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Durham NH Weather Review, 2001 December, 2001 This past December may not have been particularly memorable to most folks, but to weather statisticians and home heating contractors it was one that will hard to forget. The latter must have found their oil trucks grounded for most of the month, while the former were delighted to report one of the mildest December's on record all over New England. The December temperatures in Durham averaged an impressive 9 degrees above normal, making it the warmest December on record since 1895. Furthermore, during early December, three daily records were broken in the Seacoast with record high temperatures of 68, 64, and 73, recorded on December 1, 5, and 6, respectively. Precipitation for December totaled only about 2.5 inches, including rain and the liquid equivalent of the snowfall, whereas about 4 inches is considered normal. Only two snow events occured (on the 9th and 17th), totaling close to 7 inches of snow, which is only about half of normal. So, the drought of 2001 continues. In fact, according to the Palmer Severity Drought Index, this is second worst drought on record statewide over the past 100+ years, bowing only to the drought of 1965. Needless to say, the combination of warm temperatures and the lack of snow has made this past month a real loser for the skiers and ice skaters. Add to that a soaking rain on Christmas Eve that guaranteed a brown Christmas and you would have to say that a significant fraction of the population was unhappy with the weather during December of 2001. The entire year of 2001 also had some unpleasant weather news especially for farmers and those folks that depend on shallow wells for their water supply. Despite the very heavy snowfall last March and some heavy downpours in June, precipitation was well below normal every month during the rest of the year in this area. In fact, for the state of New Hampshire as a whole, 2001 was the third driest year on record, behind 1941 and 1965. All the weather news for 2001 was not bad. There were no extended heat waves during the summer, even though temperatures reached into the low 90's away from the coast during the middle of the summer. The sea breeze was very effective even on those days with 90 degree plus readings. Although we don't have the any statistics, we suspect that the combination of dry weather and temperatures into the 90s in interior sections of New England on numerous days must have produced an above normal influx of tourists visiting the beaches during 2001. So what's ahead for January 2002? Typically, January is the coldest month of the year with average afternoon high temperatures near 33 degrees and morning temperatures near 11 degrees. Snow averages about 16 inches. Climatically, the coldest day of the year occurs around January 17, whereas it is all uphill, temperature-wise, after that - at least according to the long-term averages. November, 2001 No matter what kind of weather we experience, there will always be some happy folks and some unhappy ones. It is hard to conceive of anyone not enjoying the warm November we've just experienced, except of course, those who enjoy winter sports and skiing. Temperature for November averaged over 4 degrees above normal, making it the third warmest November on record dating back to 1895! Warmer Novembers in Durham occurred in 1948 and 1999, respectively. Also, the lowest temperature we've experienced so far this season was only 22 degrees, and that occurred on October 31! If you are concerned with home heating bills, this news must make you very happy. The most significant weather story these days, however, is the lack of rainfall. Despite the fact that November is often the wettest month of the year, only 1.2 inches of rain was recorded in Durham in November, which is 3.7 inches below normal. Furthermore, rainfall since mid-July has been less than half of normal, and the period from August through November has been the driest on record in Durham over the past 107 years. Needless to say, we are currently in the midst of a Severe Drought! Shallow wells are drying up; rivers, lakes and reservoirs are well below normal - and in some cases, reaching record lows. We surely could use some rain before the ground freezes, because frozen soil forms a nearly impervious barrier between the surface and the underground water, making recharge most difficult. Despite the minor snow event on the 29th, we still await the first significant snowstorm, which arrives on average, on November 24 -hence it is already late. Skiers must certainly be bummed out these days, with the closing of many resorts recently due to the warm, snow-free weather. In summary, November of 2001 was a joy to some of us and a bummer for others. So far, December has been following in November's footsteps. Will the skiers be waxing their ski's in vain this year? Probably