Hartford Monthly Snowfall Update: Record Blown Away

As of 7 am today, the 12" of new snow at Bradley (Windsor Locks) Airport pushed the monthly total for January to 56.9", blowing away the previous all-time monthly record (see previous post).

Thank you, Pepco (you still suck), for a 15-hour outage, Comcrap for an 18-hour outage and counting, and Verizon for your lightning-fast 31.2K connection for making this post possible. NOT!

Hartford Sets Monthly Snowfall Record

The 1.9" of snow which fell at Hartford's Bradley Airport yesterday (January 25) was far short of the record 13.6" for the date in 1905. However, the National Weather Service reports that the monthly snowfall total to date of 44.9" is now the record highest amount for January since observations began at Hartford in 1905. This exceeds the previous record of 43.1" in 1996.

This month's total is now the second highest for any calendar month at Hartford, surpassing the 43.3" in March 1956. With more snow on the way to southern New England, the all-time monthly record of 45.3" in December 1945 is well within sight. The latest forecast, issued at 2 pm EST today, calls for 6-10" of snow through tonight.

The seasonal total so far at Hartford is 59.1", vs. an average to date of 20.2". The average amount for January to date would be 11.8", so the current month is almost 400% of normal.

The January average monthly temperature at Hartford so far of 23.0° is 2.6° below the climatological mean. However, that is only the 20th coldest January out of 98 years of monthly temperature records.

Image (click to enlarge): Total snowfall forecast through 7 pm EST, January 27, from National Weather Service

Arctic Air Sets Records In New York, New England

January 26 Update: A tip of the wind vane to site visitor S.P. Gass, who points out that Wallops Island also tied the daily record set in 2005 with a low of 11°. It should be noted, however, that observations there date back less than a half century to 1963.

Some additional records set or tied include (old record in parentheses):

Worcester MA (KORH)    -9.0°F  (-3.0°F, 1963)
Boston MA (KBOS)       -2.0°F   (0.0°F, 1925)
Glens Falls NY (KGFL) -30.0°F (-25.0°F, 2005)
Syracuse NY (KSYR)    -13.0°F  (-9.0°F, 2005)
Bradford PA (KBFD)    -21.0°F  (tied 1963)
Scranton PA (KAVP)     -8.0°F  (-5.0°F, 1963)
Providence RI (KPVD)   -2.0°F  (tied 1961)
Montpelier VT (KMPV)  -22.0°F (-15.0°F, 1961) 

Original post:
The Arctic air mass which has moved eastward across the northern U.S. set a few daily low temperature records in New York and New England this morning, January 24.

• The low of 4° at Islip, New York beat the old record from 2005 for the date by 1°. However, Islip climate records extend back only 25 years to 1986.
• The low of 6° at Kennedy Airport tied the record set in 2005.
• The low of 0° at Bridgeport, Connecticut broke the old record of 3° set in 1963. Bridgeport climate records extend back to 1948.
• In Central Park, New York, where climate records began in 1869, the low of 6° was 12° above the old record set in 1882.
• The low of -13° at Albany, New York missed the old record from 1948 by 4°.

Here are some other unofficial frigid low temperatures reported by the National Weather Service today:

LOCATION              MINIMUM     TIME/DATE   COMMENTS
                        TEMP           OF
                       DEG F   MEASUREMENT

CONNECTICUT

...LITCHFIELD COUNTY...
  FALLS VILLAGE        -14.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  NORFOLK              -13.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  THOMASTON            -11.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  BAKERSVILLE           -9.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  1 WSW REYNOLDS BRIDG  -9.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP

MASSACHUSETTS

...BERKSHIRE COUNTY...
  NORTH ADAMS          -20.0   743 AM  1/24  ASOS
  WEST OTIS            -17.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  SAVOY                -15.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  1 WNW BRIGGSVILLE    -14.0   525 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  PITTSFIELD           -14.0   729 AM  1/24  ASOS
  ALFORD               -12.0   820 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6

