FOR RELEASE: March 17, 1997
Contact: Blaine P. Friedlander, Jr.: (607) 255-3290; [email protected]
Compuserve: Larry Bernard 72650,565
http://www.news.cornell.edu
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Northeast survived the 11th warmest February in 103
years of record -- warm enough to shatter six all-time temperature
records for the month and set or tie 47 daily high-temperature records,
according to climatologists at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at
Cornell University.
"February was a continuation of the winter's warm weather," said Keith
Eggleston, regional climatologist at the center. For the Northeast,
the month averaged 5.4 degrees warmer than normal, making it the
region's 11th warmest February in 103 years of records. The winter
season (December through February) was also the 11th warmest on record
in the Northeast, with a departure from normal of plus 4.2 degrees.
Rochester, N.Y., was among the cities that obliterated previous
high-temperature records for the month. On Feb. 21, the mercury hit 73
degrees -- the first time since February 1932 that the high-temperature
for the month reached above 70 degrees.
It was the second-warmest February on record in Connecticut (7.7
degrees warmer than normal) and in New Jersey (6.9 degrees warmer than
normal) and the fourth warmest February in Rhode Island (6.2 degrees
warmer than normal).
For February, Maine had the region's smallest temperature departure at
1.3 degrees above the long-term average.
Several locations in New York, such as Rochester, Buffalo, Albany,
Ithaca and John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, reported their
warmest temperatures ever recorded in February on either the 21st or
the 27th.
For the first month since December 1995, every state in the Northeast
reported precipitation totals that averaged drier than normal.
Overall, the 12-state region received 81 percent of the normal February
precipitation, to rank as the 23rd driest February on record. Southern
New England received about half its normal allotment, while New York
came very close to normal at 99 percent.
Winter season precipitation (rain plus melted snow), meanwhile, was
somewhat wetter than normal at 112 percent of the 30-year average in
the Northeast. It was the 13th wettest winter in New Jersey, with 132
percent of normal, but the eighth driest winter season in West Virginia
(73 percent of normal).
New Weather Records
Temperature
Note: It was the warmest February on record at Bridgeport, Conn. The
average monthly temperature of 37.3° beat the previous record of 36.8°
set in 1954.
Monthly High Temperature Records
New Previous
Albany, N.Y. 68 67 in 1976
Buffalo, N.Y. 70 68 in 1932
Kennedy AP, N.Y. 71 68 in 1991
Rochester, N.Y. 73 70 in 1932
Harrisburg, Pa. 78 75 in 1985
Ithaca, N.Y. 67 66 in 1953
Daily High Temperature Records
City Date New Previous
Charleston, W.Va. 18th 64 63 in 1984
Bridgeport, Conn. 19th 61 55 in 1990
Providence, R.I. 19th 64 62 in 1949
Central Park, N.Y. 19th 66 63 in 1961
Kennedy AP, N.Y. 19th 66 60 in 1961
Brookhaven, N.Y. 19th 62 56 in 1981
Newark, N.J. 19th 66 62 in 1961
Allentown, Pa. 19th 63 60 in 1981
Harrisburg, Pa. (tie) 19th 66 66 in 1948
Williamsport, Pa. 19th 60 58 in 1954
Wilmington, Del. (tie) 19th 67 67 in 1948
Buffalo, N.Y. 21st 70 62 in 1953
Rochester, N.Y. 21st 73 59 in 1953
Harrisburg, Pa. 21st 71 70 in 1930
Pittsburgh 21st 73 67 in 1930
Beckley, W.Va. 21st 67 63 in 1983
Huntington, W.Va. 21st 74 61 in 1974
Parkersburg, W.Va. 21st 72 70 in 1959
Morgantown, W.Va. 21st 73 69 in 1976
Concord, N.H. 22nd 67 57 in 1990
Burlington, Vt. 22nd 59 54 in 1990
St. Johnsbury, Vt. 22nd 61 58 in 1981
Boston 22nd 66 63 in 1990
Hartford, Conn. 22nd 69 62 in 1991
Albany, N.Y. 22nd 68 62 in 1981
Central Park, N.Y. 22nd 69 66 in 1991
Ithaca, N.Y. 22nd 63 62 in 1930
Binghamton, N.Y. 22nd 60 57 in 1974
Newark, N.J. 22nd 70 66 in 1974
Bridgeport, Conn. 27th 67 62 in 1951
Hartford, Conn. (tie) 27th 65 65 in 1976
Wilmington, Del. 27th 73 70 in 1946
Baltimore 27th 76 73 in 1977
Worcester, Mass. 27th 60 56 in 1976
Atlantic City, N.J. 27th 73 70 in 1971
Newark, N.J. 27th 74 67 in 1976
Albany, N.Y. 27th 61 56 in 1880
Binghamton, N.Y. 27th 53 51 in 1977
Buffalo, N.Y. 27th 63 57 in 1977
Central Park, N.Y. 27th 72 68 in 1880
Kennedy AP, N.Y. 27th 71 67 in 1976
Ithaca, N.Y. 27th 67 62 in 1880
Rochester, N.Y. 27th 63 57 in 1880
Syracuse, N.Y. 27th 60 50 in 1977
Allentown, Pa. 27th 72 64 in 1976
Harrisburg, Pa. 27th 78 67 in 1976
Philadelphia 27th 74 70 in 1946
Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa. 27th 70 59 in 1976
Williamsport, Pa. 27th 69 63 in 1976
Dulles Airport, Va. 27th 74 71 in 1977
National Airport, Va. 27th 77 74 in 1977
Low Temperature Record
City Date New Previous
Caribou, Maine 17th -22 -18 in 1973
AP=Airport
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