not. Usually we see at least 3 to 4 days with measurable snow during the month and daytime temperatures by Christmas time are usually close to freezing with night-time lows often in the upper teens. However, just two years ago (another warm November) there was no accumulating snow, and temperatures averaged 4 degrees above normal! However, in December, even though just about anything can happen weather- wise, there are a few sure bets. The first is that the solstice will occur on the 21st at 2:21PM, and the second is that there will be lots of happy kids on the morning of the 25th - perhaps even happier if it is a white Christmas. In the past, the ground had been covered with snow in this area on Christmas Day more often than not - about 60% of the time. Predicting the precise weather conditions for Christmas Day this far in advance can only be done by soothsayers...and the Farmers Almanac. The true professionals will wait for at least couple of days before the 25th to venture their prognostications. No matter what the weather is like on the Big Day, we hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! October, 2001 October 2001 weather will be remembered as mild and dry and with yet another spectacular foliage season. The average temperature during this past month was 52 degrees, which is over 2 degrees above normal. The first official freeze occurred on the morning of the 9th, when the temperature dipped down to 30 degrees in Durham and 32 in York. The first "killing frost" (with temperatures less than 28 degrees) took place on the 29th, with a minimum temperature of 25 degrees, not only inland but along the coast as well with the York observation matching that of Durham. Needless to say, our mums have perished, which is in stark contrast to last year, when they persisted well into November. Precipitation for October totaled only about 1.5 inches. That is only about 40 percent of what is considered as normal for the month. Consequently the drought that is currently plaguing this area, and most of northern New England, was not helped by October rainfall. At this point in time, almost all of Maine, northern New Hampshire and northern Vermont are experiencing severe drought conditions, while southern New Hampshire and southern Maine are weathering a moderate drought. These conditions are manifested by low stream flow, low reservoir levels, and low ground water tables. Although no significant snow has been reported in the Seacoast area, flurries were spotted early in the month (on the 8th), and there was some accumulating snow farther west, near Manchester. So what's ahead for November? There are some sure bets such as the daylight hours decreasing by exactly one hour and more than 90 percent of the leaves will be off of the trees by the 30th. Usually, the first snow event of one inch or more typically occurs close to Thanksgiving Day, but the first event has arrived as earlier as October 11 (in 1979) and as late as January 16 (in 2000). The average daily high and low temperatures are 49 and 29 degrees, respectively, and snowfall averages about 3 inches. In summary, November simply reminds us that winter is just around the corner. September, 2001 Although the 11th of September will be remembered for a very long time, weather in September was quite forgettable, with near normal rainfall, modestly above normal temperatures, an no significant extreme events. The heart of hurricane season occurs in September, but very few storms have threatened the United States this season, despite long-range forecasts to the contrary. Regarding tropical weather, the most the Seacoast experienced were some high surf days resulting from two separate hurricanes far offshore. Temperature in September averaged about 2 degrees above normal, with only one day reaching the 90 degree mark (8th). Rainfall was near normal at 3.1 inches for the month, though the area is still experiencing drought conditions from the dryness that occurred during late July and August. In essence, we got so far behind in rain that even a normal month did not pull us out of the drought. As a result, reservoirs and river flow are still largely below where they should be at this time of year. These problems are even more problematic to the north -- in the Lakes Region, and north of the White Mountains, where they've recorded less than half of the expected rainfall amount over the past 2.5 months. Strangely enough, last month's weather was probably a factor in the tragic events on the 11th day of this past month. Assuming the terrorist-pilots were not highly trained to read airplane instruments, they had to be sure that the sky was free of clouds and that the visibility was unlimited. The reason being that, once they had control of the aircraft and changed course they had to rely on watching and recognizing the terrain to determine their location. The weather on September 11 was exactly what