In addition to colder-than-normal temperatures, the winter of 2013-2014 delivered a large number of days with measurable snowfall to the Twin Cities through January 31. While relatively few of the snowfall events were large, snowfalls were frequent and often ill-timed. Many of the winter's snowfalls occurred during weekday rush hour periods.
As depicted in the accompanying graph, there were 31 days with measurable snowfall reported at the Twin Cities International Airport during the winter of 2013-2014 through January 31. A measurable snowfall means that the daily snowfall total was greater than or equal to one tenth of an inch. In the historical record, the long-term median number of measurable snowfall days through January 31 is 21. The "median" is a statistical measure that indicates that one half of all winters had a more than 21 snow days through January 31, and one half of all winters had less than 21 days. The 90th percentile for the long-term record is 31 days, meaning that only one out of ten winters in the past had more snow days through January 31 than the winter of 2013-2014.
In past winter seasons with large numbers of snow days through January 31, the number of snow days for the remainder of winter is quite similar to winters with relatively few snow days through January. Therefore, the number of snow days prior to February 1 offers little foreshadowing of the number of snow days to occur in February, March, and April.