Weather Research Uncovers Unusual Newspaper Clippings

I'm sure you're aware by now that I'm somewhat of a local weather historian. Not a day goes by without me taking a cursory glance at the local weather record book. Obviously, some dates provide more interesting weather facts than others. This morning, though, I was surprised to find out about a unique snowstorm which happened on this date in 1949.

According to the record book, over a foot (12.6") of snow fell across southwestern Connecticut, but record snow blanketed much of inland Connecticut. Naturally, I searched my newspaper archives to find more information about the storm, and I came across the front-page of The Naugatuck Daily News, dated Tuesday, March 1, 1949. Take a look at the headline.

United Press International reported that the weather bureau confirmed that the daily snowfall for February 28, 1949, was the heaviest of any single 24-hour storm on record as of that date. The official Hartford snowfall measured 19 inches. However, heavier snow amounts fell across northwestern Connecticut. The previous record was 18.2" in 1945.

"Naugatuck is digging out from 23-and-a-half inches of snow as the worst storm of the Winter subsides," according to the front-page article. "Two persons are dead in Connecticut as a result of the storm, but the borough has been free from fatalities, serious accidents, or injuries in connection with the weather."

Statistics from the Naugatuck Water Company showed that the 10th snowstorm of that memorable Winter brought the season's total to 57 inches. Liquid precipitation totaled 1.78 inches. For the 24-hour period ending the following morning, March 1, the minimum temperature was 28 degrees, and the maximum temperature was 33 degrees.

Oh, and here's an advertisement I saw on one of the pages of the newspaper. I think you'll get a kick out of it. The ad doesn't mention how much the new automobile cost, but we can only guess. At least we know the weather statistics from that storm 63 years ago today.

Paul