Full Worm Moon Brightens March Night Sky

You may have noticed how bright it was last night. Clear skies and a nearly-full Moon illuminated the early-March night sky. In case you're wondering, the Full Moon happens tomorrow, Thursday, March 8, at 4:39 a.m. EST. This month's Full Moon is known as the Full Worm Moon. However, the March Full Moon has also been called the Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon, and Lenten Moon.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the Northern and Eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring Full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, signaling the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon and was considered to be the last full Moon of Winter.

This time of the year, the sunlight is getting stronger, temperatures are slowly rising, and the frozen ground begins to thaw. You can tell the worms have begun to come awake when you find the little curly mounds of dirt on the ground. These mounds, or castings are part of nature's way of preparing the Earth for new growth. Then the flowers and herbs and trees and green grass suddenly burst out and let us know Spring is here.







It will certainly look and feel like Spring over the next couple of days. Today will be mostly sunny, breezy, and milder with a high tempertaure in the mid 50s. Tonight will be partly cloudy and not as chilly with a low near 40 degrees. Tomorrow will feature a mix of sun and clouds, but it will be breezy and quite mild with a high reaching the lower 60s. Enjoy the Full Moon and the taste of Spring.

Paul

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

Beware the Month of March

Today officially marks the first day of meteorological Spring. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that Winter ended at the stroke of midnight. There is a difference between meteorological Winter and astronomical Winter. Astronomical Winter began on December 21 when the Sun was the farthest from the Earth in the Northern Hemisphere. Meteorological Winter, on the other hand, is simply the period of the year when the Northern Hemisphere is the coldest. That lasts from December 1 through the end of February.

Today is the first day of March, and although it felt good to turn the calendar page this morning, the month is anything but serene. March is a transition month as Winter slowly yields to Spring. As for our weather, just about anything goes during the month. The best example of the unpredictable nature of March weather is illustrated on the 13th of the month. That's the date when the mercury reached 84 degrees in 1990, establishing records for the season, month, and date.

Just three years later, though, on the same date, the so-called Storm of the Century dumped over a foot of snow to the region, making it the second snowiest date on record for March at the time. Winds gusted over 40 miles an hour and wind chills were at or below zero. Most of the eastern third of the nation was affected by the massive storm, which stretched from Maine to Florida, including hurricane force winds, tornadoes, strong thunderstorms, and blizzard conditions.

And, two years ago, on March 13, 2010, we experienced an unforgettable Nor'easter which brought flooding rains, damaging winds, massive power outages, and two local fatalities. Peak wind gusts reached 50 to 60 miles an hour in most communities, resulting in downed trees and power lines. Many local roads were impassable, and rainfall rates of up to one-half inch per hour were reported across southwestern Connecticut.

So, what can we expect in March? Basically, anything and everything. Based on local climatology, the normal average daily temperature climbs eight degrees from 36 to 44. The average high temperature increases from 43 degrees at the start of March to 52 degrees by the last day of the month. The record high temperature is 84 degrees set on March 13, 1990, while the record low is four degrees established on March 19, 1967.

As far as precipitation is concerned, the average monthly total is 4.15 inches, making it the wettest month of the year. The wettest March on record occurred in 2010 when several storms brought 10.19" of rain, breaking the previous mark of 9.40" in 1953. The March 13, 2010, storm delivered 3.31" of rain. You may even recall the second wettest March day on record when 3.59 inches of rain fell on March 2, 2007. The average monthly snowfall is 4.3 inches, but there have been some memorable snowstorms. As late as March 22 nearly a foot of snow (11.1") fell in 1967.

The amount of daylight continues to grow during March, but this year we Spring ahead to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, March 11, so the evening hours will be much brighter than usual. Sunrise on March 1 happens at 6:27, and by the end of the month it will rise at 6:37, due in so small part to the start of DST. Believe it or not, the Sun sets at 5:41 this evening, but by March 31 it will set at 7:17. Personally, it will feel odd to have brighter evenings so early in the year. Not that I mind, of course.

