Northern Hemisphere snow cover is 2nd highest in 17 years

The Northern Hemisphere is off to a good start for snow cover this season.

A check of Northern Hemisphere snow cover shows we’re at the second-highest snow cover level in the past 17 years, since 2005.

You can see on the map below how there’s snow cover from Minnesota, all the way north to the Arctic Circle across North America.

Extensive snow cover early in the cold season can be an indicator of more persistent cold as we head into winter. If snow cover is present to our northwest, inbound air masses can maintain or deepen their cold air properties because of the reflective nature of snow on the ground.

Temperatures can be at least 10 degrees colder in snow-covered areas vs. bare ground on sunny days thanks to the higher albedo (the energy reflected by a surface) and the reflectivity of the sun’s rays.

So keep an eye on snow cover as we head into the upcoming winter season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest winter temperatures outlook favors colder-than-average temperatures across the Upper Midwest.