More than a year’s worth of snow has fallen over the course of three weeks creating an extraordinary situation for everyone in the tri-town.

“This is absolutely unprecedented,” said Marion Town Administrator Paul Dawson on Tuesday, a day after crews dealt with weekend storms that dropped 17 inches of snow. “The quantity of the snow we’ve had rivals most winter seasons.”

According to data from the NOAA National Climatic Data Center, the average annual snowfall for New Bedford is 33 inches. New Bedford is the closest municipality to the tri-town with official snowfall totals.

Locally, Marion resident Jay Pateakos and his family have been measuring snow totals as amateur weather watchers.

“Snowfall is tough and definitely not an exact science,” Pateakos said. “I’ve got 49 inches so far since Jan. 1, which includes five different storms.”

Starting at the end of last year, Pateakos got his children involved as weather watchers to increase awareness of their environment. Recording snow totals during a historic stretch of weather is something they couldn’t have predicted.

“It’s certainly a talking point in the family,” he said.

Measuring the snow is a low-tech affair. As the flakes fall the family picks an open spot in the yard and uses a ruler to get the snow total. A wind gauge is also used for estimating gusts, but again, Pateakos said it’s not an exact science.

“There are times I wish I had formal training because the wind is blowing and attacking the wind chimes. And then you go out there…and record three-mile-per-hour winds. Huh?” he said.

Based on the height of snowdrifts piled throughout the tri-town, residents don’t need official and amateur recorded snowfall totals to know this winter is exceptional.

“There’s been no comparable winter of back to back to back snow that I can recall in ten years living in Marion,” Pateakos said. Instead, the tri-town landscape recalls a Maine winter he experienced in 1995.

“It snowed so much I never thought it would ever melt,” Pateakos said. “It’s getting to that point now.”

That year, snow records across New England were broken. For Boston, it was the snowiest year since records were kept starting in 1891.

Winter started in earnest late January when a blizzard prompted a statewide travel ban on Jan. 27. Since then, a week hasn’t gone by without significant snowfall.

As the snow continues, Dawson said Marion Department of Public Works crews have been working hard.

“[The DPW] has been incredible,” Dawson said. “These guys have been working almost nonstop…We’re talking about taking a group of individuals and taxing them to their limits, but they always rally to get the job done.”

Dawson said planning additional snow removal has been hampered by more storms.

“Every time we talk about finding a place to put the snow, another storm has arrived,” Dawson said.

While Boston officials have opted to dump excess snow in the ocean, Dawson said Marion isn’t in that situation yet. However, it could be an option of last resort if snow keeps falling.

“The roads can only get so narrow,” Dawson said.

To treat Mattapoisett roads, Highway Surveyor Barry Denham ordered 140 tons of sand Tuesday morning.

With sand in high demand, Denham said he was glad it’s on the way.

“I wasn’t sure that the order could be filled,” he said. “This should give our crews somewhere between ten to twelve sandings.”

This week alone DPW employees have logged 36 hours of overtime as of Tuesday evening to deal with weekend snow.

After the snow stopped, high winds covered streets that had been cleared hours before.

“Quite a few roads needed a second plowing,” Denham said. “This is the worst winter I’ve seen and I’ve been plowing for fifty years.”

He credited DPW crews for working through the seemingly endless winter.

“I just want to say all of the people that are working full time and part time are doing an excellent job,” Denham said.

In Rochester, Town Administrator Mike McCue said storms are coming so fast that private plow contractors haven’t had time to bill the town.

The town’s snow removal budget is $68,000. McCue said the amount spent is well over that, but he doesn’t have an exact figure.

“I have yet to receive bills from the Jan. 28 storm owing to the fact that the private contractors we hire are working nonstop,” McCue said. “They haven’t had time.”

Rochester roads are plowed using a half and half mix of town highway crews and private contractors.

McCue said when crews aren’t clearing roads they are working to remove snow piled up at intersections.

“We are trying to shave down corners to increase visibility and tackle some of those drifts,” McCue said. “At that point you need to use heavy equipment and loaders. We don’t have an ocean to push it into, unfortunately.”