they were looking for. The terrorists must have had access to an accurate weather forecast for at least several days ahead of time. So what can we expect for the rest of this month of October? Usually this is not only the most colorful month of the year, but one of the most tranquil as well. A hard frost is almost a sure bet everywhere by the middle of the month west of 95 and by the end of the month at the shore. Noreaster season usually does not catch its stride in October, but we have had some big ones, e.g., the "Perfect Storm" in 1991, as well as the catastrophic rainstorm of late October 1996, where over 19 inches were produced in parts of southern Maine. One unpleasantry of October is that by the 31st, sunset will be dramatically earlier than today where it will disappear below the horizon at 4:40PM! This occurs due to the shortening of the daylight hours, combined with loss of daylight savings time. That event will occur on 2AM on Sunday morning, October 28th. By performing that annual switch back to Standard Time we turn the 28th into a 25 hour day thus making October the longest month of the year at 31 days, plus 1 hour! August, 2001 August weather in the Seacoast region is highlighted by warm temperatures and low rainfall. August 2001 temperatures averaged nearly 5 degrees above normal. Unlike last August where the hottest temperature recorded was a mere 86 degrees, this past month brought us the hottest temperature since July 1999, with a reading of 99 degrees on the afternoon of the 9th. This was imbedded within a heatwave that persisted from August 6th through 10th, with repective high temperatures of 94, 98, 96, 99, and 98 degrees. If you think this was bad, the worst heatwave that we could find in New England was recorded in Keene, NH in July of 1911. On the first 11 days of that month, afternoon high temperatures of 91, 95, 104, 103, 101, 88, 91, 99, 102, 99 and 95 degrees were recorded. Furthermore, the highest temperature ever recorded in New Hampshire was measured during this time at 106 degrees in Nashua on July 4, 1911. OUCH! August precipitation totaled 1.3 inches, which is nearly 2 inches below the long-term average. The rains disappeared beginning as far back as mid-July. From July 18 through the end of August, less than 2 inches of rain was measured, whereas we can expect more than 4 inches over this timespan. This lack of rain has clearly stressed lawns and gardens, as well impacted reservoirs and river flow. In fact, much of the state was in a moderate drought by month's end. On the up side, there are signs that the patterns that produced the dry weather are beginning to change, but in New England, you really never know what's next. So, what's ahead for September? Very soon, we will see signs of color appearing in some of the trees, which will serves as a reminder that the symptoms of fall are not far off. By the end of the month, the color will be splendid. Some sure bets - traffic will decrease steadily the rest of the month, especially on weekends. Also, the amount of daylight will decrease rapidly. The autumnal equinox takes place on the 22nd of the month at 7:05 p.m. Another heat wave with temperatures over 90 degrees is not out of the question early in September, but these are rare events at this time of year. A killing frost before the end of the month is also a good bet for those located a mile or more from the ocean. Rainfall averages nearly 3 inches, but we should always be on the lookout for a tropical storm or hurricane - forecasts this year call for an above average tropical season. July, 2001 "Delightful" would be best way to describe July 2001 weather. Normally, July is the hottest month of the year, but during this past month the average temperatures were actually cooler than June by almost a degree. Overall, July averaged nearly two degrees below the long-term average. In fact, cooler than normal temperatures prevailed for the first three weeks of the month. In general, a great month for heat haters. However, this is not to say that Seacoast residents completely escaped the heat. In fact, at the end of the month, an oppressive heatwave socked the region. The temperature soared to a sizzling 94 degrees on the 24th, with five straight days (23rd-27th) with afternoon temperatures of 90 or above. However, at the beaches, this heatwave was significantly shorter due to the cooling seabreeze. It is also noteworthy that the minimum temperature on July 25th was 74 degrees! That is not a good way to start the day, as the maximum temperature that day soared to 93. Precipitation for July was as close to normal as you will see, with most of the showers falling in the first half of the month. So what's up for August? Cooler temperatures are typical, especially at night. However, heatwaves and high humidity are still possible. The tropical storm season tends to be much more active, and these storms can make it all the way to New England, i.e., Hurricanes Carol and Dianne in 1955. Although we are not in dire need of precipitation, a glancing blow would do us no harm, water-wise. One sure bet, the nights will be noticeably longer by the end of the month. Daylight hours shorten up by one and quarter hours with the sun rising around 6:08 a.m and setting near 7:20 p.m. on the 31st. June, 2001 June has gone into the record books with temperatures averaging four degrees above normal, but with no records set. Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of June weather is that on 10 days, we experienced afternoon temperatures of 90 degrees or above, with both the 15th and 16th reaching maximum temperatures of 93 degrees! For the entire year of 2000, Seacoast residents had only 3 afternoons with temperatures of 90 or above, and none of these occurred in the traditional summer months, but rather in May and September. Fortunately, rainfall was frequent which put a damper on the drought conditions that were underway at the beginning of the month. Over 5 inches of rainfall was recorded during the month, which is nearly 2 inches above normal. The most unusual event of June was the violent thunderstorm that struck during the evening hours of June 20. The thunder, lightning, hail and brief hurricane force winds were, to say the least, most unusual for this area. Depending on their characteristics, these thunderstorm winds have several names including downdrafts, micro-bursts, macro-bursts, and straight-line winds. Regardless of what you call it, however, the net result was a substantial power outage in much of area caused in part by falling tree limbs and cloud to ground lightning strikes. Suffice it to say, that we doubt if you will see such an intense lightning storm in this area for quite some time. (Famous last words?) So, what's in store for July? Usually it is the hottest month of the year with the average high temperatures in the low 80s and nighttime lows usually in the 60s. Ninety degree readings are not uncommon, remember the July 4th weekend two years ago? Three days in a row with 90+ readings along with high humidity! July is also the month when tropical air can venture into the region with dew points in the low 70s. On those days, you can really feel the heat even if temperatures don't move into the 90's. How often have you heard people say "it's not the heat it's the humidity"? As for rainfall, usually it is very local and is produced by thunderstorms or at least the remnants of same. Tropical storms systems are rare, but have occurred as recently as five years ago when the remnants of Hurricane Bertha struck the region with over 5 inches of rainfall. May, 2001 With New England weather, it is always something different from the usual. For the month of May, it was the conspicuous absence of significant rainfall and two record-breaking daily high temperatures. Durham received 1.5 inches of rain in May - about 40 percent of normal. This is not good news for gardeners, who have recently been reliant on the garden hose to keep the plants happy and healthy. In fact, this area has been extraordinarily dry extending back to mid-April. For the 44 days from April 13 through May 26, a meager 0.6 inches of rain fell across the region, whereas nearly 5 to 6 inches would be more like it for that period. Although it seemed that temperatures were much below normal, they actually averaged over 2 degrees ABOVE normal for the month. This is a classic example of the misrepresentation of averages. During the first few days of May, the afternoon high temperatures reached in to the 90s, two of which set new records. Excluding these few exceptionally warm days, the rest of the month was actually slightly cooler than expected. However, when averaged all together, the month comes out over the norm. Amazingly, this area experienced a maximum of 91 degrees on May 2 and 3, which was followed 4 days later by the month's minimum of 29 degrees on May 7! The latter should stand as the last freeze of the spring and should mean a start to the growing season. What's ahead for June? Hopefully more storms and precipitation! We are more likely to experience thunderstorms in June than in any of the previous six months. Sure bets for June include longer daylight hours through the summer solstice (June 21 at 3:38 a.m.) and more sunburns. June also marks the beginning of the tropical storm season, and "experts" are calling for a near normal season, including 10 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 strong hurricanes - any one (or more) of which could find their way to New England. But don't bet on that! April, 2001 One advantage of experiencing a winter like we just endured is that Spring, when it finally arrives, is really appreciated. The intense winter snowcover finally relinquished its grip on the Seacoast region around the 7th of April, then we had the usual late season