tamarack

Or 2010, much the worst March here. Its 0.6" snow is the least for any DJFM since we moved to Maine 47 years ago. It's also my mildest March of 21 here, lacked the summery warmth of 2012 but it's the only March that failed to record at least one subzero morning - didn't even get down to 10 and 28 of 31 days were AN. 2nd wettest, too, its 6.44" trailing only 3/99. But that earlier month had 32" of snow with 2 storms of 14".

Considering the minimum, quite a nice day here with full sun, no wind and temps leaping upward. 3 mornings at -20 or colder this year, about average (78 such minima in 22 years.)

Another subzero morning, probably another 40+ diurnal range. Yesterday was 23/-24.

Makes me think of the Jersey pine barrens. The blueberry fields there might have a shorter frost-free season than PWM, probably 2 months shorter than ACY or PHL

I've seen 2 such >22" events in 22 winters here, 12/03 and 2/09, and have to go back to 1984 (in Fort Kent) to find another one. Unless you're at Stowe or Jay Peak, or in prime LES country, that kind of dump isn't coming every winter.

I've read that the snowy owls come south mainly when lemming populations in the north take a dive.

This morning I heard a chickadee singing its "phee-bee" spring song, with temps about zero and snow on the way. Brave little fellow.

"Relatively" being the operative term, as 22.4" (Philly's 4th biggest) isn't too shabby.

Full whiff up here from Jan '16. My 1st (of 3 lifetime) thundersnow came 12/24/1966. I learned 2 things that day as I was out hunting in NNJ - first, that 345 KV powerlines are hot (temp-wise) as I could hear flakes "popping" as I walked the edge of the R-O-W. 2nd one took 2 booms to convince me, as #1 merely confused - "It can't thunder during snow, can it?" After the 2nd and louder one my thought was "This is going to be something special." By then we had SN+ and 4-5" new, and the storm finished about 15".

I saw it noted by GYX in the Sat. PM (IIRC) AFD, contrasting that reading with the 30° progged for Jackman on Sunday.

Solid C- here. Temps close to D+, snowfall slightly closer to C- than to C. Feb snow will need more than today's event (unless it really overperforms) to rise above D-level.

My grading system rates temps (cold is better) and snowfall, with pack and blockbusters (or lack of same) adding subjectivity. It uses the 4/3/2/1/0 for grades, with +/- adding or subtracting .33, just like when I was in college. A: Best or near best at my location. I've given A++ (5 pt) for snow/cold that breaks records at the Farmington co-op. 3/01, 4/07 (SN), 3/14, 2/15 (temp). B: Significantly better than average C: At/near average D: Significantly worse than average F: Worst or near worst. I gave 12/15 an F- (-0.33 points) for temps as it obliterated Dec warmth records by huge margins. hopefully a quick change to rain wherever you are headed Thanks. However, my homeward drive gains both elevation and latitude, so p-type changes (if any) tend toward the opposite direction.

GYX thinking 3-5 last period, aft AFD not posted when I checked 5 minutes ago. If that verifies, it will probably be at peak rate in the 4-6 PM window. Haven't had a seriously snowy commute yet this winter.

I'll think about that on my afternoon commute tomorrow.

Lots of sled traffic this weekend on the club trail thru our woodlot. 16" a the stake so a bit thin for good grooming. Snowshoeing with our Dudley Lab was excellent - at least something good came from the sleet fest 10 days ago.

Only 45° here, -28 to 17 (after Friday's 30/-13. Afternoon high was 10.) GYX noted that Jackman had -41 yesterday morning and might reach 30 today.

Low was -28, only 1° from my coldest Feb morning here. That came in 2003, the winter that killed my peach tree. Planted in late May 1998, that Reliance peach would grow vigorously in summer then die back to about 2' tall each winter. Then 01-02 didn't get colder than -12, there was no dieback, and the tree produced 100+ luscious tennis-ball-sized fruit. Jan-Feb-Mar 2003 reached -20 or colder 12 times, bottoming out with that -29 in Feb, and it was lights out. A weak sprout came from below the graft, thus useless, but it died in July anyway.

And last month was my cloudiest of 22 Januarys here. We had measurable snow on 18 days but 1"+ on only 3 as all those clouds didn't produce much snow. February has been cloudier than average as well though yesterday and today are bright.

Heard some tree popping last evening as I walked the dog with temp -13, with one especially loud pop from a spot with maple and ash, undoubtedly from one of the maples. Had mid -20s this morning, about 99% chance it's the coldest morning of the winter. (And close to the median for bottom of winter here.)

Touched -25 or a bit colder here. Another 40+ diurnal range today. Saw -32 at PQI, guessing Big Black/Estcourt Station under -35.

Weenies fighting for space on the Tobin?

Lowery day for sure. Something's in the air here in AUG - fog, dz, frdz, can't tell (could go outside, I suppose.) A number of stations reporting precip outside of the areas of radar returns; maybe it's originating too low to give a return.

And 77 years ago on nearly the same date, CON hit -37 and PWM a head-exploding -39 just a stone's throw from (mostly) salt water. Even NYC shivered at -8, their 3rd coldest morning on record.

3.0" of 17:1 fluff overnight. Switched to RA here in AUG, not sure what's happening at home under the dry strip. Yesterday was my 1st 20/20 day, for a mean of zero. Makes 18 of 22 winters here reaching -20 or colder. (Misses were 01-02, 05-06, 09-10, 12-13.)

Up to 44.9", still about 6.5" BN for the date.