A Snowy End to a Very Warm and Dry Year

By Russell Russ

After tracking a growing precipitation deficit and above average temperatures for the entire year, it was quite the twist in weather fate to have an early winter with snowy conditions before Thanksgiving. The closing months of 2016 were still a little warmer than normal, but they were above average for snowfall. Precipitation came in the form of rain and snow during the last two months of the year, but as it had done for most of the year, the deficit kept on growing. The end of 2016 completes 85 years of continuous weather observations at the Norfolk 2SW weather station, and it was a notable weather year in many ways.

November’s average temperature of 38.9 degrees was 1.8 degrees above normal. Temperatures ranged from a high of 65 to a low of 23 degrees. Precipitation for the month was 3.70 inches, 0.9 inches below normal. It was a snowy November with a monthly snowfall total of 14.8 inches, which was 8.3 inches above normal, ranking it as Norfolk’s eleventh snowiest November on record. The snowstorm on November 20-21 dumped 14.2 inches over two days, making it one of our larger November snowfalls on record.

December was a little warmer and a little drier than normal. Temperatures ranged from a high of 48 degrees to a low of minus 2 on December 16, which tied the 1943 record low for that date. December’s average temperature of 27.2 degrees was 1.5 degrees above normal—a far cry from last December’s record shattering warmth. With a total precipitation amount of 4.27 inches, this December was just 0.27 inches below normal while December’s monthly snowfall total of 19.5 inches was 2.6 inches above normal.

Most local ponds and lakes were ice covered between December 6 and 13. Pond ice this early is fairly common, but it has been six years since we have seen it form this early in the season. The ponds stayed frozen through the end of the month. Snow was on the ground for most of December, giving us a white Christmas to go with our white Thanksgiving.

The year of 2016 will be remembered as being very dry. Every month except February between January and September ranked within the top 10 for either warmth or least amount of precipitation—or both. After February, we were 0.69 inches above normal for precipitation, but then every month following was below normal, gradually increasing the deficit with each passing month. Streams, rivers, ponds, reservoirs and private wells were all showing signs of drought. This worsened as the summer and fall progressed. The yearly precipitation amount of 38.36 inches was 14.33 inches below normal, ranking 2016 as Norfolk’s third driest year on record. Norfolk’s driest years were 1965 with 33.89 and 1935 with 38.06 inches.

The coldest day of the year was Valentine’s Day, February 14, with a low of minus 19. There were two days in 2016 that recorded temperatures of 90 degrees or above—something we have not seen in several years. July was the seventh warmest month and August the thirteenth warmest month out of all months on record. The yearly mean temperature was 47.7 degrees, 2.9 degrees above normal. This tied 2016 with 2002 as Norfolk’s fifth warmest year on record.

With January to May being mostly below normal for snowfall, it was no surprise then that the 2015-2016 Winter Season (October–May) snowfall amount of 35.5 inches was the lowest on record. For the 2016-2017 Winter Season through December we were already at 36.8 inches, 12.5 inches above normal. The 2016 calendar year snowfall amount of 70.8 inches was 19.2 inches below normal.

For a complete summary of Norfolk’s 2016 weather you can visit www.greatmountainforest.org and click on the Weather tab. Weather observations are recorded by the Great Mountain Forest at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2SW.

Photograph by Russell Russ: The severity of the drought in Norfolk is revealed by this photo, taken at the west side of Tobey Pond. An earthwork dyke, normally submerged, has been exposed by the receding water level.