A cool and wet conclusion to 2019

By Russell Russ

The year of 2019 came to a close with winter conditions making the headlines. November was considerably colder than normal, and December had an above-normal snowfall total. Unlike some recent years when winter seemed to be delayed until January, the close of 2019 saw winter conditions firmly in place. To cap off the year, December closed out with an ice storm that featured thunderstorms and large hail. The conclusion of 2019 completes 88 years of continuous daily weather observations at the Norfolk 2SW weather station.  

November’s average temperature of 33.3 degrees was 3.8 degrees below normal. It was Norfolk’s coldest November since 1996 and was tied with 1932 for being Norfolk’s 11th coldest November over the last 88 years. Temperatures ranged from a high of 67 to a low of 10 degrees. The low of 10 degrees on Nov. 13 was a new daily record low temperature for that date, surpassing the old record of 17 from 1933. Precipitation for the month totaled 4.31 inches, 0.29 inch below normal. The monthly snowfall total of 5.2 inches was 1.5 inches below normal. The first measurable snowfall of the season came on Nov. 7 when 0.9 inch was recorded. There was one day in November with rare thunder snow. The fact that November was nearly four degrees colder than normal might indicate that we are in for a cold winter.  

December’s average temperature of 26.9 was 1.2 degrees above normal. Temperatures in December ranged from a high of 50 to a low of 3 degrees. There were no daily temperature records set this month. With a total precipitation amount of 6.82 inches, it was 2.30 inches above normal. It was Norfolk’s ninth wettest December over the last 88 years. December’s monthly snowfall total of 20.8 inches was 4.0 inches above normal. Norfolk experienced two days in December with thunder snow. An ice storm on Dec. 29-31, with two waves of thunder and lightning, one of which produced nickel- to quarter-sized hail, was clearly the most notable weather event of the month.      

With colder than normal November temperatures, many smaller local ponds were ice covered by Nov. 13, but then all were ice free by later in the month, only to be iced over once again by Dec. 1. Tobey Pond and Wangum Lake iced over initially on Dec. 7, but then went out and back in several times through the end of the year. By Dec. 31 most local lakes and ponds were ice covered. It was a close call once again for having a white Christmas, but most of Norfolk did in fact have one (just barely). Most other parts of the state did not. 

Norfolk’s weather for 2019 was fairly unremarkable. January to May were all below normal for snowfall. March, May and November were on the cold side, while April and July were on the warm side. There was a nice stretch of continually pleasant weather from mid-June through September. Nine out of 12 months were above normal for temperature, seven out of 12 were below normal for precipitation and seven out of eight winter season months were below normal for snowfall. Notable months were March for being the third driest March and July for being the third warmest July and also the third warmest month of any month. During the entire year there were two days with record daily low temperatures and six days with daily record high temperatures.  

The coldest days of the year were Jan. 21 and 31 with low temperatures of minus 12 degrees. There were seven days in 2019 with temperatures of zero or below. The warmest days of the year were July 20 and 21 when both reached 90 degrees. In total, there were two days in 2019 that recorded temperatures of 90 degrees or above. The yearly mean temperature was 45.6 degrees, just 0.6 degree above normal, ranking it tied with 1932 as Norfolk’s 16th warmest year over the last 88 years.      

The yearly total precipitation amount of 53.23 inches was just 0.62 inch above normal. Overall, it was a very average year for total precipitation. The yearly snowfall amount of 65.3 inches was 24.5 inches below normal, ranking it as Norfolk’s 15th least snowy year over the last 88 years. Had it not been for December’s above-average snowfall, the yearly total would have been considerably less and gained a higher ranking for least snowfall. 

For a complete summary of Norfolk’s 2019 weather and for updated monthly and yearly weather records, you can visit www.greatmountainforest.org and click on the Weather tab. Weather observations and record keeping are performed by Russell Russ for the Great Mountain Forest at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2SW.