New England Snows Decrease, Rains Increase Over Last 50 Years

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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) "Snowfall in New England has decreased significantly in favor of rain during the last half of the 20th century, according to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey. The study, published in the American Meteorological Society's Journal of Climate, offers further evidence of a warming trend that could spell trouble for businesses that cater to skiers and snowmobilers.

''We compared the annual snowfall to total precipitation at 21 sites throughout New England and found a persistent trend from 1949 to 2000 of significantly less snow for 11 of those sites,'' said Thomas Huntington, a USGS hydrologist in Augusta and the study's lead author. The remaining 10 sites had insignificant trends.

The strongest and most consistent trends were found at the four northernmost sites Presque Isle, Ripogenus Dam and Millinocket, Maine, and First Connecticut Lake, N.H. They show an average decrease in annual snow-to-precipitation ratio from 30 percent in 1949 to 23 percent in 2000, Huntington said.

The percent of precipitation that fell as snow also generally decreased along the coast, with five of eight sites showing significant changes over the 50-year period."

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