| More rain in November |
| With only ten days noting measurable precipitation, the month’s total was still 5.36 inches, which is 0.90 inches above normal. This included four small snow events with a total of 4.2 inches.
This was more than last year, short of the 6.3 inch total of 2012, but 2.1 inches more than the average.
This was the third consecutive November with below normal temperatures, cooler than last year, but milder than 2012. The average for the month was 40.2°, which is 2.4° below the mean.
The high for the month was 66° on the 5th, and the low was 15° on the 29th. The low was a new record minimum for the date, and the first new daily record low for November since 2001. However, it was two degrees warmer than last years minimum which was on a different date.
Seven days reached at least 60°, while four days fell to 20° or below.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
| Rains return in October |
The total precipitation for October, of 7.18 inches, was 25 times more than we received in September.
However, the two month total of 7.47 inches is only 0.54 inches below normal. Much of the precipitation was measured on the morning of the 23rd, with 3.16 inches in the gauge. This was the most for an October day since 2005.
The total for the year now stands at 36.31 inches, which is 95% of average. No snow was noted during the month.
The average temperature for October of 54.8° was 3.0° above normal and 1.8° warmer than last year.
The high for the month was 80° on the 15th, while the low was 31° on the 20th. This was the warmest October minimum since 2010. Two daily records were set with high minimums of 63° and 57° on the 16th and 17th.
The five days from the 14th through the 18th saw the temperatures rise above 70° each day. The temperature averaged fifteen degree above normal for this period.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
| A very dry September |
The total precipitation for September of only 0.29 inches was the driest for any
September since local records started in October 1948.
Only 0.04 inches fell in the last 16 days of August, making a total of 0.33 inches for the 46 day period.
September goes into the record books as the fifth driest month of record after June 1949 (0.08”), June 1999 (0.19”), June 2008 (0.19”), and July 1952 (0.21”). The stress on the lawns
has been evident, but conditions are improving with the early October rain.
The average temperature for the month of 64.8° was 1.6° above normal. The first seven days of the month were very warm, but thirteen of the remaining days were below normal. The average temperature for the first week was 76.4°, which was warmer than any other seven day period all summer.
No daily high temperature records were set, but the minimum of 74° on the 6th was the highest minimum for any day in September since 1948. The high for the month was 91° on the 2nd, and the low was 35° on the 20th.
The maximum of 88° on the 28th was a record for the date. |
| An August without the heat |
If there was a complaint about the August weather, it was because of the lack of heat.
The average temperature for the month of 69.4° was the coolest since 68.6° in 2008,
and 1.7° below normal.
With no 90° days, the total for the summer was only 4, which all came in July. Last year there were eleven in July. The high for the month
was 89°, which was noted on the 5th, 25th, 26th, and 27th while the low was 49° on the 19th.
There were only ten days above normal, and they were scattered. Thirteen days failed to reach 80°.
A beautiful stretch of weather was noted between the 7th and the 11th, when days were in the 80’s and nights were in the 50’s.
With only 2.24 inches of precipitation, it was the driest August since 2007. The nine day period from the 7th through the 15th saw 2.01 inches of rain, while the rest of the month was very dry. Total precipitation for the year is 28.84 inches, which is 95% of normal.
No daily temperature or precipitation records were set.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
| A more pleasant July |
After last July’s record high average of 77.0°, this past month was much more pleasant, unless you like the heat.
This past month’s average temperature of 73.6° was 1.1° above normal. Last year saw eleven days reach 90°, with seven in a row at mid month. This year the total was four, with only two being consecutive.
The high for the month was 92°, on the 3rd, while the low was 55°, on the 25th. Last years July low was 58°, while this year noted five days bottom out at 58° or below.
The major event of the month was the passage of Hurricane Arthur, 150 miles to our southeast on the 4th. Unfortunately it messed up July 4th plans with 2.60 inches of much needed rain.
Additional events scattered throughout the month brought the month’s total precipitation to
5.55 inches, which is 1.64 inches on the wet side. The total for the year is now 26.60 inches, which is 102% of normal.
With the new month of August, we can expect summer heat for the first three weeks, then end of the month cooling.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
| June mild, no 90s |
| June was the third consecutive month with above average temperatures. The average for the month of 67.8° was 0.5° above normal.
Despite the above average readings, there were no 90° days. This is the latest we have gone into the year without reaching 90° since 1998 when we waited until July 15. June 2009 only reached 81°, but it got to 90° in May.
