Bangor could see more snow in the first two weeks of spring than the city saw all fall and winter.
A spring snowstorm predicted to arrive in Maine on Wednesday and continue through Thursday could dump as much as 14 inches of snow on Bangor, according to Monday forecasts.
When combined with the 11 inches Bangor Public Works Director Aaron Huotari has recorded since the first day of spring, the city’s spring snow total could surpass the nearly 20 inches Huotari recorded from Oct. 31, 2023, to March 18, 2024.
Even if Bangor sees 8 inches of snow — the low end of what’s predicted this week — the city’s spring total of 19 would sit about level with the 19.75 inches Huotari recorded in the fall and winter.
Huotari said he measured in areas not affected by drifting snow, but his calculations aren’t “scientific,” as they could be influenced by rain or sleet that a storm brought, which compresses snow.
As of April 1, the National Weather Service has recorded 36.5 inches of snow at the Bangor International Airport this season, far below the 71.2 inches the location gets by April 1 on average. However, this season’s isn’t the least snow Bangor has seen, as just 22 inches had fallen at the airport by April 1, 1980.
Regardless of how much snow falls on Bangor this week, the city’s total this season will pale in comparison with the 67 inches that fell on Bangor last winter, according to Huotari.
The 25 to 35 inches of snow the Bangor region saw from October 2023 through February 2024 falls 20 to 30 inches short of what’s typical for the area, according to the National Weather Service.
Bangor schools have used three snow days so far this academic year, which is the same as in each of the previous two academic years, said Ray Phinney, spokesperson for the Bangor School Department.
