WEATHER OBSERVER: 2010: A review for the weather-wise
Our past January 2010 was a mild month throughout, with little or no sleighing or skating. Some snow on the ground, first half of the month only, but mainly northwest winds blowing snow leftover from December.
February was cold and windy during the first 10 days. Ice-boating on two days and during the last week; we had twice the normal rain and snowfall. Total precipitation was 7.11 inches. Total snowfall was 14 inches for February.
March had temperatures in the 60s by mid-month. Nighttime temperatures were in the 20s. Rain came throughout the month. Heaviest rains were during the last few days; 8 inches fell. Total rainfall for March was 13.25 inches. Everyone had waterfront property! At mid-month, we had 60- to 70-mph winds with some damage. Barometer 29.72 inches.
April was warming up rather early. By the 7th, an unusually high temperature of 81 degrees was recorded. Rainfall was unusually light, only 2.09 inches was recorded for the entire month.
May gave us even temperatures, mainly in the 70s. Highest was 89 degrees on the 27th. Rainfall was below average, only .09 inches. Fog was recorded on three days with no strong winds after the 13th.
June temperatures were in the 80s throughout, 88 degrees by the 24th. Rainfall was very light, only 0.96 inches. Recorded were two days of fog and no severe wind. High temperatures for June were in the mid-80s. At night, mainly all temperatures were in the 60s. Rainfall was nearly a record low, only 0.96 of an inch. No rain fell after the 11th. Variable wind directions were recorded throughout the month.
July and summer heat: six days in the 90s, 100 degrees in the shade was recorded on the 6th. Rain fell on 11 days. During the month, 3.77 inches of rain fell, which is about normal. The summer breeze was mainly from the southwest, as it is each summer.
August was very unsettled weather-wise for the entire month. No rain until a very light amount on the 16th. Five light showers during the fourth week brought the total to 1.37 inches for the entire month. The last day of August was the warmest, at 92 degrees. No summer squall.
September was close weather-wise to a long-term average in rain and temperature. Warmest was 92 degrees on the first day. During the month 5.20 inches of rain fell with no severe wind. Squalls recorded on the 8th and 17th. Heavy rains fell on the 17th and 28th. Close to a normal September.
October was on the cloudy side, with 11 cloudy and 7 partly cloudy days. Where was our bright October weather? Eleven rain days and four windy days. On the 15th, over 2 inches of rain fell with 60-mph gusts. Warmest day was 75 degrees on the first. Coldest night was 36 degrees on the 22nd.
November, five rains amounted to only 1.95 inches! November is most often a wet month with over 5 or 6 inches of rain and sometimes 2 to 4 inches of snow. Were we lucky, or is it “global change”? Warmest day was 60 degrees on the first, coolest was 25 degrees on the 29th.
December started off as the older folks like it, with 58 degrees on the 1st. Daytime highs slowly fell and on the 10th it was 30 degrees. On the 13th it rose to 66 degrees for the highest of the month. Coldest night was 13 degrees on the 10th.
It was below freezing every night but two. Measurable snow fell on two days with total snowfall at 8 inches. Total precipitation for December was 3.26 inches.
Most severe weather for December was on the 26th and 27th. During that time, 8 inches of snow fell and the wind blew in gusts from the northwest at 60 mph. Weather-wise, it was severe with low temperatures and strong winds! Recorded for December were 8 clear, 7 partly cloudy and 16 cloudy days. Strong winds blew on three days, the 1st, 26th and 27th.
Our long term future — by the long term, hundreds of years — very slowly rising temperatures, more and stronger summer-time winds, higher tides and an accelerated shorefront loss.
