For nature stories
November was an overall dry month but seemed wet at times. There was measurable precipitation on 13 of the first 17 days but only in small amounts. Less days of moisture the second half of November. The monthly total is 2.36 inches compared to the normal of 3.53″. More than an inch below the average. Year to date with just one month to go my total is 43.42″, just a few hundreds above the NOAA normal of 43.24″.
Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights were out bright last night. Photo from the new bridge over the river on a cold windy night with clouds blowing thru. Flare on the lens from the strong town lights .
I believe in this part of Vermont the drought is winding down. Over the past 2 months my numbers are within 0.44″ of the averages. For October my total is 5.10 inches of rain compared to the NOAA average of 4.77″. Across Windham County the monthly totals range from a low of 4.09″ to 6.73″ from the 13 CoCoRaHS observers with full data. October is the wettest month of the year followed by June from the averages.
For the year to date with 2 months to go the total is 41.06″ compared to the norm of 39.71″. More than an inch above on a dry year. I think if you go back in time 40 years or so the yearly normal was only about 40″. Every 10 years the NOAA normals or 30 year averages move up by 10 years and have been increasing.
Closest approach on 10/21. Look NW after sunset. Below, west of the Big Dipper Handle and use binoculars. Photo (below) is a composite of several shots taken with a 200mm lens, f4, 5 sec at ISO 6400
Another very dry month until the 25th with rain on 3 days totaling 2.6″ at my location. Some locations in Windham Co to the north of here received 4″ from this storm. This rain still left my location nearly an inch below normal with 3.44″ compared to NOAA’s norm of 4.21″.
Yesterday ended the water year that runs from Oct. 1 – Sept. 30 with 44.6″ compared to the average of 47.54″. About 3″ below the normal. For the “year to date” still slightly ahead at 35.96″ compared to the NOAA number of 34.94″.
A second dry month in a row with brown lawns and gardens needing regular watering. At my location recorded 2.06″ compared to the NOAA normal of 4.32 inches. A little less than half of normal. For the calendar year still a little ahead of the average with 32.52″ compared to the average of 30.73 inches.
This month there have been a number of small scattered rain storms traveling thru, and if you were lucky you may have received more rain than I. All numbers are from my location in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro and do vary.
This photo was taken during the rain storm a couple of days ago in Brattleboro.
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I saw something strange in the sky last night. I was out looking for Perseid meteors around 10:30 pm. It was a bit on the early side but I thought I might get lucky. And I did. After 10 minutes or so I saw some very faint little shooting stars above me. It was mostly clear, with a bit of high haze in the east.
I looked across a field to try a different direction. It was clear above me and to the west. Almost immediately I saw a big fiery, flaming meteor come whizzing down. It had a long streak and looked great. Whoo hoo! Mission accomplished – I saw a good one. Time to go in. Then I noticed what looked to be a small plane or satellite moving very slowly in the west. It wasn’t blinking like a plane, though, and it seemed to be moving too slowly to be a satellite. I kept watching.
The rain yesterday and overnight totaled 1.27″ at my location. I am a CoCoRaHS volunteer and we submit our report each morning at 7am. So that rain is my August 1st report number. CoCoRaHS is short for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, headquartered at Colorado State University. There are somewhere in the area of 20,000 people reporting across the US and Canada.
Near average rainfall for the month of June at 4.41″ compared to the NOAA normal of 4.52″. It has been a little dry of late with only 0.21″ falling in the last 11 days of the month. I don’t record temps but there have been some very hot days followed by big swings to cool days.
Year to date precipitation stands at 29.18″ compared to the normal of 22.13″. Well above the average mostly from the wet month of May. All numbers are from my location in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro and may be different where you live.
May was a very wet month with a number of cool days. Measurable rain on 17 days with a trace on 4 days totaling 10.23″. NOAA normal for May at this location is 3.64″. This is the 3rd highest monthly total in the 6+ years I have been a CoCoRaHS observer. The other 2 highest were both in the month of July with flooding in parts of the state.
Year to date total is 24.77″ compared to the average of 17.61″. All numbers are from my location in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro and will very with location.
A little wetter than average April with cool weather in the first half but warmer days in the second half. Measured 4.62″ this month with measurable moisture on 17 of 30 days compared to the normal of 3.85″. For the calendar year my number is 14.54″ compared to the NOAA average of 13.97″.
