Seth Kellogg,Marjorie W. Rines,and Robert H. Stymeist
The New Year started out warm with a high of 52° in Boston on January 4, but the average temperature for the month was only 26°, 3° below normal. The first bitter cold arrived early on January 8 when Boston recorded -1° with a high of just 19°, 17° below normal for that date. Pittsfield recorded -9° and with the wind chill it felt like 27° below. The season's first major snowfall on January 27 left up to nine inches in some areas, with Boston receiving 5.1 inches. Two days later classic conditions for a nor’easter were in place as the jet stream transported cold air from Canada to the Atlantic where it met warm air moving up the coast. High pressure over eastern Canada held the storm in place over New England. This storm left more than 30 inches of snow in Worcester and Middlesex counties and dropped over 23 inches in Boston making it the sixth biggest snowstorm since 1935. The entire island of Nantucket lost power when winds reached gusts of 78mph.
Wood Duck preening by Sandy Selesky
February was also bitterly cold with a low of -3° on February 16; and an average for the month of 19°, 13° below average. On February 2 we were hit with a major snowstorm dumping 15.9 inches of snow in Boston. Other areas received more snow as Luneburg recorded 20 inches, yet Cape Cod escaped with only one inch recorded in Chatham. Between February 7 and 12 snow fell each day adding another 25.3 inches in Boston then on February 14 and 15 we were hit with another 15.2 inches. Boston ended the month with 64.8 inches for a seasonal of 102 inches to date, already the second snowiest winter season of record with the month of March yet to come.