PREVIOUS WEATHER REPORTS

Fifth Warmest April on Record

By Russell Russ

April’s weather this year was highlighted by summerlike conditions early in
the month. Unlike last year when April started off cool and ended warm, this
April started off warm, went to hot, then went to cool. After a very snowy
March, it was quite the rebound to be seeing eighty degree temperatures less
than a month later. The early spring warmth provided a jump start for trees and
plants, but cooler temperatures later in the month slowed their progress. New
England weather is always interesting.
With an average monthly mean temperature of 48.0, April was 4.9 degrees
above normal. It was Norfolk’s fifth warmest April over the last ninety-two
years. April’s low temperature of 21 degrees was observed on April 3 and the
high of 87 was observed on April 14. New daily record high temperatures were
set on April 13 with 83 (was 82 in 1945) and on April 14 with 87 (was 78 in
1938). A high of 73 on April 6 was one degree shy of the 1942 and 1991 record
of 74. Norfolk’s warmest April was in 2010 with 49.4 degrees and the coldest
was in 1943 with 36.8 degrees.
The total precipitation recorded for the month was 3.71 inches, 0.57 inch below
normal. It was a very dry month up to April 22-23 when Norfolk received 2.32
inches in a two day span, then received another 0.72 inch during the last few
days of the month. Had it not been for a good rain effort during the last week of
the month, this April would have ranked as Norfolk’s driest on record.
Norfolk’s driest April was in 1941 with 1.15 inches, the wettest was in 1983
with 10.79 inches. Through April, the total precipitation for the year was 15.30
inches, 0.97 inch below normal.
This April saw no actual snowfall. There was just one day with brief scattered
sleet and graupel showers, which are considered wintry precipitation and are
recorded as “snowfall”. Norfolk’s average April snowfall amount is 6.1 inches.
There have been many Aprils with very little or no snowfall. The snowiest
April was in 1997 when Norfolk accumulated an impressive monthly total of
31.1 inches.
Through April, the 2023 calendar year’s snowfall total of 49.0 inches was 15.4
inches below normal. The 2022-2023 winter season (October-April) snowfall
total of 63.3 inches was 25.4 inches below normal. This winter season has been

below normal for snowfall, but it totaled twenty inches more than last winter.
This winter would have been near record low for snowfall had it not been for
March’s impressive total of 31.3 inches. The winter season technically runs
through May, but it is not looking like Norfolk will see any May snowfall this
year. Norfolk’s top three least snowy winters are: 2015-2016 with 35.5 inches,
1994-1995 with 40.9 inches, and 2021-2022 with 43.7 inches. Norfolk’s
snowiest winter season was in 1955-1956 with 177.4 inches.
A look ahead at May’s weather through nearly four weeks showed that
temperatures and precipitation were running a little below normal. There was
one day with brief sleet showers, but there was no snowfall this May. Weather
forecasts are showing nice weather for Memorial Day Weekend. Having nice
weather for local parades and the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department’s annual
William F. Kelley Memorial Road Race is always a good thing.

Big Late Season Snowstorm

By Russell Russ

March’s weather this year was highlighted by the big snowstorm that affected
the region during the middle of the month. March was running about average
for temperature, precipitation and snowfall up to the middle of the month.
Weather patterns and conditions finally worked out for the Northeast to get a
good old fashioned Nor’easter snowstorm. Patterns just worked against their
formation for most of this winter season. The total snowfall measured at the
weather station was 19.7 inches. An impressive two day total. Totals reached
24 inches to 30 inches from North Norfolk into the Berkshires and southern
Vermont. March’s monthly snowfall currently makes up roughly half of this
winter’s total snowfall amount.
March’s high temperature of 57 degrees was observed on March 22 and the
low of 18 was observed on March 31. With a monthly mean temperature of
33.2 degrees, March was 2.5 degrees warmer than normal, but only ranked
as Norfolk’s 22 nd warmest March. There were no daily temperature records
set this month. Norfolk’s warmest March was in 2012 with 41.8 degrees, the
coldest was in 1960 with 21.2 degrees.
The total precipitation recorded for the month was 4.21 inches. This was just
0.13 inch below normal. Roughly half of this month’s total precipitation, 2.03
inches, came from the mid-month snowstorm. Norfolk’s driest March was in
1981 with 0.64 inch, the wettest was in 1953 with 10.37 inches. Through the
first quarter of 2023, the total precipitation amount was 11.59 inches, just 0.40
inch below normal. We may not be doing so well with snowfall, but we are
getting precipitation.
March’s monthly snowfall total of 31.3 inches was 13.8 inches above normal.
It was Norfolk’s 12 th snowiest March over the last 92 years. The largest storm
snowfall from March, and for the entire winter season, was the 19.7 inches
from the March 13-15 storm. Snow on ground depths ranged from 5 inches to
a peak of 26 inches during the month. There was snow on the ground every
day of the month. The March with the most snowfall, also the snowiest month
of any month on record for Norfolk, was in 1956 with 73.6 inches. The least
snowy March on record was 2021 with just 0.1 inch.
The 2022-2023 winter season (October-March) snowfall total through March

was 63.3 inches, 19.3 inches below normal. Below normal, but fairly
respectable and not even in the top 15 least snowy winters, with much thanks
to March for its solid snow effort. Norfolk’s snowiest winter was 1955-1956
with 177.4 inches and the least snowy winter was 2015-2016 with 35.5
inches. Last winter, 2021-2022, ranked as Norfolk’s 3 rd least snowy winter
with 43.4 inches.
April started out with some very nice springtime weather. For a couple of days
during the middle of the month it felt more summer-like with record heat.
Norfolk reached 83 degrees on April 13 and 87 on April 14, both record high
temperatures for those dates. Precipitation, however, was very low. Through
April 21, this April was ranking as the driest and 2 nd warmest April on record.
Temperatures are forecasted to be cooler than normal for the remainder of
the month, but this April will still likely end up being highly ranked for warmth.
Considerable rainfall on April 22-23 will greatly add to this month’s
precipitation total and likely make it closer to normal by the end of the month.

