By Barney Leach
February set a new snowfall record with 5 1/2 inches of snow topping an earlier record of 3 1/2 inches set in January. Our total snowfall for the year is a record nine inches. Previous record annual snowfall over the past 27 years was 2-1/4 inches.
We had five days with measureable precipitation with a greatest one-day total of 0.78 inch of melted snow on February 14. Total precipitation for February, including rain, melted snow, sleet and freezing rain was 2.37 inches. Normal precipitation/rainfall for February is 3.31 inches.
Our total precipitation/rainfall for the year now stands at 6.09 inches. Normal through February is 6.57 inches.
Temperature-wise, February, normally our third coldest month of the year, produced our first winter freeze and set a new record low temperature of seven degrees, topping the previous record low of eight degrees set on January 17, 2018.
February holds a two to one lead over January on record lows set over the past 27 years. We have also had most of our snow in February as the mid-point of winter falls in early February.
We had a record ten days with freezing temperatures, all in a row, with temperatures remaining below freezing for three days. We had a low temperature of seven degrees on February 16 and a high of 81 degrees eight days later on February 24.
Looking ahead to March: March is normally our fourth coldest month of the year and we have had freezes in the past in March. Normal rainfall for March is 4.96 inches. March has produced our wettest month of the year a number of times in the past.
