Faculty Publications

Spatial And Temporal Climatology Of Snowstorms In The Deep South

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Physical Geography

Volume

12

Issue

2

First Page

124

Last Page

139

Abstract

Significant snowstorm events occurring during the winters from 1948/49 through 1989/90 are studied using a network of 100 weather stations across the southern states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. To qualify for entry into the snowstorm inventory, at least 10 out of the 100 sites need a minimum of 25 mm (1 inch) of snowfall. A total of 69 events are identified and further categorized into four magnitudes based upon areal coverage or total snowfall amount. The storms are also classified into regional categories based upon the dominant part of the study area affected. The spatial characteristics of the snowstorms are discussed and illustrated with maps showing snowfall distributions for representative storms. Most events impact the northern portions of the study area although some very major storms fit into a Miscellaneous category with unique snowfall distributions in the southern or central parts of the Deep South. The temporal character of snowstorm frequency reveals that a very low number of events occurred during the 1950s with peak occurrence during the 1960s. Snowstorms generally remained more frequent during the 1970s and 1980s compared to the 1950s. © 1991 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Original Publication Date

1-1-1991

DOI of published version

10.1080/02723646.1991.10642422

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