NEW YORK

...ALBANY COUNTY...
  COLONIE              -21.0   630 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  ALCOVE               -18.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  COHOES               -14.0   521 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  1 NE SHAKERS         -13.0   718 AM  1/24  ASOS ALBANY AIRPORT

...COLUMBIA COUNTY...
  NORTH CHATHAM        -19.0   530 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  TAGHKANIC            -12.0   541 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  LIVINGSTON           -10.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  COPAKE                -8.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP

...DUTCHESS COUNTY...
  RHINEBECK            -20.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  1 WNW NEW HACKENSACK -14.0   734 AM  1/24  ASOS
  RED HOOK             -11.0   737 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  BEACON HILLS         -10.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP

...FULTON COUNTY...
  GLOVERSVILLE         -22.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  BROADALBIN           -19.0   545 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  JOHNSTOWN            -15.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP

...GREENE COUNTY...
  CAIRO                -11.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  EAST JEWETT          -11.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  GREENVILLE CENTER    -11.0   541 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6

...HAMILTON COUNTY...
  INDIAN LAKE          -30.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  LAKE PLEASANT        -22.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  PISECO               -22.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  WELLS                -20.0   813 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6

...HERKIMER COUNTY...
  OLD FORGE            -31.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  DOLGEVILLE           -20.0   736 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6

...MONTGOMERY COUNTY...
  FORT PLAIN           -19.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  FONDA                -16.0   852 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  PALATINE BRIDGE      -15.0   702 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  AMSTERDAM            -12.0   544 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  GLEN                 -11.0   612 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6

...RENSSELAER COUNTY...
  BUSKIRK              -24.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  STEPHENTOWN          -22.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  TROY                 -14.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  BRUNSWICK            -13.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP

...SARATOGA COUNTY...
  MALTA                -24.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  1 N THE SARATOGA BAT -22.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  SARATOGA SPRINGS     -21.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  ROUND LAKE           -19.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  CONKLINGVILLE        -18.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP

...SCHENECTADY COUNTY...
  DUANESBURG           -15.0   641 AM  1/24  COOP
  DELANSON             -15.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  NISKAYUNA             -9.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP

...SCHOHARIE COUNTY...
  COBLESKILL           -22.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  CHARLOTTEVILLE       -20.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  SUMMIT               -14.0   944 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  SHARON SPRINGS       -14.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  JEFFERSON            -10.0   630 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6

...ULSTER COUNTY...
  SAUGERTIES           -13.0   653 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  SLIDE MOUNTAIN       -11.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  WEST SHOKAN           -8.0   636 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  HIGHMOUNT             -8.0   632 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  KINGSTON              -4.0   607 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  PHOENICIA             -3.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP

...WARREN COUNTY...
  GLENS FALLS          -30.0   733 AM  1/24  ASOS
  NORTH CREEK          -20.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  LAKE LUZERNE         -18.0   643 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6

...WASHINGTON COUNTY...
  WHITEHALL            -25.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  1 N EAGLE BRIDGE     -22.0   144 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  2 E BELCHER          -21.0   613 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  KINGSBURY            -18.0   845 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6
  NORTH HEBRON         -15.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  EASTON               -14.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  HUDSON FALLS         -13.0   541 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6

VERMONT

...BENNINGTON COUNTY...
  BENNINGTON           -22.0   748 AM  1/24  ASOS
  SEARSBURG            -19.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  POWNAL               -18.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  SUNDERLAND           -18.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  LANDGROVE TOWN CENTE -16.0   741 AM  1/24  WEATHERNET6

...WINDHAM COUNTY...
  WEST WARDSBORO       -17.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  GRAFTON              -16.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  MARLBORO             -15.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  BRATTLEBORO          -15.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  SOMERSET             -13.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP
  TOWNSHEND             -9.0   700 AM  1/24  COOP  

Northern Minnesota Coldest in 40+ Years

Images (click to enlarge): January 21, 2011 daily low temperatures in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, from National Weather Service; US/Canada surface temperatures at 6 am CST, from University of Illinois; Temperature and dewpoint at International Falls for 24 hours ending 2 pm CST, January 21, from National Weather Service

4 PM Update: The National Weather Service has supplied these additional factoids:

The -25 degree low at Duluth is tied for the 5th lowest minimum temperature in the last decade (since 2000). The lowest minimum temperature of the 2000s thus far has been -30 on January 29, 2004.