Also recorded 2.7″ of snow, bringing the season total to 54.5″. My snow average is 62.6″ per season. All numbers are from my location in the SE corner of Brattleboro and do vary with location.
A warmer first half of the month and a rainy second half totaling 3.61″ of moisture compared to a NOAA normal of 3.62″. Only recorded 0.2″ of snow all month. Earlier in the winter many were saying what a snowy winter we are having, but the season total so far is 51.8″ compared to my average of 62.5″. Most all snow was melted by the middle of March. Still possible to receive snow in April.
For the calendar year, total moisture is 9.92″ compared to the average of 10.12″. Very close to normal. All numbers are from my home in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro and do vary by location.
February was a wet, mostly snowy month. Total moisture recorded for the month was 4.74″ compared to the NOAA average of 3.11″. For the calendar year 6.31″ compared to the normal of 6.50″.
Snow for the month measured 26.3″ compared to my average since 1993 of 16.5″. The most I have recorded in February is 40.0″ in 2014-15 and the least is 0.0″ in 2012-13. For the season, snow total stands at 50.4″, about a foot below the season average of 62.5″ with March and April to go. My snow stake out in the yard is at 14″ this morning and will vary greatly upon how much sun you receive along with how much snow has fallen.
A dry month with fairly normal temps. Measured 1.57″ of moisture compared to a NOAA normal of 3.39″. Even with the relatively cold temps most of the month, about 1/2 of the moisture fell as rain.
Snow for the month totaled 12.6″ compared to my average of 16.5″. My average in just the years 1993-2010 was 19.4″. Total snowfall so far this season stands at 25.3″ at my location. For comparison Mt Snow ski area lists their season total at 93″. They do exaggerate a little but they also have been receiving much more snow this year and skiing has been good for several weeks.
For the month of December measured 4.25″ compared to a normal of 4.30 inches. Most fell as rain but we did receive 8.4″ of snow compared to my average of 13.8″. The approximate water equivalence of the snow was 0.55″, so a very dry cold snow from western clipper systems.
I have been measuring snow since 1993. The average December snow from 93-2010 = 16.1″ and from 2011 to current = 11.3″. Snowfall on average continues to fall as total precipitation increases. All this time we were well into climate change. Wish I had data from the 1960s when I don’t remember a lot of rain storms in winter.
Dryness has abated somewhat with 2 larger storms in the past 10 days. Precipitation for the month measured 3.01″ compared to the normal of 3.53″. The second storm included snow for many including here with 4.3″ and more at higher elevations. My November snow average going back to 1993-94 is 2.8″. There have been 5 years with 10 or more inches in November over that time period.
For the calendar year my total stands at 41.68 inches compared to the norm of 43.24″. One month to go. All numbers are from my location in the SE corner of Brattleboro.
Continued dry with only 2 rain events during the month totaling 1.38″. Normal rain for October is 4.77″. For the calendar year the total is now 38.67″ compared to the NOAA average of 39.71″. At the end of August the calendar year total was a +5.37″ and now we are over an inch below normal. It has been enjoyable weather.
Across Windham County, CoCoRaHs stations reported a high of 2.71″ and a low of 0.73″ for the month of October. I did see a few snowflakes in the air one day this month. All my numbers are from a rain gauge located in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro.
A dry month with rain on only 4 days at my location totaling 1.19″. The NOAA average for September is 4.21″. This also marks the end of the Water year or hydrologic year that runs Oct 1 – Sept. 30. My total for this period is 51.32″ compared to the normal of 47.54″.
Talked to a Town employee last week and the town reservoir (Pleasant Valley) was only down 8 inches at the time so no water shortage. I can remember the reservoir being down 6 or more feet with the old road across showing. This is opinion that I try to stay away from, but I enjoyed this past month with drier than normal weather and temps not too hot or too cold on average.
A wetter month with 5.28″ of rainfall compared to the average of 4.32″. There was measurable rain on 10 of the first 11 days and on 20 of August’s 31 days. For the calendar year 36.10″ compared to the NOAA average of 30.73″. Across Windham County I see monthly totals as high as 7.59″ in Marlboro and a low of 3.75″ in Rockingham. My numbers are from the South east corner of Brattleboro. For more information visit CoCoRaHS.org
