Background: Winter is here! Last Sunday most of the state of Maine got their first snowfall, and for some it was a big one! After just a couple of Maine winters, it is easy to see that the date of the first snowfall varies from year to year, but it also varies by location. Even though many communities in the state got their first measureable snowfall on the same day this year, that isn’t always the case.

The graph compares the dates of the first measurable snowfall for three locations in Maine: Portland, Bangor, and Presque Isle. How similar through time are the dates of first snowfall for the three cities? Which city tends to get snow earliest? Why might that be?

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