Despite the large temperature differences, the total snowfall of 20.7 inches this year was only 1.4 inches more than last December. Warm and cold periods were not lengthy, alternating in groups of a few days at a time. The greatest departure was between the 17th and the 25th, when it averaged nearly eight degrees below normal, and only two days made it to freezing. The low for the month was 5° on the 23rd, while the high was 67° on the 3rd. Only four days reached 50°, compared to nine last year.

Total precipitation for the month of 5.11 inches was 117% of normal. The greatest day was 0.98 inches measured on the morning of the 3rd, followed closely by 0.78 inches on the 10th, and 0.76 inches on the 14th.

Total precipitation for the year was 52.83 inches, which was 6.14 inches on the wet side. The total snowfall for the year was 68.1 inches, which is about 15 inches more than normal. A 12.4 inch snowstorm on the 19th and 20th was the weather event of the month. This gave us a white Christmas, but was washed away by the 54° rain event on the 27th.

-- John Anderson

November was the 4th warmest of record behind 1975, 1999, and 2006, with 4.42 inches of precipitation. Only one day out of the first seven was above normal, while only one day of the remaining 23 was below normal.

The average daily minimum temperature for the last eight days of the month was 13° above normal, while the last overnight minimum below freezing was on the 19th. Only seven days saw the morning low at 32° or below.The low for the month was 25° on the 7th, while the high was 69° on the 9th.

The 2.11 inches of rain measured on the morning of the 15th was the most for any day, while no snow was observed for the entire month.

Generally, a very mild November is followed by a mild winter with only half the normal snowfall. The record setting mild weather of November 2006 was followed by the warmest December of record, a mild January, a cold February, and only ten inches of snow for the three month period. So, maybe we’ll get lucky and save a little on the heating bill.

-- John Anderson

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The average for the twelve days was 7.6° on the cool side. Two new low daily maximum temperature records were set on the 15th and 16th with 43° and 44° respectively. The low for the month of 29° was observed on the 15th and 20th.

The high for the month of 75° was on the 22nd. Scattered frost was observed on the 11th, followed by the first freeze (31°) on the 12th. A minimum of 32° or below was noted on seven mornings. This was the coolest October since 2002.

The total precipitation of 6.65 inches was the most since 2005 and 2.69 inches above normal. The annual total is 43.30 inches, which is 114% of normal. Three storm events brought more than one inch of moisture, with the greatest being 1.57 inches on the 24th and 25th.

On the afternoon and evening of the 18th, 1.4 inches of snow fell. This was the most in October since 1.4 inches in 2005, and tied with the third most for any October in 61 years of local records. 2.8 inches was observed on the 11th, in 1979; and 2.3 inches was observed on the 25th, in 1960.

Snow is not unusual in November as well as overnight temperatures in the teens.

--John Anderson   

Total precipitation for the month was 2.48 inches, which is only 65% of normal. All the measurable precipitation fell on five days. No precipitation was noted on the first twelve days. After a wet summer, the total for the year of 36.65 inches is 2.75 inches above normal.

The average temperature of 61.7° was only 0.4° below normal, which made for the coolest September since 1995. Only eight days were more than five degrees from the average for the date. The only daily record set was the high overnight low of 66° on the 24th.

The high for the month was 83° on the 5th, while an 80° temperature was only noted on only two other days. The low for the month was 37° on the 26th.

Frost was not noted in the area, but can be expected at any time in October. The first snow flurries of the season can occasionally be seen in October. Definite cooling is noted, with the daily maximum dropping from the upper 60’s to the upper 50’s, while the lows go from the mid 40’s to the mid 30’s.

--John Anderson

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After a cool wet start to the summer, August finally turned the corner with some warm weather.

Following a two week near normal start, temperatures jumped above the average for the next twelve days, then dipped below for the final five days. The average for the month of 72.7° was 2.7° above normal.

