Snowfall was a little less than average

The snowfall in March was considerably less than average for the month.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning Valley experienced a warmer winter with a little less snow than average.
But that's somewhat deceptive.
If March's snowfall weren't so much less than the average for that month, the Valley would have had more of the white stuff on the ground this winter than average.
The Valley averages 10.7 inches of snow in March, but only 2.3 inches of snow fell this year. That is tied with 1990 for the fifth-least-amount to fall in the Valley during a March.
Overall, the Valley had 53.2 inches of snow between October 2005 and this past April. The average for that period in the area is 56 inches.
In comparison, 81.2 inches of snow fell on the Valley between October 2004 and April 2005. That amount was good enough for fourth place in terms of snowfall on record for the Valley during the time-frame the NWS considers the winter season.
The National Weather Service has records of Valley weather history dating to 1943. The NWS compiles the records at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna.
Snow accumulations in November and December 2005 as well as this February were above normal.
Besides March, snow accumulations in October 2005 and this January and April were below normal.
Temperatures
As for temperatures, January's average temperature of 36.8 degrees was 11.9 degrees higher than average and a record for January.
The average temperature in November 2005 was 43.7 degrees, 3 degrees higher than usual.
April's average temperature of 51.3 degrees was 3.9 degrees higher than average, and tied with 1987 for the sixth-warmest April on record.
October 2005 and February and March registered slightly higher temperatures compared with the average.
The only winter month for 2004-05 with a lower temperature than average was December 2005. The average temperature that month was 26.8 degrees, 3.9 degrees lower than average.
The NWS doesn't keep statistics of the Valley's overall highest and lowest winter season temperatures.