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Snow is very rare in both locations but both downtown San Jose and Orlando have recorded very light accumulations (trace up to an inch or so) a few times in recorded history. Neither has recorded anything close to six inches though.
Which location is more likely to get a freak 6 inch snow accumulation event?
A) Downtown San Jose- cooler winter averages but a lower standard deviation than Orlando with a winter "rainy season" (semi-arid climate so even the rainy season isn't all that rainy although there are much wetter microclimates nearby). Unlike the Southeastern U.S., the Pacific Ocean moderates San Jose's climate to keep it from getting hard freezes most years. Averages 3-5 subfreezing nights a year but it's almost always on clear nights after the cold front has passed.
B) Orlando- warmer winter averages but far more standard deviation than San Jose due to a continental influence. Winter is their "drier" season but Orlando does rain a few times a month during their dry season. Also averages 3-5 subfreezing nights a year but it's also almost always on clear nights after the cold front has passed. However, the climate is a lot less stable than San Jose with a lot more "weather" action in general.
I think C is the most likely option... Especially nowadays, I see the likelihood of that amount of snow occurring in either city to be very very rare... So virtually impossible
I think C is the most likely option... Especially nowadays, I see the likelihood of that amount of snow occurring in either city to be very very rare... So virtually impossible
I think as long as we've established that either place can get accumulating snow, either one could get 6 inches, in theory, if conditions are right. And whatever the likelihood is, I definitely disagree that it is less likely now than it once was. Especially here on the East Coast, we seem to be having more large snowstorms, not fewer. Case in point, Philadelphia's largest snowstorm in recorded history was as recent as 1996, when 31 inches fell, and since then we've had 4 snowstorms since the year 2000 that rank amount the top 10 largest. I think you'd find a similar trend for other East Coast cities, and while it'll always be a bit of a stretch to see how this benefits Florida, my point remains that conditions are not necessarily getting less favorable for it on this side of the country. If it can snow in the first place and accumulate, then it can snow a lot if there's enough moisture.
I think as long as we've established that either place can get accumulating snow, either one could get 6 inches, in theory, if conditions are right. And whatever the likelihood is, I definitely disagree that it is less likely now than it once was. Especially here on the East Coast, we seem to be having more large snowstorms, not fewer. Case in point, Philadelphia's largest snowstorm in recorded history was as recent as 1996, when 31 inches fell, and since then we've had 4 snowstorms since the year 2000 that rank amount the top 10 largest. I think you'd find a similar trend for other East Coast cities, and while it'll always be a bit of a stretch to see how this benefits Florida, my point remains that conditions are not necessarily getting less favorable for it on this side of the country. If it can snow in the first place and accumulate, then it can snow a lot if there's enough moisture.
And yet during the same time frame our average winter temps are going up. Warming ocean waters are causing this increased precip in both summer and winter. The last few summers seem to have been like a monsoon.
Orlando- warmer winter averages but far more standard deviation than San Jose due to a continental influence. Winter is their "drier" season but Orlando does rain a few times a month during their dry season. Also averages 3-5 subfreezing nights a year but it's also almost always on clear nights after the cold front has passed. However, the climate is a lot less stable than San Jose with a lot more "weather" action in general.
Freezing weather doesn't happen that often in Orlando proper due to the urban heat island. They did not go below 35 F this past winter and they only bottomed out at 33 F during winter 2014-2015. In fact, only a select few nights even drop below 40 F there.
That being said, I'm going with option C. There just too much water moderation going on around both locations to allow enough cold air to stay consistent with moisture. However, San Jose does have mountains nearby, so you won't have to drive very far to see potential snow, unlike Orlando.
Il live in a climate that is much colder and wetter in winter than San Jose or Orlando, but snow is about as rare (some nearby areas have no record of snowfall), and 6 inches would be very unlikely here.
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