1. An East Coast Winter Storm Precipitation Climatology
Nicholas J. Frankoski
Dr. Arthur T. DeGaetano
Cornell University
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Ithaca, NY

2. Research Objectives
Percentage of Snowfall from East Coast Winter Storms (ECWS) Throughout the Eastern United States
Percentage of Precipitation from ECWS Throughout the Eastern United States
Percentage of Snowfall and Precipitation from Rapidly Deepening Storms (“Bombs”) Throughout the Eastern United States
Analysis of Percentages - Trends, Variations, Relationships to El Niño - Southern Oscillation
President’s Day Storm of 2003 (NCDC and NOAA)

3. Climatology of ECWS
An East Coast Winter Storm Climatology (Hirsch, DeGaetano, Colucci)

5. Cooperative Observer Stations collecting daily snowfall data

6. Determining ECWS Snowfall and Precipitation: The Decision Process

7. Precipitation (in) 02 Nov 1970
Precipitation Gradient Line
Pressure Gradient Line

8. Average Annual Percentage of Snowfall from ECWS during 1951-1952 to 2005 - 2006

9. Average Annual Percentage of Precipitation from ECWS during 1951-1952 to 2005 - 2006

10. Average Annual Snowfall (cm) from ECWS during 1951-1952 to 2005-2006

11. Average Annual Precipitation (mm) from ECWS during 1951-1952 to 2005-2006

12. Average Percentage of November Snowfall from ECWS during 1951-1952 to 2005-2006

13. Average Percentage of November Precipitation from ECWS during 1951-1952 to 2005-2006

14. Analysis by Region: Based on Average Annual % of ECWS Snowfall
Northern New England
Appalachians Transition Zone
Urban Corridor
Southeast Local Minimum
Deep South Maximum

15. Northern New England: ECWS Snowfall (cm), % of Snowfall from ECWS, by snow-year

16. Next Steps… Sensitivity Analysis:
How would the ECWS percentages change if any COOP station in the study having precipitation or snowfall during an ECWS event was included in the climatology?
How would the ECWS percentages change around the Great Lakes if Lake Effect snow was included in the climatology?