Norfolk’s March Weather Sets One-Day Record High
Snowfall for the winter season is well below average
By Russell Russ
Here are the March 2007 weather highlights from Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2 SW, as recorded by the Great Mountain Forest Corporation. The station has recorded weather observations since January 1, 1932.
The month’s high temperature of 69 degrees was observed on March 14, a record high for that date. It replaced the old record of 68 degrees set back in 1990. A low temperature of five degrees below zero was observed on March 6. The month ended with an average March temperature of 30.4 degrees, which was just 0.1 degree above normal.
March saw 19 days with measurable precipitation and unfortunately not many nice clear early spring days. The result was a typical mud season in Norfolk. There were numerous days when we received only a little snow, which then turned to rain or sleet or freezing rain. Norfolk usually will get more snow during these types of storms, but this year the snow line was to the north of us.
Freezing rain on March 2 led to about a quarter inch of ice on trees and wires, causing some power outages throughout town. The storm on March 16 dumped 11 inches of snow at the station, but there were reports of snow depths around town of 12 to 16 inches.
The total precipitation recorded for the month was 4.72 inches, which was 0.27 inches above normal. The 16.4 inches of snowfall recorded was 2.3 inches below normal.
Through the first quarter of 2007 we are 1.75 inches below normal for total precipitation and 24 inches below normal for snowfall. Our winter season runs from October through April, and so far, we have accumulated only 39.5 inches through March. Comparing this winter season to date to the last 75 years we are now 49 inches below a normal winter’s snowfall.
We ended the month with ice still covering Tobey Pond and Wangum Lake. Last year the ice went out between March 28 and March 30. Typically, the ice goes out sometime between late March and the first or second week of April.
