Snowy Eurasia

It would likely surprise no one to learn that the percentage of the lower 48 states with snow on the ground is well below average.  Overall the North American continent is running roughly one million square kilometers below the long-term mean, with most of that anomaly occurring in the United States.  Yet, overall, the Northern Hemisphere has an above average snow pack.

If the western hemisphere is running well below average, that means that Europe and Asia must be reporting snow in places that usually would be snow free, and that has definitely been the case in recent weeks.  Many areas in southern Europe are reporting widespread snow cover this month.  Parts of northern Africa as well as the Middle East also have snow on the ground.

Whereas North America is running well below average, Europe and Asia combined have a snow cover of approximately 1.5 million square kilometers above average for this time of year.