Staff Writer
As Aroostook County residents have noticed this winter is already shaping up to be a winter recreation enthusiast’s dream come true.
Aroostook Republican Photo/Debra Walsh
With snow accumulation currently 31.7 inches above average for this time of year, road crews have been kept busy keeping Aroostook County roads safe. Shown here, crews clean up snow on Herschel Street in Caribou.
With a total accumulation of 76.4 inches to date in the Caribou area, which is 31.7 inches above average for this time of year, based on the past 30 years, many residents and visitors are hitting the snowmobile trails and the ski trails.
This is excellent news for not only those who enjoy winter sports, but also local businesses, which cater to snowmobilers, skiers and snowshoers.
This season is currently well on its way to becoming above average as far as total accumulation for the season, as the average over the past 30 years has been 115.6 inches.
Averages have varied greatly over the past 60 years according to information from the National Weather Service in Caribou. In the 1940s the average annual accumulation was 87.33 inches, in the 1950s it was 113.2 inches, 117.3 inches in the 1960s, 126.4 inches in the 1970s, 103.16 inches in the 1980s and 110.02 inches in the 1990s. Thus far the average annual accumulation since the turn of the century has been around 110.5 inches.
This average may very well be bumped up at the end of the 2007-2008 season as snow continues to pile up.
Adding to these figures was a New Year’s Eve storm which blew through Aroostook County this past week depositing several inches of snow.
According to Rich Norton, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Caribou the majority of snowfall occurred away from the coastline and south of Mars Hill. The highest accumulation in Aroostook was in Amity with a total of 22.5 inches. Accumulation dropped quickly as the storm moved northward, down to 3 inches in Fort Kent. The lowest accumulation of 1 inch was found in Saint Pamphile.
Meanwhile Caribou and Presque Isle each received 5.5 inches of snow, while Houlton received 18 inches.
