Ahh, springtime in New England…it can be so beautiful, but it can also be so fickle…Snow one day and summer warmth the next. It was on this date that Boston had one of its biggest blizzards, third to be exact. April 1st 1997 is coined the Aprils Fools blizzard, where Boston recorded 25.4 inches of snow. Worcester totaled 33 inches for its greatest snowfall ever. Snow fell at three inches per hour and Blue Hill had winds top out at 72 mph…almost hurricane strength! There was no blizzard yesterday, but it snowed as far south as the Rhode Island border. Many spots will hit 60 degrees and above, however I do not think we’ve seen the last of the snow.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

Spring is know for it's variability. It can snow one day and be near record heat a few days later. It's the time of year when Mother Nature is transitioning from the cold of winter to the heat of summer. No where is that more visible then in differences between the record high and record low temperatures. The extremes of spring are interesting to compare. If you look at the difference between the record highs and record lows this time of year there can be as much as an 70-degree difference. For example, Monday's record high is 89-degrees set in 1998 and the record low is 15-degrees set in 1923. A difference of 74-degrees! In the cold of winter the difference in record highs and lows is only about 50-degrees, and in summer the difference is only about 40-degrees.
So in Spring the highs are higher, and the lows are lower.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB-TV

The Hey Fever Season has begun. I'm Sure some of you
are already suffering with sniffling and sneezing.Tree pollen
is the early spring culprit. The tree pollen season lasts until
late May. Then the grass pollen takes over until July. Lastly,
we have the ragweed season from August into early September.

The pollen count is the lowest on cloudy,cool and damp days.
The pollen count is the highest on sunny,breezy and warm days.

Dick Albert

The Hey Fever Season has begun. I'm Sure some of you
are already suffering with sniffling and sneezing.Tree pollen
is the early spring culprit . The tree pollen season lasts until
late May. Then the grass pollen takes over until July. Lastly,
we have the ragweed season from August into early September.

The pollen count is the lowest on cloudy,cool and damp days.
The pollen count is the highest on sunny,breezy and warm days.

Dick Albert,Co-Chief Meteorologist,WCVB-TV

Weather Expectations Vs. Weather Reality

Now that it is officially spring, our weather expectations often exceed weather reality. What do I mean by that? Well, psychologically, we are ready for a coming out party of sorts, meaning we are anticipating and looking forward to warmer times. But during the early spring, we often wind up disappointed. One of the reasons has to do with the fact that the ocean water temperature is still quite cold (in the upper 30s). So, whenever the wind is coming in off the ocean, it is going to be quite chilly (especially along the coast) and also quite raw, since moisture increases when winds come in from the moist ocean. This happens on many (but not all) days in early spring. On average, about 1 or 2 days per week will be quite mild and pleasant in early spring, but it does not lock in. Of course,later in the spring and during the summer it eventually will, so hang in there.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

Did you ever wonder why the sky’s blue and not some other color? It relates to how sunlight is scattered in our atmosphere. Light from the sun enters our atmosphere and immediately interacts with molecules. Imagine a cue ball propelled across a pool table and how it interacts with the other balls. Light appears white to us, but consists of a spectrum of colors from the lower energy reds to the higher energy blues...just like the colors in a rainbow. The blue part of the spectrum also has higher energy and interacts more readily than the red. This interaction or scattering takes place in all directions, thus the blue part of the spectrum reaches our eyes from every part of the sky. So, take some time and enjoy the sky today, because more clouds are on the way tonight.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

March is known as the windy month. A popular time to go fly a kite. In Boston it is our windiest month with an average speed of 14-mph. The next closest are January and February at 13.8-mph. Our winds are strongest this time of year because we are in a transition period. Winter doesn't want to give up and summer is fast approaching. Bitter cold air masses with strong high pressure can still slip into the region. At the same time, warm air to our south is generating every strong low pressure systems. The contrast between high and low pressure tends to be greatest this time of year. As these systems move through New England we get some very windy days. In November we transition again from a summer to a winter pattern and our average wind speeds pick up again. So when is the least windy period? In July, creating little breeze and the higher humidity of summer.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB-TV

It has been a snowy season for Boston this year with 52 inches of snow so far. That's more than a foot above average and more than three times what we received last year. But that's nothing compared with our neighbors to the north.