The state record low temperature in Minnesota was recorded at Tower, Minnesota on February 2, 1996. The low was -60 degrees. That was also the coldest temperature ever recorded east of the Mississippi River.

The state record low temperature in Wisconsin was recorded at Couderay on February 2nd and February 4th of 1996. The temperatures dipped down to -55 degrees both nights.

Temperatures by mid-afternoon had warmed to -8° at International Falls.

Original post:
The National Weather Service reports that this morning's low of -46° at International Falls, Minnesota tied the all-time record low at the current airport location set on January 6, 1968. Airport records began in 1939. In the overall International Falls record, which dates back to 1897, this was the 5th coldest reading. The all-time coldest temperature at International Falls is -55°. This occurred on January 6, 1909. Today's -46° temperature was matched at a co-operative reporting station at Babbit MN.

In all, 21 of the 31 January daily record lows at International Falls are -40° or colder. Three daily lows are -50° or colder, all of them set in 1909, on the 6th (all-time record of -55°), 7th (-54°) and 11th (-50°). The average daily low in January is -8.4°.

Other low temperatures for January 21 reported by the National Weather Service include:

TEMP    LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           SOURCE
 ----    -----------------------  --  --------------   -------
 -46     INTERNATIONAL FALLS      MN  KOOCHICHING      ASOS
 -46     BABBITT                  MN  ST LOUIS         COOP
 -43     EMBARRASS                MN  ST LOUIS         COOP
 -43     BIGFORK                  MN  ITASCA           RAWS
 -43     ASH LAKE                 MN  ST LOUIS         MNDOT
 -43     EFFIE                    MN  ITASCA           RAWS
 -40     LITTLEFORK               MN  KOOCHICHING      COOP
 -40     BIRCHDALE                MN  KOOCHICHING      MNDOT
 -39     MINONG                   WI  WASHBURN         RAWS
 -38     CASS LAKE                MN  CASS             RAWS
 -38     SQUAW LAKE               MN  ITASCA           MNDOT
 -38     CUTFOOT                  MN  ITASCA           RAWS
 -38     BOVEY                    MN  ITASCA           PRIVATE
 -38     KABETOGAMA               MN  ST LOUIS         COOP
 -38     CRANE LAKE               MN  ST LOUIS         AWOS
 -37     MARGIE                   MN  KOOCHICHING      MNDOT
 -37     HILL CITY                MN  ITASCA           RAWS
 -37     ELY                      MN  ST LOUIS         RAWS
 -37     RICE LAKE                MN  AITKIN           RAWS
 -36     LONG LAKE                MN  ITASCA           PRIVATE
 -36     JACOBSON                 MN  AITKIN           MNDOT
 -36     BARNES                   WI  BAYFIELD         RAWS
 -36     LONGVILLE                MN  CASS             AWOS
 -36     PINE RIVER               MN  CASS             AWOS
 -36     SEAGULL LAKE             MN  COOK             RAWS
 -36     WRIGHT                   MN  ST LOUIS         COOP
 -35     KABETOGAMA               MN  ST LOUIS         RAWS
 -34     MCGRATH                  MN  AITKIN           MNDOT
 -34     ASH RIVER                MN  ST LOUIS         PRIVATE
 -34     GUNFLINT LAKE            MN  COOK             COOP
 -34     HAYWARD                  WI  SAWYER           RAWS
 -34     LIND                     WI  BURNETT          RAWS
 -34     MOOSE LAKE               MN  CARLTON          RAWS
 -33     GRAND RAPIDS             MN  ITASCA           AWOS
 -33     COHASSET                 MN  ITASCA           PRIVATE
 -33     MCGREGOR                 MN  AITKIN           AWOS
 -33     AITKIN                   MN  AITKIN           AWOS
 -33     HIBBING                  MN  ST LOUIS         RAWS
 -33     JENKINS                  MN  CROW WING        PRIVATE
 -33     EMILY                    MN  CROW WING        MNDOT
 -33     BRAINERD                 MN  CROW WING        ASOS
 -33     MOOSE LAKE               MN  CARLTON          AWOS
 -33     SOUTH RANGE              WI  DOUGLAS          PRIVATE
 -32     GRANTSBURG               WI  BURNETT          PRIVATE
 -31     SILVER BAY               MN  LAKE             AWOS
 -31     TWO HARBORS              MN  LAKE             AWOS
 -31     LEADER                   MN  CASS             PRIVATE
 -31     DEER RIVER               MN  ITASCA           PRIVATE
 -31     SIREN                    WI  BURNETT          AWOS
 -31     GRANTSBURG               WI  BURNETT          WIDOT
 -31     HINCKLEY                 MN  PINE             PRIVATE
 -30     BREEZY POINT             MN  CROW WING        PRIVATE
 -30     TUCKER LAKE              MN  COOK             PRIVATE
 -30     GLIDDEN                  WI  ASHLAND          RAWS
 -30     GORDON                   WI  DOUGLAS          RAWS
 -29     I-35 MILE 198            MN  PINE             MNDOT
 -29     SEELEY                   WI  SAWYER           PRIVATE
 -29     4W CLAM LAKE             WI  BAYFIELD         PRIVATE
 -29     ISABELLA                 MN  LAKE             RAWS
 -28     NISSWA                   MN  CROW WING        PRIVATE
 -28     MERRIFIELD               MN  CROW WING        PRIVATE
 -26     DRUMMOND                 WI  BAYFIELD         SCHOOL
 -26     SUPERIOR                 WI  DOUGLAS          AWOS
 -26     PHILLIPS                 WI  PRICE            AWOS
 -25     FERNBERG                 MN  LAKE             RAWS
 -25     WASHBURN                 WI  BAYFIELD         RAWS
 -25     PINE CITY                MN  PINE             SCHOOL
 -25     DULUTH                   MN  ST LOUIS         ASOS
 -24     I-35 MILE 181            MN  PINE             MNDOT
 -22     HIGH BRIDGE              WI  ASHLAND          PRIVATE
 -22     MAPLE                    WI  DOUGLAS          PRIVATE
 -21     SILVER CREEK             MN  LAKE             PRIVATE 

