What Parts of the U.S. Typically See the Most Snow in February

There is bad news for those who are tired of the brutal winter thus far. The month of February typically brings peak snow accumulations for many areas of the U.S. Here is a look at why the second month of the year is also the snowiest for millions of Americans.

Based on Historical Averages, Northeastern U.S. Should Prepare for More Snow

The data clearly shows that February is the snowiest month for many regions of the country. Climatologist Brian Brettschneider recently created a map identifying which month is the snowiest for parts of the U.S. and Canada that average at least 6 inches of snow annually. The map was generated using data compiled from the Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-D).

On average, the most snow falls after the end of the solar winter. The solar winter is defined as the quarter of the year that is the darkest, lasting from November 6 to February 5 in the Northern Hemisphere. The solar winter starts approximately 45 days before the winter solstice, concluding roughly 45 days after this date.

The snowiest month of the year varies significantly between regions. However, February is easily the most common month to see snow in the major urban areas of the Northeast. This includes the populated metro areas of New York City, Baltimore, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Eastern New England also generally sees peak snowfall rates in February.