UNITED STATES - This winter began with an unexpected push of moisture from the Southeast into the mid-Atlantic—a setup that led to two snow events in Virginia and North Carolina before December reached its second week. That early activity helped boost national snow coverage to 45% on December 5, the highest early-December value in 20 years, before it eased to 34.9% days later.

From there, the divide becomes clear. Snowfall totals across the Midwest and parts of the Northeast are far above seasonal norms. Some locations in the Ohio Valley and New England sit at up to 500% of typical early-December snowfall. South Bend, Indiana, has already recorded 23.5 inches, nearly two feet above average, while Chicago has reached 17.1 inches, marking its snowiest start since 1978.

According to AccuWeather, higher elevations are seeing similar trends. Vermont’s Jay Peak reports 12 feet of season-to-date snowfall, the highest on record for this point in the year, and Mount Mansfield measured a 50-inch snow depth on Saturday, more than double its average. Mount Washington stands at 82.2 inches so far, compared to a typical 67.9 inches.

But the story shifts west. Much of the Rockies remains below historical snowfall levels, including deficits of 21.5 inches in Lander, 14.9 inches in Casper, and 9.9 inches in Ely. The I-95 corridor is also running lean, with Boston, New York, and Philadelphia still below 2 inches, which is near normal for early December but contrasts sharply with the surpluses farther inland.

The imbalance traces back to a combination of 5–12°F below-average early-December temperatures in the Midwest and Northeast paired with unusually warm Great Lakes waters in October; a setup that strengthened lake-effect production and helped fuel the Midwest-to-New England snow corridor.

Looking ahead, meteorologists note that the jet stream is poised to push additional waves of snow farther south than recent systems, raising the potential for renewed accumulation in regions that have already exceeded early-season expectations.

Keep checking ANUK for the latest.