March Roared Like a Lion Three Years Ago Today

March came roaring in like a lion three years ago today, delivering more than a half-foot of snow across southwestern Connecticut, Monday, March 2, 2009. Adding insult to injury, roads, walkways, and driveways remained extremely icy as temperatures struggled to reach the mid 20s with wind gusts over 20 miles an hour through the next day. It certainly didn't look or feel like Spring was less than three weeks away.

Officially, 7.6 inches of snow fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford three years ago, a record snowfall for the date. Add the 2.1 inches of snow which fell the night before, and that pushed the March snowfall total to 9.7 inches, well above the 4.3-inch normal for the entire month. New Canaan (9.5") and Darien (8.5") also received a healthy blanket of new snow. Take a look at a few of the photos I received from our loyal viewers following the March 2, 2009 snowstorm.

That brought the 2008-09 Winter snow total to 43.1 inches, more than double the 20.4 inch normal through the date. The previous year, just over 20 inches of snow were recorded through the same period. By comparison, this Winter, we've seen just over a foot (13.6") of snow, while we saw a whopping 59.4 inches through this date last year.

March weather can be especially brutal across southwestern Connecticut. The March 2, 2009 snow ranks fourth on the list of all-time snowiest March days on record at the airport. The Blizzard of 1888 notwithstanding, nearly a foot of snow (11.1") fell on March 22, 1967, and 10.6" of snow blanketed the region during the infamous Storm of the Century on Saturday, March 13, 1993. The third snowiest March day on record happened on March 22, 1956, when 9.8 inches fell.

Perhaps the most memorable March snow event happened on Easter Sunday, March 29, 1974, when over a half-foot of snow (7.6") hit the region. Bitter cold air followed in the wake of the storm, and it caused schools and businesses to close. Fortunately, our weather doesn't include snow and ice over the next seven days. However, it will turn wet, windy, and mild for the start of the weekend.

A storm system will bring rain, a possible thunderstorm, gusty winds, and milder temperatures this evening through tomorrow morning. More than a half-inch of rain is possible, and winds may gust over 25 to 30 miles an hour tomorrow. The rain should develop between 8 and 9 o'clock this evening as temperatures climb well into the 40s by daybreak. Sunday will be generally fair, breezy, and cooler with a high in the 40s.

Paul