Source: National Weather Service Boston/Norton office
Meanwhile, the first 15 days of March set records for warmth at 17 of 35 major climate sites in the Northeast and ranked among the five warmest at 15 other sites, the Northeast Regional Climate Center says. Temperatures averaged 3 to more than 12 degrees above normal.
Source: Northeast Regional Climate Center
And as of March 17, 61.5 inches of snow had fallen at Caribou, Maine, this winter compared with 109.3 inches the previous winter by then. Only 70.3 inches of snow fell during the 2009–10 season, according to the National Weather Service office in Caribou.
More weather and climate highlights, featuring winter and other extremes:
— It was the warmest start to March (1–15) on record in Caribou, with temperatures averaging 11.5 degrees above normal. Other record-breakers included Hartford (10.4 degrees above) and Bridgeport (9.4 degrees above) in Connecticut, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center. It was the wettest start on record in Portland, Maine, Providence, Rhode Island, and Concord, New Hampshire, with precipitation roughly three times the norm. Portland and Bridgeport also had record low snowfall (none).
— Globally, this winter (December through January) was the warmest in NASA’s record, and last month was the warmest February on record, according to NASA Earth. “These warm winter months … continue a long term warming trend caused by human activities.”
— Winds reached 150 mph at the summit of 6,288-foot Mount Washington in New Hampshire on March 11. That’s the highest gust recorded so far this winter season, according to the Mount Washington Observatory. Sustained winds hit the mid-120s mph (equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane).
— On Feb. 17, winds at about 34,000 feet to 35,000 feet above the surface peaked at around 265 mph in the area covered by the Baltimore/Washington weather service office. That’s the second strongest upper-level wind recorded in local history, dating back to the mid-20th century, the office posted. The strongest wind (267 mph) was recorded on Dec. 6, 2002.
Many more images, including some of my photos in New Hampshire and Marin County, California:
“Temperature departure from 1991–2020 normal over the last 55 days” through March 17, 2024. Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Source: Weather Prediction Center at the National Weather Service
December through February snowfall in the lower 48 states since 1940. Source: Ben Noll, meteorologist at the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research in New Zealand
July 2023 through February 2024 was the fourth least snowy period on record since 1940. Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Snowfall trend in March over the last 50 years (1974 to 2023). Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Monthly temperatures for December, January and February compared with the 1991–2020 average for the contiguous United States. “Despite a swatch of cooler-than-average temperatures across the central part of the country in January, the winter overall was the warmest in the 130-year record.” Source: NOAA Climate.gov maps based on data from NOAA ‘s National Centers for Environmental Information
Average temperatures during the 1973–74 through 2023–24 winter seasons (December through February) have risen by 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit in the lower 48 states. Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
This map shows the temperature difference for winter 2023–24 (December through February) — an El Niño — compared with all El Niño winters since 1976, with each El Niño winter compared with “its own 30-year centered climatology — to remove the trend.” Source: Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Average precipitation during the 1973–74 through 2023–24 winter seasons (December through February) has increased by 5.14 percent in the lower 48 states. Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Winter (December through February) temperature departure for the contiguous U.S. during the last 174 years. “Winter 2023–24 was significantly warmer than all the others.” Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Winter 2023–24 (December through February) was the warmest on record for Canada. Temperatures averaged a “staggering” 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.34 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the previous warmest winter. Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
“This winter was much cloudier than normal for areas in dark gray. Florida was especially cloudy. The west coast was also very cloudy compared to the average winter period. They are used to clouds though.” Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Source: NOAA
Global average sea temperature departure from average for each January-February since 1900. Source: Zach Labe, a climate scientist and post-doc at Princeton University and NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.
Ocean heat content in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean. “It’s hard to describe how outlandish these anomalies have been since June 2023.” Ocean heat content is a vertically-integrated measure of energy in the ocean. “It takes *a lot* of energy to quickly crank things up this far beyond “the norm”. Something very significant.” Source: Brian McNoldy, senior research associate at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School
Average temperatures in the Northeast this winter (December through February) ranged from near normal to more than 8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Source: Northeast Regional Climate Center
Precipitation in the Northeast this winter (December through February) ranged from 75 percent of normal to twice the norm. Source: Northeast Regional Climate Center
Snowfall in the Northeast this winter (December through February) ranged from more than 4 feet below normal to a foot above the norm. Source: Northeast Regional Climate Center
Snowfall in most of the northern U.S. this winter (December through February) compared with a 14-year average (2008–09 through 2022–23). “Very depressed snowfall downwind of the Great Lakes and across much of the northern tier, from northern Rockies to Northeast. The DJF snowfall departures track close to those seen with moderate El Niño winters across U.S. and North America.” Source: Greg Carbin and the Weather Prediction Center at the National Weather Service
Despite having the warmest meteorological winter (December through February) on record for Burlington, Vermont, “the mountains have been doing quite well in terms of snowfall. Here’s a look at the Mt Mansfield #snow depth this season (red), which has trended quite close to climatological average (green).” Source: National Weather Service Burlington VT office
“Winter 2023–24 departure from the 1991–2020 normal.” In 23 percent of the contiguous U.S., temperatures averaged at least 5 degrees Fahrenheit above normal from December through February. One percent was below normal. Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
“Winter 2023–24 saw a lot of precipitation. Despite the dry February in the East, Many areas from near D.C. to near Boston had their wettest winter season on record. There are also very few places that were especially dry.” Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Source: Northeast Regional Climate Center
“February 2024 was the warmest February on record for the globe for the ninth consecutive month.” Source: National Centers for Environmental Information
The lower 48 states had its warmest winter (December through February) on record. North America had its warmest February and winter on record. Source: National Centers for Environmental Information
The 50-year trend in spring (Mar through May) temperatures. Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Spring (March through May) is the wettest season for places in dark green. That includes nearly a third of the loewer 48 states, but almost nowhere in Canada, Alaska, Mexico or adjacent ocean areas. Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
For locations in dark blue, spring (March through May) is the snowiest season of the year. Source: Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Seasonal temperature forecast for summer 2024 (June through August). Source: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts via Brian Brettschneider, PhD climatologist based in Alaska
Newfound Lake in Alexandria on March 12, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Stream in Hebron on March 12, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Stream in Hebron, New Hampshire, on March 12, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
The Cockermouth River in Hebron on March 12, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Hebron on March 12, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Spectacle Pond on March 12, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Hebron on March 12, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Ice near Newfound Lake on March 11, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
The Newfound River in Bristol on March 11, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
The Newfound River in Bristol on March 11, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
The Newfound River in Bristol on March 11, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Penacook Lake in Concord on Feb. 12, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Big Sugarloaf mountain near Newfound Lake on Feb. 11, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Bear Mountain near Newfound Lake on Feb. 11, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Thin ice on Newfound Lake in Alexandria on Feb. 9, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
The Cockermouth River in Hebron on Feb. 7, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Fairfax in California on March 2, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Near Fairfax in Marin County on March 2, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Fairfax in March 1, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
San Anselmo on Feb. 23, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Limantour Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore on Feb. 22, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Limantour Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore on Feb. 22, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Limantour Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore on Feb. 22, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
San Anselmo on Feb. 21, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Yoda and Indiana Jones statues in San Anselmo on Feb. 21, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
Near Fairfax, California, on Feb. 19, 2024. Photo by Todd B. Bates/NH EnviroGuy blogger
NH EnviroGuy blogger & photography enthusiast living near Newfound Lake in New Hampshire. Finalist, 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Public Service. Snowy ROC NY native.