one unusual March

This was one of the least snowiest March’s in generations; less than an inch in many locations.

At the Burlington NWS office it was the sixth least snowiest on record (their records go back well over a hundred years). You have to go back to 1953 to find a March with less snow than this year’s.

sugarin' season update

Upcoming week likely last call of area Sugarers. Weather could work out.

Talked Saturday with Doug Bragg of the Bragg Farm Sugar House in E. Montpelier about Sugarin’ Season. Like those before him at the farm, Doug still uses buckets and a wood fired evaporator.

He said he is a little disappointed in the quantity so far, but very happy with the generally excellent quality. He feels he has about 2/3 of an average season and is optimistic about a few last good runs over the next week.

it had to end

Friday was the first day in the last 47 (!) with below average temperatures. Despite good sun, it felt “wintery” with daytime temperature mostly in the 20s, (the day’s highs actually came with the predawn cloud cover and were 30ish.

The string of 46 consecutive days with above average goes back to February 8th.

When the consecutive streak started, the normal average daily temperature was 18 degrees and when it ended (march 26th) the normal daily average temperature was 34 degrees.

Not only is this amazing just for the number of days, but for the fact that it wasn’t just a slightly above most of those days, but well above; it actually averaged 9.0 degrees warmer than normal during that incredible stretch.

its been warmer

While our warm weather is well above average (15-20 degrees), it is not close to record setting. Mid-March record highs are generally 70ish. For the 17th Burlington’s record high is 69 Montpelier’s 70 even. Both were set in 1990.

morning lows

Temperatures were down in the teens for the first time in weeks (3)this Saturday morning. We even had a single digit reading.

Some of the coldest readings were, no surprise, in the Northeast Kingdom. Both Sutton and Gallup Mills dropped to 11 and the Island Pond Airport, again no surprise, had the coldest, with just 7.

top ten finish

With a monthly average of 26 degrees even, it turned out to be the 8th warmest February on record at the NWS in Burlington.