Norfolk’s March Weather

By Russell Russ 

March weather was highlighted by the big snowstorm that affected the region mid-month. Temperature, precipitation and snowfall were running about average up to that point, when weather patterns and conditions finally brought the Northeast a good old-fashioned Nor’easter snowstorm. The total snowfall measured at the weather station was an impressive 19.7 inches over two days. Totals reached 24 to 30 inches from North Norfolk into the Berkshires and southern Vermont. March’s snowfall currently makes up roughly half of this winter’s total amount.  

The month’s high temperature of 57 degrees was observed on March 22, and the low of 18 was observed on March 31. With a monthly mean temperature of 33.2 degrees, March was 2.5 degrees warmer than normal, but only ranked as Norfolk’s 22nd warmest March. There were no daily temperature records set. Norfolk’s warmest March was in 2012 with 41.8 degrees. The coldest was in 1960 with 21.2 degrees. 

Total precipitation recorded for the month was 4.21 inches, just 0.13 inch below normal. Nearly half of this month’s total precipitation, 2.03 inches, came from the mid-month snowstorm. Norfolk’s driest March was in 1981 with 0.64 inch, and the wettest was in 1953 with 10.37 inches. Through the first quarter of 2023, total precipitation was 11.59 inches, only 0.40 inch below normal. We may not be doing so well with snowfall, but we are getting precipitation.   

March’s monthly snowfall total of 31.3 inches was 13.8 inches above normal, ranking it as Norfolk’s 12th snowiest March of the last 92 years. The largest storm snowfall for the entire winter season was the 19.7 inches from the March 13-15 storm. There was snow on the ground every day of the month, with depths ranging from five inches to a peak of 26 inches. The March with the most snowfall, also the snowiest month of any on record for Norfolk, was in 1956 with 73.6 inches. The least snowy March on record was in 2021 with just 0.1 inch. 

The snowfall total for this winter season (October-March) was 63.3 inches, 19.3 inches below normal. Below normal, but fairly respectable and not even in the top 15 least snowy winters, thanks to March’s solid snow effort. Norfolk’s snowiest winter was 1955-56 with 177.4 inches, and the least snowy was 2015-16 with 35.5 inches. Last winter ranked as Norfolk’s 3rd least snowy winter with 43.4 inches.  

April began with some very nice springtime weather. For a couple of days it felt more like summer, with temperatures reaching 83 degrees on April 13 and 87 on April 14, both record highs for those dates. Precipitation, however, was very low. Through April 21, this was ranking as the driest and second warmest April on record. Although cooler than normal temperatures are forecast for the remainder of the month, April may still end up being highly ranked for warmth. Considerable rainfall on April 22 and April 23 will greatly add to this month’s precipitation total, likely bringing it closer to normal by the month’s end.  

Weather observations are recorded by the Great Mountain Forest at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2SW.  n