And Yes, As Bad As I Thought

Here in Rochester, MN, this is what was in today's paper:

There's been an inch or more of snow on the ground continuously since Dec. 1, the start of "meteorological winter." The National Weather Service considers December, January and February as its official winter.

That's 91 days of not seeing your grass or any other patch of bare ground.

According to weather service forecaster Jeff Boyne, it's only the 10th time the snowpack has lingered that long since 1938-39, when the service started tracking such things. In a typical winter, snow would be around for only 66 days during meteorological winter.

Actually, the snow first arrived on Nov. 30; today, nearly a week into March, we're at 98 straight days and counting. The record for snow covering dates back to the winters of 1978-79 and 1950-51, when Rochester area residents didn't see bare ground for 133 straight days.

I knew it. I just knew it.