Where’s the snow? Snowless winter so far in RVA

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Snow lovers across RVA have been clamoring for a winter wonderland, but so far Mother Nature has not delivered.

Mid-January is the climatologically coldest part of winter for central Virginia based on historical averages, but so far this winter there’s been no snow in Richmond. There was a little snow in Louisa/Orange county last weekend but none in RVA, and we’re not expecting any snow in the next 10 days (through at least Jan 23) because it’s going to be too warm. There are indications that the last week of January could turn colder, but no guarantee there will be snow.

The current La Niña weather pattern (this is the 3rd winter in a row we’ve had La Niña) does not favor snow in Richmond. We saw this coming back in September when we wrote a blog post about how La Niña tends to mean less snow than average in Virginia.

A La Nina typically results in a warmer than average winter with below average snowfall. — A La Nina typically results in a warmer than average winter with below average snowfall.(National Weather Service Wakefield/Larry Brown)

In a La Niña winter, there is usually a persistent ridge in the southeastern U.S. which results in milder temperatures than in a typical winter.

A La Nina winter usually results in warmer temperatures and less snow than average in Virginia. — A La Nina winter usually results in warmer temperatures and less snow than average in Virginia.(NOAA)

Our winters in general are also becoming warmer as a result of global warming. The average temperature in Richmond in winter is 3.7 degrees higher than it was in 1970.

Average winter temperatures in Richmond have climbed by 3.7 degrees since 1970 as a result of... — Average winter temperatures in Richmond have climbed by 3.7 degrees since 1970 as a result of global warming.(Climate Central)

So will we see ANY snow this year in Virginia? History says yes, because we’ve never had a truly snowless winter in Richmond. The list below is the top 10 least snowy winters in Richmond history.

We've had several seasons with less than 1 inch of snow in Richmond, but we've never had a... — We've had several seasons with less than 1 inch of snow in Richmond, but we've never had a truly snowless winter in recorded history. We came close in the winter of 1918-1919.(NWS Wakefield)

In 1918-1919 there was a trace of snow - that does not count as measurable snow, but at least there was a little snow in the air that winter.

The months of February and March often bring snow to RVA, so there is hope in that regard for those who want to see snow this winter. Only time will tell, but the NBC12 First Alert weather team will constantly be looking for signs of winter weather and will give you the First Alert!

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