Concord, NH has received 112 inches of snow this season. That makes it the fourth snowiest winter on record. It's also more than four feet above normal and about four times the amount of snow the city received last year. Concord only needs ten inches of snow to tie the all-time record of 122 inches. That record has been on the books for more than 130 years.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

Today marks the first day of spring.It officially
arrives at 1:48 Thursday morning.It is called the Vernal Equinox.
The term really comes from equal day and equal night.
The direct rays of the sun are over the equator
and slowly moving north into our hemisphere.

Our daylight hours will continue to grow until
the longest day occurs the first day of summer.
We'll have a lttle over 12 hours of daylight today,
but that will increase to about 15 hours and
20 minutes by June 20th.

Dick Albert

Saying Good-Bye To Winter?

Spring begins at 1:48 a.m. Thursday. So what kind of winter has this been? In terms of snowfall this winter season, Boston's total stands at 52." That makes this a snowier than average winter season, as our average is 42." But, even though spring begins Thursday, don't be surprised if there is still more snow to come. Late March snow is not all that uncommon in Boston, especially since ocean water temperatures are at their coldest right now. In addition, beginning Thursday night the overall weather pattern looks like it will feature chilly weather for the most part during the next 10 days, meaning if we do get any storms, they could feature wintry precipitation.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

With St. Patrick's day celebrations well underway it time to look to the old country and see how Ireland's weather compares to ours. There are a lot of similarities to Boston's climate. Most of Ireland is under the influence of a maritime regime. That means mild winters, cool summer and temperatures that don't range to extremes. It's a little more "even keeled" than Boston's weather. Using Dublin as an example, the sunniest months are May and June. The wettest months are December and August, and if you want dry weather, April is historically the least rainy. There is a misconception that Ireland's weather is always damp, gray and rainy. True, it can be all of this, but Boston actually receives more rain annually. Ireland just gets more drizzle and fog. While snow is pretty common it doesn't stay on the ground that long near the coasts. Ireland doesn't usually get tornadoes, hurricanes or much thunder and lightning compared to New England, however, occasionally our big nor'easters will cross the Atlantic and slam the Emerald Isle with ferocious winds.
Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB-TV

We're closely watching a storm expected to track to our south this weekend. Depending on it's exact path, it could bring accumulating snow to our area.

Spring may be less than a week away, but snow late in the season is certainly not unheard of. How can we forget the "April Fools" blizzard of 1997 when more than two feet of snow fell in Boston? The city has received measurable snow as late as May. On May 9th and 10th in 1977, Boston recorded a half inch of snow.

We'll have to wait and see if early Spring actually brings spring-like weather. In the meantime, it looks like Winter is holding tight to New England.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

March is truly the transition month from winter to spring.
The average snowfall is around 8 inches for the Boston area.
We could still have a few snowy and icy situations develop
before the end of the month.

On the other hand,spring officially arrives on March 20th
at 1:48 in the morning. In addition, the average high temperatures
are above 50 degrees by the end of the month.A few of us will
notice the first tree buds of the season and a few flowers reaching
for the sun.


Dick Albert

The 15 Year Anniversary Of "The Storm Of The Century"

15 years ago(3/12/93), the entire eastern quarter of the country was walloped by a major winter storm. Heavy snow fell from The Gulf Coast all the way up The East Coast. Here in Boston, 11" of snow fell ( in just 6 hours) before a change to sleet and rain. Then the sleet and rain changed back to snow and a few more inches accumulated. Winds gusted to 81 mph (hurricane force) in Boston. In the northern and western suburbs of Boston, up to 20" accumulated. Actually, for Boston, it was a fairly powerful nor'easter, but not one of the worst storms we've ever experienced. But, the reason the storm became known as "The Storm Of The Century" is because of the huge area of the United States it covered. Up to 40" of snow accumulated in Syracuse, New York, and heavy snow fell in southern locations that rarely see any snow at all.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

