The cooperative observer from Pelican Rapids sent me his snow cover data for Christmas so I thought I would post it:

Date Snow Depth on Ground / Pelican Rapids,
MN.

25 Dec 06 ??

25 Dec 05
10

25 Dec 04
03

25 Dec 03
05

25 Dec 02
04

25 Dec 01
01

25 Dec
00
07

25 Dec
99 01

25 Dec
98
01

25 Dec
97
02

25 Dec
96
15

25 Dec
95
05

25 Dec
94
01

25 Dec
93
11

25 Dec
92
09

25 Dec
91
02

25 Dec
90 07

25 Dec
89
02

25 Dec
88
05

25 Dec
87
02

25 Dec 86
02

25 Dec
85
05

25 Dec
84
03

25 Dec
83
06

25 Dec
82
00

25 Dec
81
06

A few more white Christmas’ than Fargo/Moorhead. Fargo/Moorhead’s last "brown" Christmas was back in 1999, although we only had an inch on the ground in 2004, so many area were bare that year as well. We’ll have to see what the disturbance on Christmas Eve can bring to the area for our last hope of a white Christmas in the metro.

Where is there snow on the ground? Here’s the latest image for Minnesota, that does include extreme eastern North Dakota:

This image does not include the light coating of snow that occurred in the Minnesota Lakes country early this morning.

Merry Christmas!

As many of you may know the StormTracker team has been doing a retrospective of the "Big Winter" of 1996-1997 on Page 2 of the Forum each day. Many of you may not be aware that this retrospective is also online here:

http://www.in-forum.com/collections/index.cfm?collection=weather_retrospective

On this page you will find video links to some of WDAY’s newscast that winter. Enjoy, it’s a great way this mild winter to remember just how nasty winter can be in the Red River Valley.

December so far has been a lesson in "dustings".  We so far this month have seen a light coating of snow each day:

December 1: 0.4"
December 2: 0.2"
December 3: 1.1"
December 4: 0.3"
December 5: 0.2"
December 6: 0.2"

So yes, you have been busy sweeping off your sidewalk and driveway.  Dustings are very common in the Red River Valley, a vast majority of our measurable snow events are generally around 1" or less.  Good news, we should catch a break in these light snow events until early next week.