snowfall on the 18th that mercifully went down the drain quickly. Temperatures over the month averaged over a degree above normal, with the coldest morning temperature of 23 degrees, occurring on the 20th, rather than earlier in the month as you might expect. The temperature climbed as high as 89 degrees on the afternoon of the 24th, shattering the previous record high for the day of 80 degrees recorded in 1930! Despite the snow, heavy rains, and floods experienced in March, April showers were conspicuous by their absence. Only 0.9 inches of rain was recorded in Durham, making it the third driest April on record over the past 106 years. The second driest April was just two years ago in 1999, with driest on record occurring in April 1941, with a paltry 0.4 inches for the month. So what's ahead for the Merry Month of May? One sure bet is more sunshine. The average amount of cloudiness this month is one of the lowest of the year. Furthermore, daylight hours continue to increase so that by the 31st they will last a little over 15 hours! That's six hours longer than mid December! Long periods of steady rain are a rarity with May showers, whereby thunderstorms serve as the principle type of rainfall. Temperatures also continue to climb with average morning lows in the mid 50s by the end of the month. Daytime highs in the 80s are not out of the question especially near the end of the month. As for frosts, if you want to play it really safe with those susceptible plants like tomatoes, wait until the Memorial Day weekend for planting. But the odds on a significant frost are quite low after the middle of the month. Aside from the black flies, May does bring another negative feature that is too often overlooked, that is the increased solar radiation that can, in the long run, be quite harmful in the form of sunburn and ultimately skin cancer if you are not careful. We've got two words for ya....SUNSCREEN! Enjoy the warm weather. March, 2001 Although "March Madness" is more commonly used by sportswriters, it is appropriate to use that term this year to describe the weather for the past month. This region experienced a record-breaking snowstorm, record snow depths, and a noreaster that produced a greater than 10-year rainfall event in the Seacoast, while this same storm dumped another foot and a half of snow in the Monadnock region and White Mountains. Incredible! Snowfall for March was over 40 inches, marking the second snowiest March in the past 100+ years - the snowiest March on record in Durham was 44 inches in 1956. Most of this snow was recorded in the single record-breaking storm on March 6, where an unofficial report (by the Weather Channel) noted that Durham recorded 32 inches in this one storm. If this unofficial number for Durham is truly correct, this would break the all-time record snowfall event of 26 inches recorded on February 24-26, 1969. In addition, there was a report of 40 inches recorded in this recent storm near Nottingham, NH. To add insult to injury, the region recorded another foot of snow only three days following the record- breaker, whereby our diligent observer in Greenland, NH noted that he had a snowpack depth of 40" on the ground, which was the deepest he had ever recorded in about 25 years of taking observations! Remarkably, another noreaster roared through the region on the 22nd, producing rainfall amounts between 4 and 5 inches - which is greater than a 10- year storm over 24-hours in this area. What this means is that we shouldn't expect to receive that much in rainfall in any 24-hour period, on the average, only once every 10-years. Did you need to bail your basement? For the month, over 9.4 inches of liquid-equivalent rainfall was recorded, marking the second wettest March on record over the past 100+ years, exceeded only by the 11 inches recorded in 1953. March temperatures across the region were not as extreme as the precipitation, but did average below normal by almost 2 degrees. The coldest morning of the month was a bitter 5 degrees F recorded on the 2nd. Most assuredly, these temperatures did not help us out with our heating bills! Hopefully, all that white stuff is behind us now and will soon be forgotten. What's ahead for the rest of April? Usually, noreasters become rare events especially after the first 10 days have gone by. The famous April showers are more common after that, with monthly average precipitation just under 4 inches. Average temperatures climb quite rapidly this month so by the 30th early morning readings are often in the low 40s, while the afternoon temperatures are usually close to 60. However, below freezing temperatures can also occur right through the end of the month. Keep in mind that these are averages. When do you remember New England weather ever really being average? Let's just hope that the madness pipes down, at least for a little while, so we can catch our collective breath. February, 