The Vernal Equinox is less than three weeks away. Spring officially arrives Tuesday, March 20, at 1:14 a.m. EDT. That's the when the direct rays of the Sun are above the Equator, technically marking "equal day and equal night" over the face of the Earth. We'll enjoy about 12 hours of daylight on the first day of Spring, and the amount of daylight will continue to increase through late June.The Full Worm Moon happens Thursday, March 8. I'm ready for March!

Paul

Weather Research Uncovers Interesting 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

Mild Temperatures May Deliver Warmest February on Record

Despite the blustery weeekend and the likelihood of Winter weather this Wednesday, it looks like this will be the warmest February on record across southwestern Connecticut. The average temperature this month is 38.6 degrees, which is a whopping 6.3 degrees above normal and 1.3 degrees above the record of 37.3 degrees set in 1997.

A closer look at this month's record book reveals that there has been just one colder-than normal day in February. That was Februaery 12 when the daily average of 26 degrees was six degrees below normal. Every other day this month has been warmer than normal. In fact, the mercury reached 60 degrees or higher twice this month.

In addition, there have been seven days which featured average temperatures at least 10 degrees above normal, punctuated by an average temperature of 51 degrees February 1, which was 21 degrees above normal. Viewer Hillka Shulz of Stamford took the following colorful photos last week. Keep in mind that the normal average high temperature for the last week in February is 41 degrees.

Today will be another mild, breezy day with afternoon temperatures hovering close to 50 degrees under mostly sunny skies. Tonight will become mostly couldy early with a possible flurry or sprinkle and a low in the low-to-mid 30s. Tomorrow will become mostly sunny and cooler with a high in the mid 40s.

However, February will end on a stormy note as snow is expected to develop late Wednesday morning before changing to rain in the afternoon. It will become quite windy with a high temperature of close to 40 degrees. Any rain will likely change back to snow or a Wintry mix Wednesday night before ending Thursday afternoon. Leap Day may be one we'd like to jump right over!

Paul

Year-Long Stretch of Warmer-Than-Normal Temperatures

Springlike temperatures will be with us over the next couple of days as the mercury climbs well into the 50s this afternoon, courtesy of a mild South wind. This morning's "low" temperature didn't drop below 40 degrees, which is the normal afternoon high for this time of the year. Since the end of last Winter's unforgettable snowstorms in February, the average monthly temperatures in southwestern Connecticut have been above normal each of the last 12 months.

I looked at our weather record book and noticed that the last time the average monthly temperature was below normal happened in February of 2011. The average temperature that month was 31.1 degrees, which was less than one degree (-0.8) below normal. The warmest stretch has happened over the last three months, when the average monthly temperature was more than five degrees above normal in December, January, and February.

Take a look at the following chart, which shows the average monthly temperature as compared to the normal value for each month.

Month/Avg. Temp./Normal Temp./Departure

• February 2012     37.8     31.9     +5.9
• January 2012     35.7     30.1     +5.6
• December 2011     41.1     35.4     +5.7
• November 2011     49.8     45.5     +4.3
• October 2012     57.0     54.9     +2.1
• September 2011     70.1     66.2     +3.9
• August 2011     74.8     73.3     +1.5
• July 2011     77.6     74.0     +3.6
• June 2011     69.5     68.0     +1.5
• May 2011     61.1     59.0     +2.1
• April 2011     50.4     48.9     +1.5
• March 2011     39.7     39.5     +0.2
• February 2011     31.1     31.9     -0.8

Much cooler air will arrive this weekend, and it will be quite windy, especially Saturday, after the cold front crosses the region. In fact, Sunday's high temperatures may not escape the 30s. However, since it has been much warmer than normal thus far this month, the colder air this weekend should affect our strea of 12 straight months of above-average temperatures. March begins exactly one week from today. I wonder how long this streak will last?

Paul