Answer:
The last winter showing constant snow cover for any length of time was 1996-1997 when the Twin Cities reported snow cover of 1 inch or greater for 122 days, from November 20 to March 21st. The following historical winters showed constant snow cover of 1 inch or greater for 130 or more consecutive days: 1896-1897, 1898-1899, 1935-1936, 1940-1941, 1950-1951 (142 days), 1951-1952, and 1978-1979. Indeed, nearly all recent winters in the Twin Cities have show relatively brief periods of snow cover, as a result of frequent thaws. Recall that last January we had 34 freeze-thaw cycles in the Metro area.