The snow has come and gone. There’s never a bullseye, but the forecast was reasonably close. If success is judged by number of complaints, or lack thereof, I’m doing fine. Here are the final DOT numbers. I have also added the Boston and New York NWS snow totals, which include Connecticut, for the Dec 20-21, 2009 storm at the end of this entry.
Not everyone was as lucky. A friend who forecasts in Springfield sent a text message saying he’d received nothing! “Bust of the decade,” he said. Ouch. Been there. I know exactly what he’s going through.
I was right about Southeastern Connecticut getting the most snow followed by the shoreline in general. The snow was fluffy and windblown as predicted. Accumulations were generally in line with my numbers. My call for the Northwest Hills and most of the area directly adjacent to the Massachusetts line was a few inches higher than the actual totals.
I wrote about this last night, but it bears repeating the most unusual and interesting part of this storm was the exceptionally dry air. During the summer we sometimes see 30 grams of water content per square meter. Last night it was around 1 gram per cubic meter!
The dry air was the wild card. Radar showed moderate snow over all of Connecticut for hours-and-hours before anything hit the ground. Once the atmospheric column over any location became saturated light snow turned to heavy snow. I’d never seen a situation quite like this before. It cut inches off all the accumulations.
It’s a shame this storm will impact Christmas shopping. Otherwise we’re lucky it came on a Saturday night when travel is usually light.
And now the dig out begins.
122 NOUS41 KOKX 201926 PNSOKX CTZ005>012-NJZ002>006-011-NYZ067>081-210725- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT SPOTTER REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY 225 PM EST SUN DEC 20 2009 THE FOLLOWING ARE UNOFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEN DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS FOR THE STORM THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTING OUR REGION. APPRECIATION IS EXTENDED TO HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS...COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS...SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND MEDIA FOR THESE REPORTS. THIS SUMMARY IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR HOME PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/NYC ********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL******************** LOCATION STORM TOTAL TIME/DATE COMMENTS SNOWFALL OF (INCHES) MEASUREMENT CONNECTICUT ...FAIRFIELD COUNTY... DARIEN 11.5 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT NEW CANAAN 10.3 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT BRIDGEPORT 9.0 700 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER DANBURY 7.0 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT ...MIDDLESEX COUNTY... CLINTON 20.0 900 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO EAST HADDAM 20.0 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT OLD SAYBROOK 20.0 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT HADDAM 14.0 600 AM 12/20 CT DOT MIDDLETOWN 12.0 830 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...NEW HAVEN COUNTY... NORTH BRANFORD 12.0 830 AM 12/20 PUBLIC NEW HAVEN 11.0 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT MILFORD 10.0 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT NEW HAVEN COUNTY 8.5 400 AM 12/20 CT DOT NORTH HAVEN 8.5 830 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER BEACON FALLS 7.5 600 AM 12/20 CT DOT WATERBURY 6.3 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT ...NEW LONDON COUNTY... NORWICH 20.0 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT OLD LYME 20.0 940 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MONTVILLE 19.0 900 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER GROTON 18.0 1200 PM 12/20 CT DOT NORTH FRANKLIN 15.0 850 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER GROTON LONG POINT 13.0 500 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER NEW LONDON 12.0 605 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER LISBON 11.0 334 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER NEW JERSEY ...BERGEN COUNTY... PARAMUS 9.5 515 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER BERGENFIELD 8.2 900 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER RUTHERFORD 8.0 515 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER GARFIELD 7.5 1100 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER MAHWAH 7.2 830 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER FAIR LAWN 6.0 1002 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...ESSEX COUNTY... NEWARK 11.2 1100 AM 12/20 FAA CONTRACT OBSERVER ...HUDSON COUNTY... JERSEY CITY 10.0 515 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER HARRISON 9.5 515 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...PASSAIC COUNTY... CLIFTON 11.0 515 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER RINGWOOD 10.0 515 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER WAYNE 7.0 1201 PM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...UNION COUNTY... ELIZABETH 11.0 515 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER CLARK 10.0 515 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER WESTFIELD 10.0 200 AM 12/20 PUBLIC PLAINFIELD 6.8 1201 PM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER NEW YORK ...BRONX COUNTY... BRONX 9.5 900 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER EAST TREMONT 9.2 830 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...KINGS COUNTY... SHEEPSHEAD BAY 13.2 430 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER BROOKLYN 11.8 700 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...NASSAU COUNTY... PLAINVIEW 15.2 900 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER BETHPAGE 14.4 1000 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER SEAFORD 14.0 959 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER FLORAL PARK 13.5 600 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER LIDO BEACH 13.5 900 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER MINEOLA 13.4 959 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER LYNBROOK 13.0 1100 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER LONG BEACH 12.5 330 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...NEW YORK COUNTY... NYC/CENTRAL PARK 10.9 700 AM 12/20 CENTRAL PARK ZOO MANHATTAN 9.5 210 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...ORANGE COUNTY... TUXEDO PARK 6.0 545 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER WESTTOWN 3.8 830 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...QUEENS COUNTY... NYC/JFK ARPT 14.2 700 AM 12/20 FAA CONTRACT OBSERVER NYC/LA GUARDIA 8.8 700 AM 12/20 FAA CONTRACT OBSERVER ...ROCKLAND COUNTY... NEW CITY 5.0 940 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER STONY POINT 4.0 927 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ...SUFFOLK COUNTY... UPTON 26.3 156 PM 12/20 NWS OFFICE HOLTSVILLE 25.0 900 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER BRIDGEHAMPTON 24.0 800 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER MOUNT SINAI 24.0 945 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ISLIP 23.9 100 PM 12/20 FAA CONTRACT OBSERVER SOUTHAMPTON 23.0 900 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE CENTEREACH 21.0 1000 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE RIVERHEAD 21.0 930 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER RONKONKOMA 20.5 949 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE SAG HARBOR 20.0 730 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER SAYVILLE 19.8 700 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE LINDENHURST 19.5 915 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER PATCHOGUE 19.0 1047 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE HOLBROOK 18.5 310 AM 12/20 PUBLIC COMMACK 18.2 500 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER MEDFORD 18.0 330 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER PORT JEFFERSON 18.0 900 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER ROCKY POINT 18.0 157 PM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE ...WESTCHESTER COUNTY... PORT CHESTER 11.5 915 AM 12/20 PUBLIC LARCHMONT 10.0 950 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON 9.0 600 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER YONKERS 8.5 800 AM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER WHITE PLAINS 7.0 1200 PM 12/20 SKYWARN SPOTTER
335 NOUS41 KBOX 201554 PNSBOX CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-210341- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT SPOTTER REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 1041 AM EST SUN DEC 20 2009 THE FOLLOWING ARE UNOFFICIAL OBSERVATIONS TAKEN DURING THE PAST 8 HOURS FOR THE STORM THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTING OUR REGION. APPRECIATION IS EXTENDED TO HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS...COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS...SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND MEDIA FOR THESE REPORTS. THIS SUMMARY IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR HOME PAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/BOSTON ********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL******************** LOCATION STORM TOTAL TIME/DATE COMMENTS SNOWFALL OF (INCHES) MEASUREMENT CONNECTICUT ..HARTFORD COUNTY GLASTONBURY 7.0 650 AM 12/20 SPOTTER FARMINGTON 6.3 800 AM 12/20 CT DOT BURLINGTON 5.5 841 AM 12/20 SPOTTER EAST GRANBY 4.5 800 AM 12/20 CT DOT WINDSOR LOCKS 3.5 700 AM 12/20 BRADLEY AIRPORT ..TOLLAND COUNTY STORRS 15.0 442 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MANSFIELD 14.5 800 AM 12/20 CT DOT TOLLAND 10.0 805 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO STAFFORDVILLE 6.0 843 AM 12/20 COOP WILLINGTON 6.0 755 AM 12/20 SPOTTER UNION 4.8 800 AM 12/20 CT DOT VERNON 4.8 800 AM 12/20 CT DOT ..WINDHAM COUNTY PUTNAM 18.0 800 AM 12/20 CT DOT DANIELSON 13.5 1000 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WOODSTOCK 13.0 838 AM 12/20 SPOTTER HAMPTON 12.0 412 AM 12/20 NWS COOP POMFRET 10.3 810 AM 12/20 SPOTTER ASHFORD 9.0 1000 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MASSACHUSETTS ..BARNSTABLE COUNTY SANDWICH 16.0 745 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE WEST FALMOUTH 15.0 935 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO BREWSTER 14.0 950 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO EAST FALMOUTH 14.0 815 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO YARMOUTH 14.0 935 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO BOURNE 13.5 750 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE WEST HARWICH 12.5 945 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO HARWICH 11.0 915 AM 12/20 SPOTTER HYANNIS 8.5 539 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO EASTHAM 8.0 600 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ..BRISTOL COUNTY MANSFIELD 19.0 915 AM 12/20 SPOTTER WEST ISLAND 15.5 855 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ATTLEBOROUGH CITY 15.0 800 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ACUSHNET 14.8 635 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO DIGHTON 14.0 830 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH 14.0 930 AM 12/20 SPOTTER SOMERSET 13.0 320 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO SOUTH DARTMOUTH 13.0 940 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO NORTON 12.5 715 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO TAUNTON 11.9 700 AM 12/20 NWS OFFICE REHOBOTH 10.3 805 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE SWANSEA 9.5 245 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ..DUKES COUNTY EDGARTOWN 7.5 920 AM 12/20 COOP WEST TISBURY 6.0 515 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ..ESSEX COUNTY BEVERLY 12.0 930 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MARBLEHEAD 12.0 1000 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO PEABODY 10.5 950 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ROCKPORT 9.5 934 AM 12/20 MEDIA SALEM 7.5 807 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO IPSWICH 7.1 918 AM 12/20 SPOTTER MIDDLETON 7.0 830 AM 12/20 SPOTTER SOUTH PEABODY 7.0 835 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO METHUEN 6.0 930 AM 12/20 SPOTTER TOPSFIELD 6.0 