PREVIOUS WEATHER REPORTS

Typical Mud Season in Norfolk

By Russell Russ

March 2007 weather highlights from Norfolk’s National weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2SW, as recorded by the great Mountain Forest Corporation. The station has recorded weather observations since January 1, 1932.

The month’s high temperature of 69 degrees was observed on March 14. This was a record high temperature for that date. It replaced the old record of 68 degrees set back in 1990. The low temperature of minus 5 degrees was observed on March 6. The average temperature this month was 30.4 degrees which was just 0.1 degree above normal.

This March saw nineteen days with measurable precipitation and unfortunately not many nice clear early spring days. The end result was a typical mud season in Norfolk. There were numerous days where we received only a little snow then it turned to rain or sleet or freezing rain. Norfolk usually will get more snow during these types of storms, but this year that snow line was to the north of us. Freezing rain on March 2 accumulated to about a quarter inch of ice on trees and wires causing some power outages throughout town. The storm on March 16 dumped 11 inches of snow at the station, but there were reports around town of 12 inches all the way up to 16 inches.

The total precipitation recorded for the month was 4.72 inches which was 0.27 inches above normal. The 16.4 inches of snowfall recorded was 2.3 inches below the normal monthly snowfall amount.

Through the first quarter of 2007 we are 1.75 inches below normal for total precipitation and 24.0 inches below normal for snowfall. Our winter season (October through March) snowfall total through March is 39.5 inches. Comparing this winter season to date to the last 75 years we are now 49.0 inches below a normal winter season’s snowfall total.

We ended the month with ice still covering Tobey Pond and Wangum Lake. Last year the ice went out between March 28 and March 30. Typically, the ice goes out sometime between late March and the first or second week of April.

Winter came back with a cold and windy month

By Russell Russ

February 2007 weather highlights from Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2SW, as recorded by the Great Mountain Forest Corporation. The station has recorded weather observations since January 1, 1932.

The month’s high temperature of 43 degrees was observed on February 20. The low temperature of minus 3 degrees was observed on February 19. The average temperature this month was 17.1 degrees which was 4.2 degrees below normal. Yes, below normal. The coldest temperature ever recorded (officially) in Connecticut, minus 37 degrees, occurred on February 16, 1943. It was observed in Norfolk at our “valley” station, located just off Westside Road. Our neighbors at the Falls Village Weather Service station on that date recorded minus 32 while our Norfolk 2SW station had minus 26 degrees.

Although it wasn’t a record setting cold month it sure felt like it at times with all the wind we had. There were at least eight days where we observed wind chill values at or below zero degrees and remember there were only 28 days this month. The coldest wind chill value we saw at the station was minus 28 degrees on February 19.

The total precipitation recorded for the month was 2.73 inches which was 1.01 inches below normal. We did finally get some snow this month. The monthly snowfall total of 17.5 inches was 4.1 inches below normal. The winter storm on February 13 and 14 produced 6 inches of a nasty mixture of sleet and snow that proved to be quite difficult to shovel, plow or blow. For those who enjoy snow removal this particular storm took the fun right out of it.

Our Winter Season (October through April) snowfall total through February is 23.1 inches. Comparing this season to date to the last 75 years we are now 46.7 inches below a normal season’s snowfall total.

Finally some colder temperatures, but still not much snow

By Russell Russ

Here are the weather highlights from January 2007 as recorded at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2SW, by the Great Mountain Forest Corporation. Norfolk 2SW has recorded weather observations since January 1, 1932.

The month’s high temperature of 62 degrees was recorded on January 6. This was a record warm temperature for that date beating the old record of 54 degrees set back in 1993. A high temperature of 56 degrees on January 5 was also a record warm temperature for that date beating the old record of 54 degrees also set back in 1993. The low temperature of 5 degrees below zero was recorded on January 26. Cold for this winter, but really fairly typical for a Norfolk January. A much warmer than normal first half of the month was followed by a normal to just below normal second half. The average temperature was 26.4 degrees which was 6.1 degrees above normal, but not record setting. Cold temperatures and high winds in the latter half of the month gave rise to numerous days recording wind chill values in the range of 10 to 30 degrees below zero. On January 17 both Tobey Pond and Wangum Lake finally froze over for the season. On January 26 Tobey’s ice depth was almost 7 inches.

The total precipitation recorded for the month was 3.00 inches which was 1.01 inches below normal. The month’s 4.1 inches of total snowfall was 17.6 inches below normal. This was the second least amount of snowfall for a January in our 75 years of recording. January 1980 recorded the least snowfall for a January with 2.6 inches. Had we not received 2.3 inches of snow on January 30 this January would own that least snow amount record.

Our Winter Season (October 2006 through April 2007) snowfall total through January is only 5.6 inches. Comparing this season to date to the last 75 years we are now 42.6 inches below a normal season’s snowfall total. We are most likely pushing another record, but let’s get through February and March first. Those two months have dumped some serious snow on Norfolk in the past.