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(CNN) --
While the western United States has been piling up snowfall in recent weeks, the Northeast and New England have seen the opposite.
We are more than halfway through meteorological winter, which runs from December to February, and cities like New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington have yet to record measurable snowfall, defined as a minimum of 0.1 inch.
And it's not just about coastal cities.
Many locations in inland New England and the Northeast are seeing much lower snowfall than usual to date.
"With the exception of a few areas in the lee of Lakes Erie and Ontario, and very small areas of inland New England, the East is certainly in a snow drought, with some locations that normally get snow, below 30 at 90 cm," Greg Carbin, the head of the Weather Prediction Center Branch, told CNN.
Buffalo, New York, was washed away with several inches of snow earlier this winter.
Carbin explained that there are two types of snow drought:
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The first type is when there is a general lack of winter precipitation, rain or snow, contributing to dry conditions.
The second type occurs when the total amounts of precipitation are close to normal, but instead of falling as snow, they fall mostly as rain.
"Along the I-95 corridor, from Washington to Boston, we've had this last type of dry snow so far this winter," Carbin explains.
"Precipitation amounts have been normal or slightly above normal, but overall it has been too hot for precipitation to fall as snow."
❄️ This winter has been snowy in the West, but how snowy?
Here are the seasonal snowfall totals & departure from normal.
The higher elevations have had 20-40 ft of snow & are already above the seasonal average!
For much of the East, this season has featured below normal snowfall pic.twitter.com/nFrN0rqwu1
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) January 21, 2023
The period between snowfalls is likely to increase as the weather warms, and this may be especially true for northeastern coastal cities.
As temperatures in the Northeast warm, the line that separates rain from snow shifts further north, leading to more rainy winter days along the coast and less snow, according to the National Snow Assessment. United States climate.
And not just in the Northeast, the boreal winter (December, January and February) is also the fastest warming season in 75% of 238 US locations, according to Climate Central data analysis.
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In figures
319
Central Park in New York has gone 319 days without snow as of Sunday, the third longest streak.
Central Park would have to be without snow until February 5, 2023 to break the record 332-day streak set in 2020.
316
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington City have gone 316 days without measurable snow as of Sunday, ranking 6th, 12th and 19th respectively.
1973
Central Park is also nearing the latest season date for its first measurable snowfall since records began in 1869.
"The current record is January 29, 1973, which became the least snowy winter in New York history, with a total snow accumulation of just 71mm," Carbin explains.
Where did the snow go?
"The pattern has been fairly consistent with the typical La Niña pattern in the northeastern US so far this winter," meaning the tracks of the storms and cold air have remained north and west of the northeast, meteorologists from the National Weather Service office in New York City told CNN.
La Niña, the counterpart of El Niño, is characterized by below-normal sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator as a result of changes in wind patterns in the atmosphere, which has a direct effect on the weather seen across the US in the winter.
This map shows the typical weather pattern across the country during a La Niña winter.
The yellow areas show greater drought.
The orange areas have a higher temperature.
The green areas have higher humidity and the blue area has colder temperatures.
Credit: CNN Weather
"Of course, there are variations in this pattern due to short-term factors that are not predictable more than a week or two in advance, such as the arctic flare-up over Christmas," the weather service office in New York City said. .
"But these variations have been brief."
The most active weather and heaviest snowfall in recent weeks has been centered throughout the West and California, where more than 15 feet of snow fell across portions of the Sierras from December 26, 2022, through December 17. January 2023.
"While the jet stream meanders and can occasionally shift rapidly to support snowstorms almost anywhere during the winter, this winter has been quite active across the West, with a weak but broad area of high pressure (and temperatures warmer than average) over the eastern 2/3 of the contiguous United States," Carbin said.
There is a chance that Central Park will see some light snowpack Wednesday, but there is still some uncertainty in the forecast, the weather service office in New York City said.
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If the city doesn't record a snowfall this week, its streak will stick.
After Wednesday, the weather service forecasts dry conditions through January 29.
"We have to catch up on all the seasonal snowfall as none has accumulated which is 30 inches," the weather service office in New York City said.
"The record storm total snowfall is 27 inches from January 22-24, 2016, so that's very close to our seasonal snowfall. All it takes is a single snowfall to get back on track."
Although this scenario is certainly possible, it is not very likely.
There have only been seven storms on record carrying 20 inches or more of snow across Central Park in recorded history, according to the weather service.
"February and March are months when heavy snowfall has fallen in cities in the Northeast, so there remains some hope for snow lovers," Carbin said.
"Though, the later the season starts, the more likely it is to end with lackluster snow."
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