The Snow Will Return To Binghamton

Snow lovers in the Twin Tiers should be pleased with what's likely in store for the region as we prepare for the arrival of spring.

Despite the mild weather of the past few days and the moderate rainfall across the Binghamton area, it seems likely the ground will be white again before long.

David Nicosia of the National Weather Service office at the Greater Binghamton Airport says he views the area's snow season as running from the end of October through the end of April.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Nicosia said a storm in May could even bring a couple of inches of snow to the hillsides.

Nicosia said March is "prime time" for snow with the possibility for some of the biggest storms during the month. He said the warming temperatures in the south can combine with the continued cold air masses in the north to fuel some powerful storms.

Today's rainy conditions were in sharp contrast to the snow that started falling across the Binghamton area twenty years ago at the beginning of the Blizzard of '93. Travel around the region was brought to a virtual standstill as a result of that storm.

Nicosia said "everything came together perfectly for that storm." After the blizzard, temperatures in the Twin Tiers plunged to below zero. He said it was the latest date in the season a below zero temperature was recorded at the local airport.

In the days ahead, Nicosia said the temperatures are going to be "pretty chilly." He said by Saturday, the area may receive some snow, perhaps a few inches.

Some computer models are hinting there might be a storm heading toward the region next week. Nicosia said it's uncertain whether the precipitation will be mostly snow or a mixture.

Nicosia said it may turn out to be a snowstorm. But, he said, "nothing like the Blizzard of 1993!"

The snow, if it hits, could reach the Binghamton area around the first day of spring, March 20.