UPDATE: As of December 29, 2008, Madison reported 38.6 inches of snow for the month of December. This breaks the old record of 35.0 inches measured during the month of December 2000 AND the all time monthly record of 37.0 inches measured in February 1994 thus December 2008 is Madison’s snowiest month ever on record!  Madison is 26 inches above the average for December up to the 28th, and is 7 inches higher than last year at this time (with 42.9 inches to date). With 42.9 inches already in November and December, the 1-3 inches expected on Tuesday could push the snowfall total up to the average 45 inches that normally falls in any given winter in these parts, with the brunt of winter still to come.

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This is great news for skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts, kids with sleds, people who like to shovel and anyone else who subscribes to the notion that as long as it’s going to be cold outside, there might as well be plenty of snow to enjoy. Not so great for iceboaters and ice-skating enthusiasts. But if everyone was happy all at once, life might be so enjoyable we wouldn’t be able to bear all that good fortune. Read more here.

Note last year went on to shatter the all-time snowfall record for Madison by 25 inches and normal by 50 inches ending up with an incredible 101.4 inches. Could there be a repeat performance this year?

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Madison is not alone as this post by Patrick Powell of FOX11 WLUK in Green Bay reports. Some amazing numbers there for a city known for its cold and snow.

And further north and west, Meteorologist Janine Vining, at the weather service office in Bismarck said the city has a record snowfall in December with more than 28 inches, breaking the mark set in 1916 with more to come tomorrow. She says with the next storm, the Bismarck area could get about 6 inches.

And further west the following all-time record: December 2008 snowiest month on record for Spokane, WA.

As of December 29th at 4 pm PST… The monthly snow total for the Spokane international airport was 59.7 inches. This snow total ranks first on the list of snow totals for any month and breaks the previous record of 56.9 inches set in January of 1950. Snowfall records have been kept in Spokane since 1893.

The top five monthly snow totals for Spokane are (note with two days left in the month of December...this total may climb even higher).

1.  Dec 2008 59.7 inches
2.  Jan 1950 56.9 inches
3.  Jan 1969 48.7 inches
4.  Jan 1954 46.5 inches
5.  Dec 1996 42.7 inches

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