New York may finally break Hawaii’s snowfall record

Amid a powerful winter storm hitting the Northeast with several inches of snow expected, New York may break Hawaii’s snowfall record on Tuesday.

Up until Tuesday, Hawaii had seen more snowfall this year than the Empire State and recorded more across the whole of last year, but that is all set to change. Just one storm could dump more of the white stuff on New York than fell in Hawaii in the entirety of its record-setting year.

In 2023, Hawaii recorded 5 inches of snow, which was a yearly record as snow rarely falls anywhere in the state with an elevation below 9,000 feet, even during the winter months, according to a report by World Atlas.

The same year, New York state only saw 2.3 inches of snow, the lowest yearly snowfall in the state since records began in 1869, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

This year, New York may get things back to normal and pass Hawaii’s entire 2023 record of 5 inches of snow as the Empire State is now expected to see their largest snowstorm in two years as it could pick up 6 inches or more from a storm until Tuesday evening.

On Monday winter Storm Lorraine moved across the mid-South and transitioned into a nor’easter that brought a mix of rain and snow to the Northeast early Tuesday morning.

The NWS issued a winter storm warning as severe weather that includes heavy snow and strong winds is expected to continue, with the heaviest snowfall expected from eastern Pennsylvania through northern New Jersey, far southeast New York, and southern New England. This will include the greater New York City metropolitan area.

“Many of these areas will see 6 to 12 inches of snow, with some areas especially over the higher elevations near the Poconos, Catskills, and adjacent areas of southern New England seeing in excess of 12 inches,” the NWS said.

Despite several cold fronts and winter storms, it has been a record-setting 744 days since more than 2 inches of snow fell in New York City, stretching back to January 2022.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines previously told Newsweek most of the East Coast was below average when it comes to snowfall in 2023, including New York City.

“That’s certainly not the norm,” Kines said, adding that New York City’s largest snowfall event in this period was in February 2022, which produced only 1.8 inches.

Typically, the Big Apple sees half an inch of snow in November and nearly 5 inches of snow in December.

Newsweek has reached out to the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies via email for comment.

As this winter’s biggest snowstorm continues, snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour have been reported in the greater New York City area, according to NWS in New York.

In addition, a travel advisory has also been in place for areas experiencing snow as forecasters warned it may make travel difficult. In addition to traffic conditions, forecasters have also warned that the powerful winds and heavy snow could damage trees and power lines.

“The nor’easter will bring strong winds to the region on Tuesday which coupled with the heavy snowfall could damage trees and power lines. The strong winds will also bring a threat for coastal flooding,” the NWS said.