March 10, 2003
Problem of the Week
The Snow Problem
The five storms with the highest snowfall in Winchester,
Virginia occurred on Jan. 7-9, 1996, Feb. 11, 1983,
Feb. 15-16, 2003, March 5-6, 1962, and March 13-14, 1993.
Use the clues below to list the storms and their
amounts in descending order:
1. Two of the storms measured 24 inches.
2. The second most snowfall and the fifth most snowfall
occured in the same month.
3. The first and fifth place storms occurred over 40 years apart.
4. One of the February storms measured 20 inches.
5. The average snowfall for the five storms was 25.3 inches.
6. The snowfall from the 1983 storm was more than either of the 1990 storms.
7. The heaviest snowfall measured was 30 inches.
Solution to the Problem:
| Storm
|
Date
|
Snowfall
|
| 1
|
March 5-6, 1962
|
30 inches
|
| 2
|
Feb. 11, 1983
|
28.5 inches
|
| 3
|
March 13-14, 1993
|
24 inches
|
| (3)
|
Jan. 7-9, 1996
|
24 inches
|
| 5
|
Feb. 15-16, 2003
|
20 inches
|
You can determine the five snowfall amounts from clues 1, 4, 5, and 7.
Since the average is 28.5 inches, multiply by 5 to get the total amount
of snow for the 5 storms. Then subtract the 4 given amounts to get the fifth storm,
which is 28.5 inches.
Clue 3 tells you that the 1st and 5th storms must be 1962 and 2003.
Clue #2 tells you that the 2nd and 5th storms must both be March or both be February.
But Clue #4 tells you that the 5th storm must be February, so that tells
you that the 2nd storm is February.
Clue #6 then tells you that the 2nd storm was Feb 1983 (since it was bigger than 2
other storms).
Then Clue #3 tells you the highest snowfall was March 1962.
That leaves only two storms which are the 24 inch storms.
Correctly solved by:
|
1. Evelyne Stalzer
|
Montville, New Jersey
|
| 2. Walt Arrison
|
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|
| 3. Richard Johnson
|
La Jolla, California
|
| 4. Rick Jones
|
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
|
| 5. Bill Funk
|
San Antonio, Texas
|
| 6. Kelsey Tomblin
|
Columbus, Georgia
|
| 7. Tina Zahel
|
Winchester, Virginia
|
| 8. John Funk
|
Ventura, California
|
| 9. John Lybarger
|
Calhoun Community College,
Decatur, Alabama
|
| 10. Bobby Martin
|
Columbus, Georgia
|
| 11. Pam Hedrick
|
Winchester, Virginia
|
| 12. Jeff Gaither
|
Winchester, Virginia
|
| 13. David & Judy Dixon
|
Bennettsville, South Carolina
|