PREVIOUS WEATHER REPORTS
February 2023 Weather
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?
Norfolk Friday Night on the Green
Norfolk’s Fridays on the Green series continues with “Woodland Celebration” on June 21, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The evening is hosted by Great Mountain Forest, The Norfolk Conservation Commission and the Norfolk Foundation with music by Aimee Van Dyne.
How many trees on the Norfolk Town Green do you think you can identify?
We will provide a tree map and key with fun facts about notable trees!
Maps and GMF merchandise including delicious maple syrup
from our forest will also be available.
GMF is the first ever officially recognized
Bird-Friendly Maple Syrup Producer in Connecticut!
The Norfolk Conservation Commission’s
Native Plant Exchange will be offering native plants
to residents who removed an invasive plant!
The NCC will have printed copies of the NRI for sale – $30.
Lindera Plant Nursery is new and unique .
They sell seeds and seedlings that are beyond native,
they are specific to Litchfield County ecoregions.
Their goal is to help you restore native habitats.
06/21/2024
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Sip and Paint in the Forest
Location change due to potential storm!!!
We will now meet at the
GMF Forestry Office
201 Windrow Road, Norfolk
We will paint at Tamarack Pond and we will be able to move into the forestry office if the storm begins. I feel this is safer than being in the middle of the forest.
I apologize for any inconvenience.
Come join artist and teacher Kathy Good for a
Sip and paint workshop by the picturesque Old Man McMullen Pond in the heart of Great Mountain Forest.
Saturday, July 6
5 PM -7 PM
We will meet at the west gate just before 5:00 and drive in about 1 mile, at Potter’s Corner we’ll turn left to follow sign toward Norfolk for McMullen Pond.
$40
Meet the artist:
Kathy Good has been the recipient of several grants and awards from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. She has been a visiting Artist and grant recipient at Weir Farm, Ridgefield Ct.
Her freshly, vigorous paint handling, provokes transcendental sensory after-images of ocean atmosphere and long low horizons, far different than the close and ethereal woodlands she formally portrayed. These current works indicate an intensity of emotional response to place and the particular poetic nature of its forms.
Text excerpted from the Art Studio of Bridget Eileen Grady.
Railroad Days
The North Canaan Events Committee will host Canaan Railroad Days. This year’s 60th Anniversary Railroad Days festival will include community dinners, a carnival, Firemen’s Parade, Train Hunt, vendor market, Family Fun Week, Roaming Railroad, and a drone show and fireworks.
Come visit our Great Mountain Forest table to get your copy of a forest trail map. We will also have delicious maple syrup and other GMF merchandise. We look forward to seeing you there.
Lawerence Field
East Main Street/ Rt 44 and 7, North Canaan, CT. Located across from McDonalds.
Saturday, July 13
10 AM- 3 PM
Bird Friendly Maple Sugarbush Walk
Saturday, May 18th, 10:00 AM
GMF Forestry Office
201 Windrow Rd, Norfolk
Join Matt Gallagher (Director of Programs and Operations, Great Mountain Forest) and Rosa Goldman (Forest Program Senior Associate, Audubon CT) to learn about the connections between maple syrup and bird conservation. Come prepared to take a walk in GMF’s sugarbush, the first Audubon-recognized bird friendly sugarbush in Connecticut. Participants will learn about Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Maple program, sugarbush habitat characteristics that support forest birds, and GMF’s management work to provide quality habitat in their sugarbush. Open to interested landowners, maple producers, and others.
$15
Forest Yoga
Escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and immerse yourself in the tranquil embrace of nature with Yoga in the Forest. Led by Vicki Nelson, a certified yoga teacher and Level 2 Reiki Practitioner. Gather at the East Gate parking area, 201 Windrow Road Norfolk. Walk to Tamarack Pond. Delve into a rejuvenating 45-minute yoga session, blending the fluid movements of Vinyasa with the grounding poses of Hatha. Afterward, return to your day feeling refreshed and centered. Join us and nourish your body, mind, and spirit amidst the beauty of nature.
Cost: In advance sliding scale- $40-$60 for 5 classes
Drop in: $8-$15 each class
Pay what you can or pay it forward!
In case of rain – location: GMF Shelter
Golf Drive, Norfolk CT
Next Session Dates: Mondays 11:30-12:30
Oct 7
NOTE: Yoga today will be at the GMF Shelter on Golf Drive, on the right just past the Curling Club.
Game of Logging
Game of Logging is a program that provides hands-on chainsaw safety training and is recognized as the premier chainsaw safety course in the country. Instructors combine demonstration with participation for a successful and safe learning experience. We are offering level 1 and level 2 on June 6-7, 2024. There are five openings in this class. Cost $250
Great Mountain Forest Barn
200 Canaan Mountain Road
Falls Village, CT 06031
Woodland Academy
The GMF Woodland Academy will provide education for landowners interested in managing their land. From understanding the ecological underpinnings of their land to assessing habitat viability for wildlife, participants will be ready to make informed decisions about the goals they set. The modules will take place in a classroom at the historic and beautiful Yale Forestry Camp before moving into the field to observe and discuss each topic. The program is open to woodland owners, land trust stewards, educators, and engaged citizens. Over the course of three modules, you will learn about the woody plants that make up CT forests and the sites in which they can be found. You will learn about how forests grow and the management principles behind obtaining the goals set for your land. You will learn about the management resources available to woodland owners and the tools you can use to improve your forest structure.
The program includes training and lunch each day. The cost to participants for all three modules is only $75.
To help us decide if you are a good match for this program, please fill out the following application.
Questions? Contact Matt Gallagher: matt@greatmountainforest.org
Dates: 3 Saturdays August 3rd, August 17th, September 14th
Place: Yale Forestry Camp, Great Mountain Forest, Falls Village, CT