719 AM 12/20 SPOTTER WEST PEABODY 5.5 700 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO DANVERS 5.3 820 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO LYNNFIELD 5.0 710 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ..HAMPDEN COUNTY EAST LONGMEADOW 3.0 905 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO LONGMEADOW 3.0 905 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO PALMER 2.0 955 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO SOUTHWICK 2.0 905 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO CHICOPEE 1.5 905 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ..HAMPSHIRE COUNTY AMHERST 1.5 905 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WARE 1.5 905 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ..MIDDLESEX COUNTY WAYLAND 11.5 700 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO CAMBRIDGE 11.0 1005 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO FRAMINGHAM 11.0 735 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MALDEN 11.0 825 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO NORTH READING 10.0 1015 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WOBURN 10.0 955 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO CONCORD 9.0 825 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO LINCOLN 8.0 800 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO NATICK 8.0 740 AM 12/20 SPOTTER READING 8.0 805 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO BURLINGTON 7.0 955 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO CARLISLE 7.0 852 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WILMINGTON 7.0 910 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WAKEFIELD 6.1 900 AM 12/20 SPOTTER LITTLETON 6.0 740 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO BEDFORD 5.7 1010 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MAYNARD 4.6 815 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO CHELMSFORD 4.0 900 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO LOWELL 4.0 733 AM 12/20 SPOTTER TYNGSBORO 4.0 900 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO DRACUT 3.0 715 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO SHIRLEY 2.1 900 AM 12/20 SPOTTER AYER 2.0 1019 AM 12/20 SPOTTER ..NORFOLK COUNTY FRANKLIN 14.0 730 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO FOXBOROUGH 13.2 920 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE MILTON 11.0 940 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WALPOLE 10.5 1010 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MILLIS 10.0 951 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO NORWOOD 10.0 800 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE EAST BRAINTREE 8.0 850 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO RANDOLPH 8.0 431 AM 12/20 SPOTTER ..PLYMOUTH COUNTY WEST WAREHAM 16.0 955 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO HALIFAX 15.0 951 AM 12/20 SPOTTER LAKEVILLE 15.0 840 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MIDDLEBOROUGH 15.0 655 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WAREHAM 15.0 800 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE WHITE HORSE BEACH 12.0 910 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO HANSON 11.4 835 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO HINGHAM 11.0 826 AM 12/20 SPOTTER PLYMPTON 10.5 355 AM 12/20 SPOTTER ..SUFFOLK COUNTY JAMAICA PLAIN 14.0 1015 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WINTHROP 7.9 700 AM 12/20 SPOTTER BOSTON 7.0 440 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO EAST BOSTON 5.5 700 AM 12/20 LOGAN AIRPORT REVERE 4.5 254 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ROSLINDALE 4.3 248 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO ..WORCESTER COUNTY MENDON 17.0 930 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO CLINTON 14.9 830 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MILFORD 12.0 825 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO UXBRIDGE 12.0 725 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WEBSTER 12.0 835 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO GRAFTON 11.0 930 AM 12/20 SPOTTER NORTH GRAFTON 10.0 800 AM 12/20 SPOTTER WORCESTER 7.0 730 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO SOUTHBRIDGE 6.0 945 AM 12/20 SPOTTER SHREWSBURY 5.5 915 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO BOYLSTON 4.0 739 AM 12/20 SPOTTER STURBRIDGE 4.0 905 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WEST BOYLSTON 4.0 815 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WORCESTER 3.4 700 AM 12/20 AIRPORT NEW HAMPSHIRE ..HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HUDSON 2.5 830 AM 12/20 SPOTTER RHODE ISLAND ..BRISTOL COUNTY BARRINGTON 16.0 630 AM 12/20 PUBLIC ..KENT COUNTY WEST GREENWICH 22.0 900 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO COVENTRY 17.0 700 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO WEST WARWICK 17.0 902 AM 12/20 SPOTTER WARWICK 10.5 700 AM 12/20 T.F.GREEN ..NEWPORT COUNTY NEWPORT 19.5 1015 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO PORTSMOUTH 18.0 715 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO MIDDLETOWN 16.0 901 AM 12/20 SPOTTER LITTLE COMPTON 14.0 655 AM 12/20 SPOTTER ..PROVIDENCE COUNTY NORTH FOSTER 17.1 935 AM 12/20 COOP HOPE 17.0 715 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO CRANSTON 16.0 1002 AM 12/20 PUBLIC NORTH SCITUATE 16.0 715 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO CUMBERLAND 15.9 700 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO RIVERSIDE 15.0 736 AM 12/20 PUBLIC SMITHFIELD 13.0 715 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO JOHNSTON 9.0 550 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO PROVIDENCE 7.0 301 AM 12/20 SPOTTER ..WASHINGTON COUNTY BLOCK ISLAND 18.0 855 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO SOUTH KINGSTOWN 18.0 800 AM 12/20 NWS EMPLOYEE WESTERLY 18.0 805 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO CHARLESTOWN 17.5 905 AM 12/20 HAM RADIO
Wasn’t a lot of dig out here in Manchester, Geoff. The snow was very light, but we still got about 5 or inches. But you were so right about the dew point – it went from below zero to close to the temperature in nothing flat…