Big March 2023 Snowstorm
By Russell Russ
The first two weeks of March were fairly normal with normal temperatures and
even several days with snowfall. Due to this winter’s prevailing weather patterns,
Southern New England had not seen any big Nor’easter-type storms. That all
changed on March 13.
The storm began slowly with light snow showers during the day on March 13.
There was just a dusting by 6:00 pm. The snow then fell moderate to heavy after
6:00 pm and stayed that way until the early evening of March 14. By 8:00 am
March 14, the total was 8.6 inches. By 2:00 pm, the total was 13.5 inches. By 8:00
am March 15, the total snowfall reached 19.7 inches (at Norfolk’s NWS weather
station). The heaviest snow fell from 6:00 pm March 13 to 8:00 pm March 14. As
recorded at the weather station, two miles southwest of the center of town, the total
snowfall amount was an impressive 19.7 inches. There were reports of 25 inches or
more in North Norfolk and over the border into Massachusetts. It was a classic
elevation driven snowstorm with higher elevations getting more snow. Lower
elevations got mostly rain. There were incredible snow depth differences in just a
few miles distance. Elevation means everything with these types of storms.
Due to the amount of snow and the fact that the snow was heavy and wet, it hung
on trees and power lines causing numerous issues around town. Several roads were
left unplowed for a day or more due to plow trucks not being able to pass downed
or low hanging wires. At the same time, the power crews had a difficult time
accessing the sites due to unplowed roads. Fortunately the official weather
observer has a 4-wheel drive truck, allowing him to get to the weather station, even
in big snowstorms.
Adding some additional excitement to the storm, Jon Barbagallo from Norfolk’s
Emergency Management Office put on a Snowfall Contest to see who could guess
the correct amount of snowfall (as recorded at Norfolk’s weather station). Snowfall
contests have been done a few times in recent years and they always draw many
contestants. The winner for this storm’s contest guessed the exact correct total of
19.7 inches.
This March storm produced the largest snowfall total Norfolk has seen in many
years. It was a good one, but only ranks as fifth for March snowstorms. Norfolk
has seen some big March storms. The largest was March 22-23, 1977 when 26.5
inches was recorded from one storm.

The storm definitely helped this winter’s bleak snowfall totals. Prior to the storm,
with 10.4 inches included from early March, Norfolk’s winter total was 42.4
inches, 40.2 inches below normal. After the storm, with March’s total of 30.1
inches, the season total is up to a more respectable 62.1 inches, but still 20.5 inches
below normal. Can one storm save winter? On paper maybe it can.

Another Warm Winter Month

By Russell Russ

After a warm November and December and the warmest January on record,
it was a shock to have February start out so cold. February’s first week was
considerably colder than normal. Many were thinking that winter might finally
have arrived, but those thoughts were dashed as the month progressed. By
the last week of the month, with warmer temperatures the norm and hardly
any snowfall, most people had given up on winter and were ready for spring.
February is typically a solid winter month in Norfolk, but that was not the case
this year.
The month’s low temperature of minus 17 was observed on February 4. This
was a daily record low for this date and the coldest temperature recorded
since the minus 19 that was recorded on February 14, 2016. It was a one day
cold snap and then temperatures turned warmer for most of the rest of the
month. The month’s high temperature of 57 was observed on February 15.
Two days tied record daily high temperatures. A high of 50 on February 10
tied the 2002 record and a high of 54 on February 17 tied the 2011 record.
The monthly mean temperature was 28.6 degrees. It was 6.4 degrees above
normal and was tied with February 2020 as Norfolk’s seventh warmest
February over the last 92 years. The warmest February on record was in
2002 with 30.7 degrees. The coldest was in 1934 with 9.0 degrees, making
that also the coldest month of any month as recorded at this weather station.
The coldest temperature recorded at this weather station (since January
1932) was minus 26 degrees on February 16, 1943. On that same day, a
temperature of minus 37 was recorded at a satellite valley weather station on
Westside Road.
Total precipitation recorded for the month was 1.70 inches, 1.93 inches below
normal. This February was the driest (and least snowy) right up until the third
week of the month. It ended up being Norfolk’s sixth driest February. A
majority of this month’s precipitation was in the form of rain, freezing rain and
sleet, with a small portion coming as snowfall. Once again, this winter’s
weather patterns were just not forming in a way to produce much snow here
in Norfolk. The record for most February total precipitation is 11.70 inches
from 1981, the least amount is 0.60 inch from 1987.
February’s monthly snowfall total of 9.7 inches was 10.6 inches below

normal. There was no measurable snowfall until February 21 and the month
was ranking as the least snowy February right up until the last day of the
month when Norfolk received 5.9 inches of snow. This February ended up
being Norfolk’s fifteenth least snowy February. Snow on ground depths
ranged from nothing to two inches until the last day of the month when it
peaked at eight inches. The record for most February snowfall is 52.4 inches
from 1969 and the least is 4.8 inches from 1998.
The 2023 calendar year snowfall total through February was 17.7 inches,
23.1 inches below normal. The snowfall total for this winter season (October
through February) was 32.0 inches, 33.1 inches below normal. In recent
years Norfolk has seen several low snowfall winters and this season seems
to be no different. March and April can be snowy in Norfolk, but by late
February most people had given up on winter and were ready for spring.
Could March bring some surprises?