Did you know that our area could be missing out on 50 to 100 billion gallons of usable water? That’s how much water we lose to “run-off” from all of the paved surfaces we’ve created. Water usually soaks into the ground over grassy and wooded areas. This water feeds back into our water table and eventually some of it gets cycled back into our homes and apartments. Run-off comes from roadways, driveways, and sidewalks that allow the rain water to quickly enter the drainage systems and discharge directly into the rivers and streams. The run-off not only overloads the waterways and causes flooding, but large amounts of pollutants (oil, gas, pesticides) are released into the environment. One study has indicated that the city of Boston loses up to 100 billion gallons of water to run-off every year. You can reduce this loss by diverting gutters and drains to grassy areas around your home. Rain barrels are also great solutions to collect the excess water that will allow you to save on usage around your home.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

With the recent heavy rains and snowmelt it's unfortunately the flood season. As meteorologist and hydrologist keep a tab on area rivers and streams, you may hear some unfamiliar terms. We say a river is flooding or "in flood" when water overflows the natural or artificial confines of a river or stream. . We measure a rivers depth and refer to this overflow point as the "flood stage". Each river's flood stage is different and is not the same all up and down the river. For example, the Merrimack River in Lowell has a flood stage of 52' , however in Lawrence it's only 21'. So don't pay attention to the flood stage number, only pay attention to the amount the river is above or below flood stage. We say a river "Crests" when the stream has reached it's highest point. It still may be flooding but when a river crests the water will go no higher. That's good news for those living near the water.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB-TV

It has been a very wet start to the month of March and now more significant rain is on the way for tonight and Saturday. While we escaped Wednesday's storm with few problems, this time we not be so fortunate.

The greatest concern is for potential flooding. Heavy rain combined with some snow melt could tax our rivers and streams. Basement and street flooding is also a possibility. While the rain will start tonight, the heaviest precipitation looks to be with us most of Saturday. If you have travel plans, you'll want to keep up on the latest forecast.

JC Monahan
Meteorologist, WCVB

There is good news coming this Sunday.
Daylight Saving time will begin.It's
coming earlier then in past years. Years ago,the
transition to Daylight Saving Time was the last weekend
in April.Then it changed to first April weekend.

Now it is the second weekend in March.We turn
our clocks forward one hour on Sunday morning
at 2 A.M.The sunday sunset will be at 6:44 P.M. You will lose
one hours worth of sleep, but the sun will be shining
much later in the day.

Dick Albert

All That Rain

A record amount of precipitation fell in February, and March has gotten off to a moist start as well. Serious flooding concerns often occur when 2 big precipitation events occur within a few days of each other. When that happens, the first storm sets the stage and the second storm often puts some rivers and streams over the top. Right now (Wed. morning, March 5th), we're in the late stages of storm number one. Storm number 2 is slated to bring us another round of heavy precipitation (most likely in the form of rain, but that's not certain as the exact track of storm number 2 cannot be determined at this time) during Friday night and Saturday. That could be the storm that causes more significant flooding problems, and we will have to watch that potential very carefully.

Harvey Leonard
Co-Chief Meteorologist, WCVB-TV

This winter season has brought a wide range of weather patterns to our area. We’ve gone from a snowy December, to Arctic chill, and then flipped around to near record warmth at times. Along with all those mixed signals, we’ve had more thunder in one winter than I can remember. One point that truly stands out has to do with the difference in seasonal snow amounts across New England. If you lived in NY City, you would think that this winter has been a mild one with barely 5 inches of snow. However, parts of central and northern New England are closing in on 200 inches and all time records! Our next system will bring mainly rain across southern New England, however more snow and ice are likely up north.

Joe Venuti
WCVB Meteorologist

We usually associate the arrival of Spring with the Spring Equinox. This year the Vernal Equinox arrives precisely at 1:48am March 20th. Vernal comes from the Latin word for bloom. It's the season for flowers and trees to begin showing their early colors. An equinox is the time when night and day are "equal".
However, around the world the first day of spring is recognized at different times, especially for weathercasters. Meteorologically we break the calendar and seasons into 4 neat and orderly groups. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. The winter months consist of December, January and February. Spring is composed of March, April and May. That's why to a meteorologist March 1st is the beginning of spring.

So welcome to Spring...even if you still shoveling the snow.

Mike Wankum
Meteorologist
WCVB-TV