the number of days of more than 2" include the 6 days above 5"
too? Or is the 2" chart really for 2-5" days?"
"(2) number of days (1-day periods, 2-day periods, and 3-day periods)
with daily snowfall amount greater than or equal to several thresholds
(0.1, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, 10.0, 12.0, 18.0, 24.0, and 36.0 inches);"
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/scproject.html
>=1" = 22.9 days
>=2" = 14.8 days
>=5" = 6.0 days
>=10" = 1.5 days
>=12" = 1.2 days
It's measuring daily snowfall (not depth on the ground) thresholds.
The 2" chart is for 2.1" - 5".
"Why do the annual totals not equal the August-July totals?"
"Monthly statistics (for January through December) were computed based
on the days in the month under consideration. Seasonal statistics were
computed for winter, spring, summer, autumn, annual, and snow season,
with the seasons corresponding to the following months, respectively:
December-February, March-May, June-August, September- November,
January-December, and August-July. The seasonal statistics are not
based on the monthly statistics; they were computed from the daily
values corresponding to each season in each year of the record. (For
example, the mean winter statistics are not the average or total of
the December, January, and February mean statistics; they are based on
the sequential winter periods in the data record.) For the first and
last occurrence of snowfall (group 5 in Section 1.5.1), the
(incomplete) years at the beginning and end of the data period were
included in the analysis for the seasonal statistics. For these
reasons, the seasonal statistics may not agree with the corresponding
monthly statistics."
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/scproject.html
"And what do your notes below mean..."
62.4 days of >=2.0"
25.9 days of >=5.0"
So sorry, I added the whole column rather than just the 12 months. Duh!
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Regards,
hummer
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
needtoknowit-ga
on
20 Feb 2005 14:54 PST
Hummer,
I hate to be a pest, but your answer is really obtuse. I'm spending
way too much time trying to decipher what is really a simple question.
So let's try it one last time. Please don't answer with links,
cut-and-pasted paragraph--just a simple chart.
I want to know how many storms of what size hit Sunapee on a given
year (where each category is a stand alone category and doesn't
include smaller storms. For instance, the chart could look like this:
Size of storm: Number of storms:
up to 2 inches 23 storms
2-5 inches 7 storms
5-10 inches 4 storms
greater than 10 inches 1 storm
Thanks.
|
Clarification of Answer by
hummer-ga
on
20 Feb 2005 16:15 PST
Hi needtoknowit,
I'm sorry if this has turned out to be harder than expected, I spent
quite a bit of time trying to decipher the National Climatic Data
Center's parameters too. Your question "Take one of these areas and
tell me how many snowfalls on average it has per year of 3 or more
inches." seems simple enough, but when presented with alot of data to
interpret, it becomes more complicated. I cut and pasted the NCDC
parameters because that is the only thing that matters, certainly not
my opinion or what I think, because I'm not the one who set up the
data. I think at one point I was holding my head in my hands,
groaning, trying to get a handle on what it is they are trying to say.
Here is my interpretation (rounded off):
1-2" = 23 days
2-5" = 15 days
5-10" = 6 days
over 10 = 3 days
Hopefully, your interpretation will gel with mine and all will be
well. 8-) Don't worry about posting too many clarifications, there is
no limit to how many you can post and I'd rather work this out with
you to the end rather than having you walk away unhappy.
Will look forward to your reply,
hummer
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
needtoknowit-ga
on
20 Feb 2005 18:29 PST
Hummer,
I appreciate your efforts. I agree that that database looks a bit
sloppy. I not sure if you realize it or not but the chart you sent
(repeated here:)
1-2" = 23 days
2-5" = 15 days
5-10" = 6 days
over 10 = 3 days
if you take the lowest end of each range and multiple it times the
number of storms, you end up with 113 inches, which is higher than the
average snowfall. But I guess we've gotten all we can from the data
and I'll have use what I have. Thanks for the effort.
|
Clarification of Answer by
hummer-ga
on
20 Feb 2005 19:35 PST
Hi needtoknowit,
I don't think the database is sloppy but it's just not as
straightforward as one expects from a nice neat chart. For example,
look at the section I already sent you...