New daily high minimums were established on the 19th, 21st, and 22nd with 73°, 74°, and 76° respectively. The low of 76°, on the 22nd, was only one degree below the warmest overnight low of record.

No daily maximum records were set, even though four days finally reached 90°, with the highest being 91° on the 17th and 18th. The low for the month was 53°, on the 8th.

Precipitation for the month amounted to 4.06 inches, which is 103% of normal. Precipitation for the three summer months came to 16.19 inches, which is 151% of normal. This excess was enough to keep most lawns green without watering.

Offshore Hurricane Bill and Tropical Storm Danny brought 2.34 inches of needed rain in an eight period near month's end.

With the month of September, temperatures will drop noticeably and scattered frost could be noted in low areas.

-- John Anderson

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All but two of the first twenty four days had below normal temperatures. The monthly average, raised by the temperatures of the last week, was 69.2° which is 2.4° below normal. This was the ninth coolest July since local records began in 1948, and the coolest since 2000. The average daily maximum of 77.6° is the second coolest, by 0.1°, of any July.

There were no 90° days, for the first time since 1996. The average temperature for June and July combined was 66.3°, which is the fourth coolest of record. The highest reading of the two month period of 86°, is the coolest for any June – July combination.

Three daily temperature records were set for lowest maximum on the 1^st, 2^nd, and 9^th, with 63°, 66°, and 68° respectively. The low temperature for the month was 49°, on the 10^th

The month’s total precipitation of 6.89 inches was the third wettest of record and the wettest since 1988. The two month total of 12.13 inches is the 5^th wettest of record for the two month period. Rain was noted on seventeen days, which is not as many as in June.

-- John Anderson

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Obviously the June summary is all about the continuous wet and nasty weather.

Since the afternoon thunderstorms of May 24, there has been very little nice weather. The total precipitation for June was 5.24 inches, which is well below the June record of 12.98 inches in 1998, but 1.85 inches above normal. This past June was the 12^th wettest in 61 years of local records. However, precipitation was noted at the morning observation on 23 days, with measurable amounts being noted on 21 days.

On 20 of the last 21 days, precipitation was recorded.

The greatest amount was 1.08 inches measured on the morning of the 28^th, from thunderstorms on the previous afternoon. Some areas of  S. Walpole and adjacent Foxborough and Mansfield had four to five inches of rain on the afternoon of the 27th.

These wet conditions lead to the 5^th coolest June of record, and the coolest since 1982.

The most remarkable deficits were in the daily maximum readings. The average daily high temperature was 70.8°, which is the lowest of record for any June in the 61 year period, and 7 degrees below normal. It was only 0.5° higher than the May daily average maximum.

The high for the month was 81°, on the 7^th. This was the only 80 degree reading of the entire month. Compare this to April and May when the respective highs were 93° and 90°, and days reaching 80° numbered four and five. Thirteen days did not even reach 70°.

July is normally the hottest month, but with two inches of rain in the first two days, nothing has changed.

-- John Anderson

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The weather highlights for May were the devastating thunderstorm on the afternoon of the 24^th, and the persistent rain events.

The violent lightening on the 24^th, which destroyed the building at Royal Crest, was accompanied by hail and heavy rain. Normally we only see hail every few years, but it fell on two occasions, forty minutes apart, during the storm. The official rainfall for the event was 1.92 inches, although only around one half inch was noted in other areas of town.

The total for the month was 3.99 inches, which is 112% of normal; while the total for the year is 17.98 inches, which is only 93% of normal. Rain was noted on nine out of the first ten days, and a total of 21 days in the month.

The average temperature of 60.1° was 2.9° above normal, making it the 10^th warmest May in over 60 years of local records. The only temperature record was the low maximum of 51° on the 28^th.

The high for the month was 90° on the 21^st, while the low was 38° on the 19^th. With no frost in May, this will result in a long growing season.

-- John Anderson

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This was very helpful as we start into the growing season. A total of 2.91 inches fell between the 4^th and the 12^th, with another 1.43 inches falling from the 21^st through the 23^rd. Even large wet snow flakes were noted on the afternoon of the 11^th.

