Record-Setting Blizzard Punctuates Unforgettable February

Welcome to March. Today is the first day of meteorological --- or climatological --- Spring, which runs from March through May. Unlike astronomical seasons, which are determined by the Earth's position in relation to the Sun, meteorological seasons are categorized by temperature. Meteorological Winter is the coldest quarter of the year (December-February), while meteorological Summer is the warmest (June-August). The quarter between these periods is meteorological Spring.

A record-setting blizzard which brought more than three feet of snow to Milford and paralyzed many local communities for nearly a week highlighted our February weather. The storm, which began Friday morning, February 8, peaked during the early morning hours of Saturday, February 9, when snow fell at the rate of nearly three inches an hour. When all was said and done, Milford (38"), Fairfield (35"), and Stratford (30") were buried under heavy snow. The two-day total at Sikorsky Memorial Airport was exactly 30 inches.

The 30 inches of snow helped push the monthly precipitation total to more than five inches (5.02"), which is nearly double the normal (2.79"). The month normally averages 7.2" of snow. There were 14 days (50%) with at least one-hundredth of an inch of precipitation, seven days with more than a tenth of an inch, four days with more than a half-inch, and two days with more than an inch of liquid. In case you're wondering, the wettest February on record happened in 1972 when more than a half-foot (6.65") of precipitation fell.

Last month was just the second colder-than-normal month at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in the last two years. The average temperature was 31.3 degrees, which is 1.1 degrees below normal. The only other month which was colder-than-normal since February of 2011 was November of last year. The warmest temperature last month was 45 degrees (February 15 & 28), while the coldest was seven degrees (February 10) for a 38-degree range.

There were seven days with a maximum high temperature of 32 degrees or below and 23 days with a minimum temperature of at least freezing. Ten of the first 11 days last month were colder-than-normal, while temperatures were at or above normal from February 12 through February 16. In fact, 13 of the last 17 days last month were warmer-than-normal, including the last six days. Overall, 14 days featured below-normal temperatures and 11 days were above normal. There were three days with a normal average temperature.

This weekend will be fairly quiet, but we'll see plenty of clouds, especially Sunday, as a storm system retreats from the North and East. Daytime high temperatures will reach the lower 40s, which is normal for this time of the year. However, we'll be monitoring a coastal storm by the middle of next week. The European computer model is bringing the storm closer. Otherwise, daytime high temperatures will reach the lower 40s and nighttime lows will drop into the 30s early next week.

Paul