NEW YORK — The groundhog may not make his prediction until February, but Karen Gregorski thinks she already knows how the coming winter is going to turn out: very, very snowy.
Gregorski, 66, was walking carefully Tuesday down a midtown Manhattan street, her fur jacket coated with snow. Nearby, doormen shoveled sidewalks, and an apartment superintendent, with a hint of weariness, sprinkled salt on some slippery spots. This was the fourth snow shower in 10 days, and it’s not even technically winter yet.
This year and 2003 rank as the top years since 1960 for early snowfall, according to Weather 2000, a meteorological consulting firm. Philadelphia has also had its most snow to date since 1960; Pittsburgh has piled up its largest amount of snow to date since 1972.
For the Northeast, the pattern of frequent storms is likely to continue, said Michael Schlacter, chief meteorologist at Weather 2000.