The monthly average temperature of 50.9°, was the 4^th warmest April of record after 1976 (52.2°), 2002 (51.1°), and 1991 (51.0°). The 71° maximum on the 17^th was the highest temperature since October 10, and the latest 70° maximum since 2004. Most of the warmth can be attributed to the five day period from the 25^th through the 29^th, when the average temperature was 17° above normal.

The high for the month was 93°, on the 28^th, which tied for the third warmest April day in over 60 years of local records.

Daily record maxima were set on the 25^th (86°), 26^th (87°), and the 28^th. High minima were established on the 25^th (49°) and the 26^th (59°). The low for the month was 27° on the 16^th, while the last freeze was on the 20^th, with 31°.

The normal last freeze of the season is during the first week in May, so this could be an early start to the growing season.

-- John Anderson

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The 9.4 inches that fell on the 1^st and 2^nd was one of the larger winter storms, and brought the seasons total to 65.3 inches, which is about 15 inches more than normal. The March total of 10.8 inches was nearly three inches above the mean.

With the snow came the coldest weather of the month. The high of only 23° on the 2^nd was 19° below normal. This was followed by a 4° minimum on the 4^th and a climb to 62° on the 7^th. This was just a little shy of the high for the month of 65° on the 28^th.

After the cold start, there were only six other days below normal. Of the 20 above normal days, only three were more than ten degrees on the plus side. The only temperature record for any day was the high minimum of 45° on the 8^th.

With the milder days, the ice went out of Cobb’s Pond on the 15^th , the same day a few early peepers were first heard.

Precipitation for the month added up to only 2.95 inches, which is 70% of normal. The fourteen days between the 13^th and the 26^th saw only 0.07 inches of precipitation. Precipitation for the year, amounting to 9.40 inches, is only 80% of normal.

-- John Anderson

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The high for the month was 60° on the 11^th, followed closely by 59° on the 27^th. The only daily temperature record was the high overnight low of 42° on the 12^th.

The minimum of 37° on the 8^th, was the only other day that did not drop below freezing. The average temperature for the month of 32.1° was 3.1° above normal, making it the 16^th warmest February in 61 years of local records, and the mildest sine 2002. Much needed relief from ice dams came as a result of the milder weather.

After a snowy start to winter, February settled in with a total of only 7.7 inches, which is about four inches below the average. Total snowfall for the winter is 54.5 inches, which is slightly more than the average for an entire season. The precipitation total of 1.98 inches was only 56% of normal. Many Robbins were noted in the area on the 21^st.

-- John Anderson

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The high temperature for the month, of only 41° on the 23^rd, tied with 2003 as the lowest maximum temperature for any January in 60 years of records.

Despite this, every day was not below normal. Ten days were above average, but only two were more than 3° above, while six days were more than 10° below average. The average temperature for the month was 22.3°, which was 4.6° below normal and the 12^th coldest January of record.

The low for the month was minus six on the 16^th. Two other mornings dropped below zero.

In addition to the cold temperatures, snowfall was more than twice normal. The total of 27.5 inches made this the 6^th snowiest January of record. Snow was on the ground the entire month.

The largest storm was on the 18^th – 19^th, when 12.7 inches of snow fell. Total precipitation for the month was 4.47 inches, which was 114% of normal. Precipitation was evenly spread through the entire month, with the 1.27 inches measured on the morning of the 29^th being the most for any day.

With the arrival of February, the average temperature begins to climb slightly, but normal snowfall remains the same, despite the month being three days shorter.

--John Anderson

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With nine days reaching at least 53°, including four that made it to 60° or more, and seventeen days above normal, December had a tough time with any cold spells.

The coldest stretch was the five days between the 19^th and 23^rd, when the average was 9° below normal. The low for the month was reached on the 23^rd, at 5°. The high for the month was 63°, on the 15^th.

