Record Long Snow-Free Streak in Lincoln, NE

Record Longest Streak of Snow-Free Days in Lincoln, NE!

Photo (December 11, 2012)  looking out from Hardin Hall, East Campus, UNL toward
the city center and City Campus of UNL.  Note the green lawns as we approach
mid-December with no measurable snowfall yet this Autumn.

 The "snow-free streak" is defined as the length of time between the last measurable snowfall in the Winter/Spring until the first measurable snowfall in the following Autumn/Winter.

The previous record of 295 days was set in 2004 with the snow-free season extending from February 6 to November 28, 2004.

The last measurable snowfall in Lincoln this year was on February 13, 2012, with 1.1 inches. The period of snow-free days this year reached 295 days as of December 4, 2012, tying the record.   Lincoln remained snow-free as of December 5 setting a new record of 296 snow-free days.  This record has continued  to increase. As of December 11, 2012 the snow-free streak has been extended to 302 days. 

We are not alone with this weather anomaly since Omaha and Norfolk are also experiencing their longest observed streak of snow-free days

Here is a listing of the top ten longest snow-free periods in Lincoln's snowfall data archive:

Columns 2 and 3 = last snowfall in the Winter/Spring;
Columns 7 and 8 = first snowfall in the following Autumn/Winter;
CD = Calendar Day Number
snow free = number of days between the last and the first snowfalls

year	Month	Day	CD	..	year	Month	Day	CD	snow free
2012	Feb	13	44		2012
2004	Feb	6	37		2004	Nov	28	333	295
2006	Mar	21	80		2006	Dec	31	365	284
2001	Mar	11	70		2001	Dec	18	352	281
2005	Feb	8	39		2005	Nov	15	319	279
1963	Mar	12	71		1963	Dec	10	344	272
2008	Mar	6	66		2008	Dec	3	338	271
1998	Mar	23	82		1998	Dec	20	354	271
1989	Mar	1	60		1989	Nov	27	331	270
2010	Mar	19	78		2010	Dec	11	345	266

The Lincoln Snowfall Climatology is at this link:  Lincoln, NE, Snowfall Climatology
The Snow-Free climatology is at this link: Lincoln, NE, Snow-Free


The long streak without measurable snowfall is due to a combination of ongoing drought conditions and record warmth.