"Monthly statistics (for January through December) were computed based
on the days in the month under consideration....The seasonal statistics are not
based on the monthly statistics; they were computed from the daily
values corresponding to each season in each year of the record... For these
reasons, the seasonal statistics may not agree with the corresponding
monthly statistics."
There's more here than meets the eye. Just as the monthly stats and
the seasonal stats don't match up precisely, the daily stats don't
match either.
I'd like to sleep on this and look at it freshly in the morning, can
you hang on till you hear back from me? As I understand it, you'd be
happy to know how many days the snowfall averages 2" or more annually.
I promise to write again Monday as soon as possible.
hummer
|
Clarification of Answer by
hummer-ga
on
21 Feb 2005 07:27 PST
Good morning,
I'm sorry, needtoknowit, I know you don't appreciate copy & paste
paragraphs, but I think in this case it is important to understand the
parameters of the data and the difficulty in obtaining it.
1.4. Analysis Procedures.
"The properties of snow make it difficult to accurately and
consistently measure snowfall and snow depth. Snow often melts as it
lands or as it lies on the ground, snow settles as it lies on the
ground, and snow is easily blown and redistributed. These properties
can be affected by location, time of day the observations are taken,
and how often they are measured ( Doesken and Judson, 1997). For
these reasons, it is important for observers to adhere to a standard
methodology ( National Weather Service, 1972) for observing and
reporting snow. Unfortunately, stations change location, observers,
and sometimes observation time. Such changes introduce inhomogeneities
into the snow record. No acceptable adjustment algorithms exist to
statistically adjust daily snow data for inhomogeneities. The
alternative for creating a reasonably high quality set of snow
statistics, therefore, is to use stations which have a low risk of
having inhomogeneous data."
1.5.3. The Effect of Missing Data.
"The number of days with snowfall or snow depth parameters had no
tolerance for missing data. Data for leap days (February 29) were
included in the analysis. Due to this fact and due to rounding error,
the sum of the values for the equal zero, equal trace, and greater
than or equal to 0.1 inch (for snowfall, 1.0 inch for snow depth)
thresholds may not exactly equal the maximum possible number of days
in the month or season. This will be especially noticeable for the
number of days with 2-day and 3-day snowfall parameters."
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/scproject.html
That said, I've added up the figures and I think 24 days is in the
ballpark for the number of days snowfall is above 2".
Here's my work:
Number of Days with Daily Snowfall Amount >= 2.0"
Annual Mean: 14.8 Median: 15.5
August-July Mean: 15.6 Median: 15.0
Number of Days with Daily Snowfall Amount >= 5.0".
Annual Mean: 6.0 Median: 6.0
August-July Mean: 6.5 Median: 6.0
Number of Days with Daily Snowfall Amount >= 10.0".
Annual Mean: 1.5 Median: 1.5
August-July Mean: 2.1 Median: 2.0
Number of Days with Daily Snowfall Amount >= 12.0".
Annual Mean: 1.2 Median: 1.0
August-July Mean: 2.3 Median: 1.0
Annual Mean: 23.5
Annual Median: 24.0
August-July Mean: 26.5
August-July Median: 24.0
Total days with snowfall above 2": 24 days
>>>
How it compares to the annual averages:
Minimum (87"):
2" x 15 = 30"
5" x 6 = 30"
10" x 1.5 = 15"
12" x 1 = 12"
Maximum (168"):
5" x 15 = 75"
10" x 6 = 60"
12" x 1.5 = 18"
15" x 1 = 15"
Total snowfall over 2" = 87" to 168"
Monthly and Seasonal Total Snowfall Amount.
Annual min: 41.1"
Annual max: 153.4"
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ussc/SCopTab1?state=New%20Hampshire&station=MOUNT%20SUNAPEE&coopid=275629&short=27
I think we're ok with 24 days - what do you think?
hummer
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
needtoknowit-ga
on
21 Feb 2005 08:39 PST
Ok, thanks for all your help on this. I think we're done.
|
Clarification of Answer by
hummer-ga
on
21 Feb 2005 09:43 PST
Thank you for your thank you, needtoknowit, and for the tip. Good luck
with your data. Sincerely, hummer
|
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