Worcester is the #1 Snowiest City in the United States

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

Following Monday's storm, Worcester is now in the #1 spot on Golden SnowGlobe's Snowiest Cities in the United States. Worcester has seen over 90 inches of snow already this winter. 

Worcester surpassed both Buffalo, New York and Erie, Pennsylvania on Monday. Last week, GoLocal reported that Worcester was holding firm in second place, only behind Erie. Now, with Worcester in first place, history tells us that the city could remain there.

The average annual snowfall for the month of February in Worcester is 15.6 inches. However, Worcester has seen over 40 inches of snow in the month of February the last two years.

"I am not sure this is an award we want to compete for. What I can say is that almost all of that snow came in 17 days starting on January 24, which is unprecedented. I am pleased that we were able to keep the streets open and passable during this entire time and at no point were emergency vehicles unable to respond because of road conditions. DPW&P staff , many who have not had a day of since Martin Luther King Day, continue to work toward making the roads as safe as possible," said Paul Moosey, Worcester DPW Commissioner.

GoldenSnowGlobe Keeping Track of Worcester

GoldenSnowGlobe.com is run by Patrick DeCoursey of East Syracuse, New York. DeCoursey bases his list on cities with populations greater than 100,000 people. 

"The breaking news that I think some of were expecting did play out and as of the last update Worcester, MA has taken the lead away from our good friends in Erie, PA," said DeCoursey on GoldenSnowGlobe.com. "Worcester, Ma is also the 1st city to hit the 90 inch mark and they are in the 90 inch club, but it has to be a boring club because they are alone right now."

DeCoursey told GoLocal Worcester, "Worcester has been a strong snow competitor since I started the snow contest.  Two seasons ago, the 2012-2013 snow season Worcester just missed winning coming in second behind my great home town Syracuse."

Worcester City Councilor Morris Bergman said, "I think we should take advantage of it. I'd rather be #1 than #2. I think we should try to have an event here every year that focuses on our run in the Snowiest City in America. We should celebrate it. As the snowiest city in America, I think we've handled it well. In two of the last three years, it's been a trend. I don't think it's something we should be uncomfortable with, I think we should find something to be positive about."

During the 2012-2013 winter, Worcester held the #1 spot for a short time before ulimately finishing in second with 108.9 inches of snow behind Syracuse with 115.4 inches.

"Worcester continues to storm their way up the snow mountain and they seem to set set in a pattern right now and it’s a good one if you like snow...The top three cities in the National snow contest are really close right now and I think this is going to be a battle right til the end of the season. Worcester has been a worthy competitor for several seasons but it will be tough holding onto the top spot if,and more like when, they take the 1st place slot. Even with Lake Erie pretty much frozen over...Erie, Pa and Buffalo, NY will still be piling up some more snow to add to their snowfall totals," DeCoursey wrote on Goldensnowglobe.com.

Snow Falls Causing Problems in Worcester

"I would commend the City Manager and all his team especially the hard working staff at the DPW. The residents also deserve a lot of credit for being patient and understanding. Almost all residents and businesses have done their part," said City Councilor George Russell.

"I think the school closes are right on target," said Bergman. "You can't sacrifice safety to try to comply with the number of school days we need. They'll be made up at some point in some way."

The high amount of snowfall has led to six days off for Worcester Public Schools in the past three weeks. 

"It's nice to see Worcester Number One but could it be in another area?  The days missed will have an impact on our MCAS test preparation and we need to request from DESE that we move the test back a week," said Worcester School Committee member and GoLocal MINDSETTER™ John Monfredo.

Sunday night into Monday, the DPW had between 350 to 375 pieces of equipment on the roads to clear snow. The city had roughly 335 pieces of equipment out on the roads early Sunday, clearing an initial 2-4 inches of snow. The plowing was complete around noon Sunday, and plow operators were sent home to rest up and get ready for the next round of snowfall. Roughly 35 salt trucks stayed on to treat the city's main lines this afternoon. When the snow starts again Sunday night into Monday, Worcester expects to have about 350 to 375 pieces of equipment on the roads. 

Bergman said, "The DPW has done an admirable job under these unusual circumstances of having such a large amount of snow in a short period of time. If you compare us to Boston and elsewhere, they have many more problems with major roads. In Worcester, the major roads are well cared for, but the secondary roads are a challenge. I think most people are frusturated with the secondary roads and the snow piles. So much for Global Warming, as least as it relates to Worcester."

The Top Ten Snowiest Cities in the U.S. Right Now

DeCoursey said, "Right now I think Worcester has as good of a chance as any of the cities that are in the top 5 maybe top 8.  I think it may be tough for Boston for the fact that they get the snow from the same storms as Worcester does so it would have to miss you guys and hit Boston for them to catch up.  I do have a page up that is just for fun where I set the odds on the cities.  Right now I have Worcester, Erie and Buffalo all as the favorites at 3 to 1 as of February 7. Syracuse is next at 4 to 1."

Top Ten Snowiest Cities:

1. Worcester, MA - 90.1 Inches

2. Erie, PA - 85.2 Inches

3. Buffalo, NY - 85 Inches

4. Boston, MA - 73.9 Inches

5. Syracuse, NY - 73.3 Inches

6. Rochester, NY - 66.5 Inches

7. Grand Rapids, MI - 65.7 Inches

8. South Bend, IN - 60.4 Inches

9. Cleveland, OH - 48.3 Inches

10. Billings, MT - 42 Inches

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Related Slideshow: Worcester’s Top Ten Highest Annual Snowfall Totals

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