Getting tired of the snow? You ought to be

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff

With the snow falling fast, Annette Chung waited this morning for a trolley to work on Beacon Street.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Getting tired of the snow? The numbers say you ought to be.

The National Weather Service said today that 49.6 inches of the stuff had fallen by the end of today's storm, exceeding the average for an entire winter of 41.8 inches.

Normally, at this time of year, we're only supposed to have 16.3 inches of snow.

It snowed a total of 35.7 inches last year, a below-average performance. But we still have a long way to go to break the record, which is 107.6 inches, which was measured in 1995-1996, said Rebecca Gould, a meteorologist at the Taunton office of the National Weather Service.

The numbers could take another jump next week. The weather service is eyeing a "potential major storm" around mid-week.

Gould said the storm tracks just seem to be taking the big snow blasts to the region this year. Last year, it was the mid-Atlantic's turn, she noted.

"This year, they seem just headed right for us," she said.

Today's storm deposited up to 9 inches in some areas of the state, with Grafton tallying 9, Wilmington 8.7, Winchester 8.2, and Framingham and Milford 8.1, according to reports fielded by the weather service.

Asked if the state was headed for a record-breaking year, Gould said she couldn't say. The weather could continue snowy or -- here's a shocker for New Englanders -- it could change.

The snow records are determined based on measurements at Logan International Airport. Records extend back into the 18th century.