During the cold five days before Christmas a total of 17.5 inches of snow fell, with snow falling continuously for 53 hours, from 2PM on the 19^th to 7PM on the 21^st. This was the major weather event of the month locally.

However, the devastating ice storm a week earlier in northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire was of record proportions and a major problem for a large area. Temperatures here were above freezing when 4.43 inches of rain fell in three days.

The average temperature for the month of 34.5° was 3.1° above normal. Despite the mild conditions, six days remained below freezing, while seven others failed to go below the 32° mark.

New daily records were set on the 10^th when the low temperature of 49° established a new record for the highest minimum for the date. The 60° and 46° maximum and minimum temperatures on the 28^th were both record high readings for the date. Snowfall

for the month was deceiving because local precipitation readings are for the 24 hour period ending at 7AM. The so called “official” snowfall for the month was 19.3 inches.

The 5.4 inches of snow that fell on the last day goes into the records at 7AM on January 1, 2009. The average temperature for 2008 of 50.8° was 1.3° above normal, while the total precipitation of 58.69 inches was 11.95 inches on the wet side. The high temperature for the year was 96° on June 9 and 10, while the low was 1° on January 4.

--John Anderson

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This is about as close to normal as a month can be.

As usual, the months temperature was divided into two parts at mid month. Eleven of the first sixteen days were above normal, while only one of the last fourteen days was on the plus side. The high for the month was 67°, on the 15^th, while six others reached 60°.

The only record established during this period was a new high overnight low of  54° on the 7^th. The high for the last 14 days was only 52°, on the 25^th, which was the only above normal day.

Only 5 days of the first sixteen dropped below freezing, while only two of the remaining days failed to go below freezing. The low for the month was 16°, on the 21^st, while three other days fell below 20°. Record low maxima were established on the 19^th and 21^st, with 32° and 33° respectively. The coldest day was the 22^nd, when it only reached 29°. However, this was not a record for the date.

From the 18^th through the 23^rd it failed to reach 40°, which is the longest period below 40° of record in November. Seven out of eight days below forty degrees were noted in 1978, and five consecutive days occurred in 1985.

The month’s precipitation was evenly spaced. The four day period ending on the 9^th saw 1.42 inches. The three days ending on the 16^th accumulated 0.97 inches, while 2.05 inches was measured in two days ending on the 26^th.

Snow was observed before dawn on the 13^th, and on the afternoon of the 30^th.

-- John Anderson

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Before then there was 1.03 inches of rain, and after that period there was an additional 1.06 inches, bringing the total for the month to 2.15 inches. This total was 1.77 inches below normal and the driest for October since 2001.

The high temperature for the month was 74°, on the 9^th, while the low was 25°, on the 24^th and the 31^st. The first light frost in the area came on the mornings of the 7^th and 8^th. The first 32° minimum was noted on the 21^st, and the first killing freeze was the 25° minimum on the 24^th.

The daily maximum temperature reached 70° on only three days, while it failed to reach 50° on three other days. Temperatures for six of the first eight days were below normal, followed by nine days on the plus side. This was followed by seven below normal days, and a few more warm days followed by a few cold days.

The average temperature for the month of 51.0° was 0.6° below normal, and the coldest October since 2003. With the month of November comes a definite entry into early winter. Average morning lows drop below freezing and snow can be expected on about one out of every two Novembers.

--John Anderson

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The September total of 7.65 inches brought the total for the last three months to an impressive 19.12 inches.The storm on the 6^th – 7^th left 2.78 inches, while the longer event of the last weekend of the month deposited 3.77 inches. With fall approaching, soil moisture is more than adequate.

Despite the clouds associated with the rain, the average temperature for the month of 63.5°, was 1.4° on the mild side. The high for the month was 88°, on the 4^th; while the low was 39°, on the 24^th. This was the lowest since 37°, on May 14^th.