2001 Despite the fact February seemed to be cold and snowy, it actually kept in step with the rest of the winter in the Seacoast region - just plain ole normal. Near normal temperature, near normal precipitation, and near normal snowfall. (This rings true up until the beginning of March, though we'll save discussion on this past weeks snow events until the end of this article). This mis-conception of a cold and snowy February is produced by our memories of the past three winters, which have been very mild with much below normal snowfall. Conseqently the winter of 00-01 makes us feel like we're approaching the next ice age. The three significant snow events in February were as different as night and day. The major snow event of the month occurred on the 5th when over a foot of snow accumulated with a water content of 1.50 inches. By water content we mean that if the 15 inches of snow were to melt, it would produce 1.50 inches of water. That is as close to the average snow/rain ratio of 10:1 that you will see in any storm. The next snow event occured overnight on the 23rd generating 4 to 5 inches of fluffy snow with a water content of 0.17 inches, a 30:1 ratio. That snow was almost fun to shovel! The final snow event of February on the 25th was a classic for this area. Between 1 and 2 inches of snow and sleet with a water content of close to 0.6 inches that translates into, approximately, a 5:1 ratio. That snowfall was NOT fun to shovel. Perhaps the one event that was abnormal was the absence of a "January Thaw," or even one in February. Snow has effectively covered the ground in the Seacoast region since December 14th. That has also added to the miscoception that this has been a "hard winter". Of course snowfall in the area is now well above normal for the season since the "Blizzard of 01" hit central New England on March 6-7, then the snowfall early this past weeeknd. During the earlier storm most of the region recorded between 1.5 and 3 feet of snow that this landed on top of a pre-existing snowcover of nearly a foot. The Durham area recorded as much as 32 inches of snow in that storm which would make it the largest storm on record, dating back to 1926. The previous record was 26 inches recorded on Feb. 24-26, 1969. Primarily as a result of the early March storms, this past winter will be memorable as the snowiest since the winter of 1995-96. And as fun as this past storm has been for some folks, the fields and woods are now so snow covered so that early signs of spring are not detectable, and won't be for some time. On a more positive note, the long lasting snow cover means the depth of the frost level is shallow for this time of year. Consequently, the mud season should be short so you'll be able to start rejuvenating your gardens earlier than usual. Finally, one sure bet this month is the arrival of the vernal equinox (Spring arrives) at 8:31 AM on the 20th. January, 2001 January 2001 weather was composed of a mixture of extreme cold, snow, ice, and freezing rain -- in other words, more typical January weather than we've seen for a while. The average temperature for the month was about as close to normal as it could be. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of January temperature was its daily consistency. For example, on 26 of the 31 days in January recorded afternoon high temperatures in the 30s. The extremes for the month were 41 degrees on the 14th and -3 on the 23rd. The most unusual feature of January was the abscence of just plain rain. During the month, only about one and a half inches of liquid equivalent precipitation was recorded, which is less than half of normal, and most of it fell in the form of snow, to the tune of 16 inches. In phase with the temperature, the precipiatation was at the normal for the month. The most impressive snowstorm occurred on January 5-6, with amounts totaling about 5 to 6 inches. However,the absence of a significant January thaw has created a most beautiful snow covered landscape and one of the best cross-country skiing seasons the Seacoast area has seen in years. The only trully nasty weather event was the ice storm that gripped the area on January 30 which led to slick roads and fender benders across the region. What's ahead for the rest of February? Punxsutawney Phil has once again predicted another 6 weeks of winter by running scared of his own shadow on February 2nd. Supposedly this means a cold February. However, not even the famed groundhog can predict New England weather accurately for any lengthy period of time. Last year at this time, he predicted more winter, and February of 2000 was about 4 degrees above normal! So, weather wise it's anyone's guess. The ony sure bet is that the length of the daylight hours increase rapidly so that by the 28th we'll see an hour more difference between sunrise and sunset than we will today. |
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