Probability chart for a 'white' Thanksgiving

FOR RELEASE: Nov. 19, 1997

Contact: Blaine P. Friedlander, Jr.
Office: (607) 255-3290
Internet: [email protected]
Compuserve: Bill Steele, 72650,565
http://www.news.cornell.edu

ITHACA, N.Y. -- If you go over the river or through the woods, or traverse Interstate 81, or venture the eastern railroad corridor, you may be curious to know your chances of a 'white' Thanksgiving, as provided by the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University.

The chart below gives the probability of one-inch or more of snow on the ground Thanksgiving morning. "This is not a forecast," said Keith Eggleston, climatologist at the center. "For example, Caribou, Maine, is listed as 53 percent. This means that on the average, every other year there will be at least an inch of snow on the ground on Nov. 27 (the day on which this year's Thanksgiving falls)."

In Buffalo, N.Y., the probability of one inch of snow on Nov. 27 is 25 percent, or one out of every four years. In Albany, N.Y., the probability is 20 percent, or one out of every five years.

Probability of a White Thanksgiving (November 27th)

City Probability of 1 inch or more of snow
 on the ground Thanksgiving morning
Caribou, Maine 53%
Burlington, Vt. 35%
Buffalo, N.Y. 25%
Binghamton, N.Y. 24%
Ithaca, N.Y. 24%
Concord, N.H. 23%
Syracuse, N.Y. 21%
Rochester, N.Y. 21%
Albany, N.Y. 20%
Erie, Pa. 17%
Portland, Maine 13%
Williamsport, Pa. 13%
Cleveland, Ohio 12%
Beckley, W.Va. 9%
Pittsburgh 9%
Boston 8%
New York City 5%
Charleston, W.Va. 4%
Atlantic City, N.J. 3%
Hartford, Conn. 2%
Providence, R.I. 2%
Baltimore 2%
Washington 2%
Wilmington, Del. 2%
Philadelphia 2%
Bridgeport, Conn. 0%
Newark, N.J. 0%
Richmond, Va. 0%

Data compiled by the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University.

-30-