March Snowstorm Pushes Season Total Over 60 Inches

A three-day storm which featured strong winds, minor-to-moderate coastal flooding, and over a half-foot of snow across much of southwestern Connecticut pushed the season snowfall total to more than five feet. The snow began late Thursday evening and began accumulating as temperatures dropped into the lower 30s Thursday night. By the time the snow tapered off this afternoon, some local communities received over a foot of snow.

Here is a sampling of local snowfall totals through early this afternoon:

• New Canaan: 12.3"
• Greenwich: 10.0"
• Redding: 10.0"
• Norwalk: 8.5"
• Stamford: 8.0"
• Weston: 7.0"
• Bridgeport: 6.0"

The seasonal snowfall eclipsed 60 inches (61.3"), which is just shy of the 62.6" of snow two years ago. Officially, nine inches of snow fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport today, breaking the record of 3.5" on this date in 2005 and pushing the monthly snow total to ten inches. This Winter may finish in the top five for snowfall on record in southwestern Connecticut. Michael Blake of Milford took this photo from his home early this morning. The heavy, wet snow created a picturesque setting.

Here are the snowiest Winters on record in southwestern Connecticut:

• 1995-96: 76.8"
• 1933-34: 71.3"
• 1947-48: 65.7"
• 2010-11: 62.6"

The storm began Wednesday afternoon with sustained Northeast winds of 30-plus miles an hour and a peak wind gust of 45 miles an hour.  Strong winds continued Thursday along with Coastal Flood Advisories during the times of high tide. Tide levels reached two-to-three feet above normal, causing minor-to-moderate flooding along the immediate shoreline. There was a peak wind gust of 41 miles an hour.

Paul

Tokeneke School's Second-Graders Shine as Weatherkids Stars

I visited with the second-grade classes at Tokeneke School in Darien yesterday, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The kids enjoyed the many weather experiments and sang a weather-related song about snow.

 

 Paul

Winter Blast Precedes Annual Spring Forward

Another Winter storm is bearing down on southwestern Connecticut, and this one will bring damaging winds, coastal flooding, beach erosion, and snow. Wet snow and rain will develop tomorrow afternoon along with a gusty East wind. All snow is expected by tomorrow night when winds may gust over 50 to 60 miles an hour. A Coastal Flood Watch has been issued for the shoreline from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning for tides running three-to-four feet above normal.

Believe it or not, we "Spring ahead" to Daylight Saving Time this Sunday morning at 2 o'clock. Traditionally, the start of Daylight Saving Time was originally set on the first Sunday in April. However, former President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 in August of that year. The Act changed the date for Daylight Saving Time.

Aside from the benefits of brighter evenings and commutes home from work, one of the biggest reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time is that it saves energy. Energy use and the demand for electricity for lighting our homes is directly connected to when we go to bed and when we get up. Bedtime for most of us is late evening through the year. That's when we turn off the lights and TV.

According to the energy commission, in the average home, 25 percent of all the electricity we use is for lighting and small appliances, such as TVs, VCRs and stereos. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By moving the clock ahead one hour, we can cut the amount of electricity we consume each day.

Studies done in the 1970s by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that we trim the entire country's electricity usage by about one percent each day with Daylight Saving Time. We also use less electricity because we are home fewer hours during the "longer" days of Spring and Summer. That's certainly welcome news for those of us living in southwestern Connecticut. If you're a parent like I am, you probably find yourself telling your children to turn off lights and any electrical devices they are not using.

Most people plan outdoor activities in the extra daylight hours. When we are not at home, we don't turn on the appliances and lights. A poll done by the U.S. Department of Transportation indicated that Americans liked Daylight Saving Time because "there is more light in the evenings (and they) can do more in the evenings."

So you may be wondering if there are any drawbacks to the switch. For one, it will be darker in the morning. Next Monday, March 11, the sunrise in southwestern Connecticut will happen at 7:09, which is the time the Sun normally rises in early-to-mid-December. Unfortunately, it will stay darker longer in the morning, and many high school students will be waiting for the bus in the dark.

Another negative is that the earlier change to DST puts the United States out of sync with the rest of the world for longer than usual, almost certainly disrupting not just computers but the business and travel schedules of workers and travelers. Most internal clocks in computing devices were programmed for the old daylight-time calendar, which Congress set in 1986. And, don't forget, we lose an hour of much-needed sleep, too.

So, while we prepare for another blast from Old Man Winter, know that Spring is just around the corner. The Vernal Equinox is two weeks from tomorrow, and April Fools Day is less than four weeks away.

Paul

Recent History Suggests Snowy March

Are you a snow-lover? If so, I'm sure you had more than your fill in February. The blizzard which brought two-and-a-half to three-feet of snow to the region last month was one for the record books. However, if recent history is any indication, we may not be done with snow just yet. Local climatologist Ralph Fato opened up the weather record book and found that more than three inches of snow fell in March across southwestern Connecticut more than half the time (58%) over the last 64 years.

In fact, we've had more than three inches of snow in each of the last odd-numbered years since 1997. The snowiest year during the stretch was in 2005 when more than a foot-and-a-half (18.5") fell. More than nine inches of snow (9.7") blanketed the region in March of 2009. Take a look at the graphic Ralph produced which illustrates local March snowfall from 1949 through 2012.

The normal snowfall for March at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford is 4.3 inches based on more than 40 years of climatology. The month can offer extremes in weather, though, punctuated by a record high temperature of 84 degrees on March 13, 1990, and The Storm of the Century, which delivered nearly a foot of snow three years to the day later.

The snowiest March on record occurred in 1967 when nearly two feet (21.8") fell, while 1956 (19.4") and 2001 (18.6") had more than a foot-and-a-half. More than a foot of snow fell in both 1958 (12.6") and 1993 (13.7"). In case you're wondering, just a trace of snow fell in March of 2012 and 3.2" were recorded in 2011.

A coastal storm will bring some snow to the region later Wednesday into Thursday. The GFS model is showing a more Northern track, and that means a snowier sceanrio. The European model, which has been the most reliable this Winter, takes the storm farther South. But, the wind will become an issue Wednesday night into Thursday with wind gusts in excess of 50 miles an hour. Coastal flooding is more than likely with a strong East wind.

Paul

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

Beware the Month of March

Today officially marks the last day of meteorological Winter. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that Winter ends 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.

Tomorrow is the first day of March, and although it will feel good to turn the calendar page, 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, three 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 10, 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 Thursday, March 20, at 7:02 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 March 27 at 5:27 a.m. I'm ready for March!

Paul