Got snow?

Probably not if you live in the northeastern United States. Many cities and states across the region are setting or tying half-century records for the least amount of snow during this part of the season, according to climatologist Keith Eggleston at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University.

The lack of snow could mean a drought in the spring and summer, despite this winter's beneficial rains, he says.

"We rely on the snowmelt in the spring, in the northern portions of the region, to fill the water tables. Without the water tables filling up, we could possibly have drought problems next summer," says Eggleston.

For the region in general, January and February are considered the two snowiest months. But Eggleston cautions, "Significant snowstorms have occurred in the Northeast during March and even April in the northern parts of the region." Snowfall, from now until April, averages 10 to 20 inches along the coast south of New York City and from 40 to over 60 inches in upstate New York and northern New England.

"Certainly, this weather pattern is unusual, perhaps not unprecedented for the warmer climes of the region," says Eggleston, who explains that higher than normal temperatures throughout the region have contributed to this snowless pattern. "But for places like Albany and Portland, Maine, this lack of snow is more significant."

Last December's average temperature of 30.9 degrees Fahrenheit for the region was 3.4 degrees warmer than normal, and November's 43.1 degrees for the region was 3.9 degrees warmer than normal, says Eggleston. Precipitation was below normal for these months, as well, with the little precipitation the Northeast received falling as rain, thanks to warmer temperatures.

The normal postcard-perfect snowfalls blanketing the hills and dales of places like Concord, N.H., Providence, R.I., Portland and Boston at this time of year are only a memory because none of these places has seen more than a few flakes of snow since Oct. 1. Until this season, Concord's least snowy Oct. 1 to Jan. 10 period on record was in 1979-1980, when the area saw a paltry 3.4 inches, according to the center's statistics. So far this season, Concord is nearly 25 inches below normal snowfall.

Portland, which normally sees about 26 inches of snow between Oct. 1 and Jan. 10, also has come up dry, making this the least snowy period in the area in the last half-century. Caribou, Maine, normally a snowmobile heaven by the this time of year, last experienced such a paucity of snow in 1982-1983, when it received only 21.9 inches through Jan. 11. But this season's 17.8 inches (through Jan. 11) has shattered that record.

Even lake-effect snow centers like Syracuse, N.Y., and Buffalo, N.Y., have seen only a fraction of the snow they normally receive. If you shuffle off to Buffalo, don't bring a shovel, since it has seen only 13.9 inches of snow so far this snow season. Normally at this time of the year, the city has accumulated almost 30 inches of snow. Syracuse has seen only 20 inches of snow this season, which is 27.3 inches below normal expectations. To the east, Albany has been slightly dusted this season with 1.6 inches between Oct. 1 and Jan. 10, which is 25.6 inches below normal, making this the driest season on record in the Empire State's capital city.