Frost was not noted in the area, but can be expected at any time in October. The first snow flurries of the season can occasionally be seen in October. Definite cooling is noted in October, with the daily maximum dropping from the upper 60’s to the upper 50’s, while the lows go from the mid 40’s to the mid 30’s.

-- John Anderson

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August will go into the record books as having above normal precipitation and below normal temperatures.

As often happens, the month was divided into two sections. With rain being observed on 13 out of the first 16 days, and a total of 4.67 inches in 9 days, it was time for a change. Only one tenth of an inch fell in the last 15 days.

The greatest amount fell on the afternoon and evening of the 15^th, when 2.24 inches came down in about six hours. Areas in Wrentham had about seven inches in the same time period. The August total of 6.00 inches was the greatest since 6.55 inches in August 1994. Total precipitation for the years is 35.87 inches, which is 119% of normal.

Because of the cloud cover, only three of the first 16 days had above normal temperatures, and only six days reached 80°. The high for the month of 86° on the 1^st was the lowest August maximum since 1986. The low for the month was 50° on three occasions. The month of September brings definite cooling and a chance of light frost in low areas.

-- John Anderson   

Following two months of uneventful weather, July became more active.

After missing most thunderstorms, the eastern portion of town received over one and one half inches of rain and one quarter inch hail on the afternoon of the second. Townwide the results were not the same as the center of town picked up about one half inch and the western portion measured less than one quarter of an inch.

From then until the heavy rains of the 23rd and 24th , only one rain event was observed. In that period the hottest weather of the month was observed with four out of five days exceeding 90°, with the highest being 93° on the 19th. This period also saw the low for the month of 58°, on the 11th. This was the highest minimum temperature for any July since local records began in 1948.

New high daily minimums were set with 72° on the 14th and 73° on the 20th. The average for the month of 74.8° makes it the 5th warmest July of record. After the quiet stretch at mid month, the much needed rains came. Again, nearby town received more but our 2.99 inch soaking over three days brought the months total to 5.47 inches, making it the fifth wettest July of record.

The highlight of the month in New England was the tornado in south central New Hampshire on the 24th. New England normally has a few small ones every year. This storm had a track of about 50 to 60 miles in length between Deerfield and Effingham, NH. If the track of the storm had been about 50 miles further south, it would have produced very heavy damage in the Boston suburbs.

--John Anderson

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The total precipitation for June was 2.08 inches, which is only 62% of normal. Combined with a dry April and May, the wet start to the year has reversed direction.

Although the year’s total is 107% of normal, the soil conditions continue to get drier. 1.28 inches of the total fell in the three days between the 15th and 17th. Since then the total was a mere 0.11 inches.

Many nearby areas received heavy downpours in thunderstorms during the last week of the month, but Walpole was between the storms.

The highlight of the month was the four day heat wave, from the 7th through the 10th. The high temperatures reached 92°, 92°, 96°, and 96° respectively on those days.

New daily maximum temperature records were set on the 9th and 10th, while new maximum overnight lows were noted with 70° on the 10th, 67° on the 23rd, and 72° on the 30th. No low temperature records were set. Only three scattered days had an average temperature more than 5° below the mean, while 22 days were at or above the normal for the date.

-- John Anderson

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The total precipitation for May was 1.95 inches, which is only 55% of normal. April was drier than normal, so the two month deficit is 1.85 inches.

Despite the fact that precipitation was noted on nineteen days, it amounted to less than one quarter of an inch on all but one day; with the 1.07 inches measured on the morning of the 17^th being the greatest daily total for the month.

This dry weather is not the way to be going into warmer and normally drier summer months. Unless it is a wet summer, evaporation exceeds precipitation, so soil moisture will continue to get drier.

The average temperature for the month of 56.3° was 0.9° below normal due to the many cloudy days. The high for the month of 81°, on the 27^th, was lower than the high temperature of 85° noted in April. The last frost of the season was observed on the 1^st, when it dropped to 28°.

Generally, it will be frost free until early October.

-- John Anderson

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