The high for this month was 88° on the 18th and 25th, while the low was 40° on the 1st. Fourteen days reached 80°, while nineteen overnight lows dropped below 60°.
The precipitation total for June of 2.02 inches was less than 50% of normal. The ten day period from the 16th to the 25th saw no measurable rain. The total for the year is now 21.05 inches, which is over four inches on the dry side, and is showing on the brown lawns.
Summer rainfall can be variable, depending on thunderstorms and tropical moisture. With the jet stream up in Canada, moisture may not be available.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
| May only seemed cool |
| Many people thought May was cool and wet, but it was just the opposite.
Of the last nine days, including Memorial Day weekend, only two were above normal. Most of the warm weather was at the beginning of the month, when only two of the first seventeen days were below normal. As a whole, the average May temperature of 59.3° was 1.1° above normal.
The high for the month was 85° on the 12th, and the low was 35° on the 7th. The only daily record set was a new high overnight minimum of 63° on the 16th. Because of mild weather at the beginning of the month, there was no freeze in May, giving the growing season an earlier start. The first freeze in the fall is usually in early October.
Total precipitation amounted to 3.29 inches, which is 0.36 inches less than the 30 year mean. Total precipitation for the year now totals 19.03 inches, which is 98 % of normal.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
| Typical April, but on the dry side |
| After a cold winter and March, the April average of 48.5° was 0.4° above normal.
Only five of the first twenty three days were below normal, but only one of the last seven was above, bringing the average for the month down in the last week.
The high for the month was only 75° on the 14th, while the low was 27° on the 18th. A new record high minimum of 57° was set on the 15th, which was followed by 0.5 inches of snow the following day.
Total precipitation of 3.35 inches was 1.04 inches on the dry side, with 1.53 inches measured on the morning of the 16th. The annual total of 15.74 inches is 99% of normal.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
| A cold March ends a cold winter |
| With an average temperature of 32.9°, March went into the record books as being the coldest since 1984, and 3.8° colder than last year.
Nineteen days were below normal, while four days did not get above freezing. The high for the month was only 59° on the 11th, and the low was zero on the 4th. Normally the warmest March days get into the 60’s or 70’s.
Record low temperatures were set on the 1st, 14th, and 25th with 2°, 8°, and 13° respectively. Despite the cold, total snowfall was only 2.1 inches, compared to 28.2 inches last year.
Precipitation for the month amounted to 4.51 inches. 77% of the month’s total, or 3.49 inches, fell on the last two days. Prior to that, measurable precipitation fell on only six days.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
| A bitter and snowy February |
| Although it was a snowy February, the total of 29.6 inches was 1.3 inches less than last year, and 15 inches less than January 2011.
That year 51 inches of snow fell in a 22-day period ending on February 2. This year's total all fell in a 17-day period between the 4th and the 20th. The three winter months total of 62.6 inches exceeds last years total of 46 inches for the same period.
The average temperature for the three winter months was 27.9°, which is 2.2° below normal and the coldest for the three winter months since 2002 – 2003. The February average of 26.5° was 3.9° below normal.
Twelve out of fourteen days at mid-month were below normal, along with the last four days.
Twelve days failed to go above freezing while the low for the month was minus 1 degree on the 11th and 12th. Eight days dropped to 10 degrees or lower and four days reached at least 50 degrees. The high for the month was 55° on the 2nd. The high of only 26° on the 28th was a new record low maximum for the date. Total precipitation for the month was 4.42 inches, which is 0.88 inches on the wet side.
With most of the winter behind us, March is the first month transitioning into spring. The average high and low at the beginning of the month of 42° and 23°, rises to 53° and 32° at month’s end.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
| January was cold and snowy |
| January’s weather was all over the place, but ended up as being colder and snowier than normal.
Nine out of the first ten days averaged nearly eight degrees below normal, and nine out of the last eleven days were just about the same. Sandwiched in between were ten consecutive days that were twelve days above the mean. This gave an average for the month of 25.7°, which was 1.6° below normal.
The high for the month was 58° on the 11 and 12th, while the low was minus 8° on the 4th, which was the lowest sinceJanuary 22, 2005. Ten days dropped into the single numbers while four others reached at least 50°.
Total snowfall for the month was 19.9 inches, which is 5.5 inches above normal. Snowfall amounts varied widely over a small area due to the dry consistency and drifting. Total precipitation of 3.46 inches was 0.32 inches below normal.
-- John R. Anderson
NOAA Coop observer
Walpole, Mass. |
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