Winter 2010-11 Mid-Season Temperature Review

January 14th (last Friday) was the midpoint of meteorological winter (December-February). Following the coldest month of 2010 in December (4.9° below average), Washington temperatures have been considerably milder relative to seasonal normals in the first half of January, averaging 0.7° below the climatological mean. If temperatures continue for the rest of the winter at the current average of 3.4° below climatology, this will be the coldest winter since 2003, which was 3.5° colder than the long-term mean. Including this year, the 12 winters of this century so far have averaged 0.3° warmer than climatology.

On a wider scale, Washington is on the northern edge of an area of colder than average winter temperatures extending westward to the Ohio Valley and southward through the southeastern states. Some small areas in Georgia and the Carolinas have been as much as 6°C colder than average. Nearly all of the rest of the U.S. has been within +-2°C of average, with above average temperatures in most of the western half of the country.

In the rest of North America, however, much warmer than average temperatures have predominated over northern and eastern Canada. A large area of temperatures at least 14°C above average extends from Hudson Bay to Greenland. (Note that the polar stereographic projection of the map preserves geographic sizes between latitudes.) For more details on the record warm Canadian temperatures, see the article from the National Center for Atmospheric Research:
Cold comfort: Canada's record-smashing mildness

The North American 2010-2011 winter temperature has been controlled by a persistent atmospheric circulation pattern which features very strong high pressure over eastern Canada and Greenland, coupled with low pressure from the eastern U.S. eastward across the central Atlantic. The height of the 500 mb surface (roughly the middle of the atmosphere) has been over 250 meters above normal through the first half of the winter over a large area from Baffin Island (north of Hudson Bay) to southern Greenland. On the other hand, heights from the Virginia/North Carolina coast eastward into the Atlantic have been as much as 150 meters below average.

Spectacular Snow Cinema: Art Meets Blizzard

Amid all the amateur weather video engulfing social media and infiltrating The Weather Channel and other broadcast outlets, one product of the New York post-Christmas blizzard stands way above the rest. Veteran film critic Roger Ebert has this to say in his blog regarding "Man in a Blizzard," by Jamie Stuart:

This film deserves to win the Academy Award for best live-action short subject.
(1) Because of its wonderful quality. (2) Because of its role as homage. It is directly inspired by Dziga Vertov's 1929 silent classic "Man With a Movie Camera." (3) Because it represents an almost unbelievable technical proficiency. It was filmed during the New York blizzard of Dec. 26, and Jamie Stuart e-mailed it to me with this time stamp: December 27, 2010 4:18:18 PM CST.

You can tell from the cinematography he knew exactly what he was doing and how to do it. He held the Vertov film in memory. Stuart must already been thinking of how he would do the edit and sound. Any professional will tell you the talent exhibited here is extraordinary.

YouTube hits for the video are now over half a million.

Final Snow Totals For Southern/Central Maine and New Hampshire

The National Weather Service today published the final snow totals for the storm of January 12-13 in southern and central Maine and New Hampshire:

********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL********************

LOCATION          STORM TOTAL     TIME/DATE   COMMENTS
                     SNOWFALL           OF
                     /INCHES/   MEASUREMENT

MAINE

...ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY...
   DURHAM                13.3   728 PM  1/12
   1 NNW AUBURN          10.0  1008 PM  1/12

...CUMBERLAND COUNTY...
   BRIDGTON              16.9  1133 PM  1/12
   BRUNSWICK             16.5   750 PM  1/12
   1 ENE SOUTH WINDHAM   16.0   720 AM  1/13  STORM TOTAL
   5 NNE RAYMOND         16.0  1010 PM  1/12
   CASCO                 15.0   810 PM  1/12
   4 NNE RAYMOND         13.0   833 AM  1/13

...FRANKLIN COUNTY...
   3 W CHESTERVILLE       8.0   857 PM  1/12

...KENNEBEC COUNTY...
   RANDOLPH              15.0   140 AM  1/13

...OXFORD COUNTY...
   1 W OTISFIELD         12.5   856 PM  1/12
   BETHEL                11.0   806 PM  1/12

...SOMERSET COUNTY...
   5 ESE NORRIDGEWOCK     4.0   722 PM  1/12

...WALDO COUNTY...
   3 E ALBION            10.0   759 AM  1/13

...YORK COUNTY...
   4 SE SANFORD          18.0   947 PM  1/12
   5 NW HOLLIS           15.0   801 PM  1/12
   2 NE KENNEBUNK        13.0   733 PM  1/12
   2 NNW SACO            13.0   819 PM  1/12
   3 NNW LIMERICK        12.5   837 PM  1/12

NEW HAMPSHIRE

...BELKNAP COUNTY...
   TILTON                17.5   856 PM  1/12

...CARROLL COUNTY...
   1 W WOLFEBORO         21.0   843 PM  1/12
   4 S MOULTONBOROUGH    17.4   951 PM  1/12
   WOLFEBORO             16.0   852 AM  1/13
   CHATHAM               10.2   857 PM  1/12

...COOS COUNTY...
   RANDOLPH              16.6  1030 PM  1/12  N DEERING

...MERRIMACK COUNTY...
   NORTHFIELD            21.1   855 PM  1/12
   1 SSE HENNIKER        19.0   730 AM  1/13

...ROCKINGHAM COUNTY...
   2 ENE STRATHAM        17.5  1038 PM  1/12
   WINDHAM               11.0  1025 PM  1/12

...STRAFFORD COUNTY...
   1 SE SOMERSWORTH      18.0   829 PM  1/12