Climate Impacts - January 1997
Drier Weather to Begin New Year
Monthly average temperatures and precipitation amounts didn't deviate
very far from normal during January 1997. The average temperature for the
twelve-state Northeast Region of the United States was 0.8 degrees warmer than
normal. All states reported positive departures for the month, ranging from 0.1
degrees above normal in Maine to 2.2 degrees warmer than normal in Connecticut.
The areas reporting cooler than normal monthly average
temperatures were the extreme northern portions of New York and New England.
Precipitation (rain plus the liquid equivalent of snowfall) averaged 2.68
inches across the Northeast. This amount was 94% the the long-term average and
was about half of the amount measured last January. Monthly totals varied quite
a bit from north to south. Precipitation was below normal in the south, with
West Virginia reporting only 58% of normal for their 10th driest January on
record. Precipitation was above normal across most of New York and New England.
The state of Maine received 128% of normal for the region's largest departure
this month.
Significant Weather Events
Record-Setting Lake Effect Snow
Powerful lake effect snow bands battered the Great Lakes
region from the 10th through the 14th. Snowbands to the east of Lake Ontario
moved very little during the height of the event. Incredible snowfall rates of
3 to 6 inches per hour persisted for up to 12 hours. Three locations in the Tug
Hill Plateau area recorded over 90 inches. Montague, NY (Lewis County) recorded
95 inches over the event, 40 inches of which fell in 12 hours from Saturday
night through Sunday morning (11th-12th). Over a 24-hour period, the site
recorded 77 inches, one inch more than the standing United States 24-hour
snowfall record, set at Silver Lake, Colorado in April, 1921. The total was
also more than 20 inches higher than the previous New York State record of 54
inches, set at Barnes Corners in January, 1976. For the month, Montague weighed
in with an impressive 191 inches.
Several meteorological conditions were in place to make the Lake Ontario
snowfall event so intense. Abundant low and mid level moisture created a
saturated atmosphere, while vertically aligned winds concentrated the storm's
energy. The lack of a "capping" inversion layer aloft helped increase the
storm's vertical development. The snowband set up unusually far to the north
over the St. Lawrence Valley on the 10th, before shifting south into position
over the Tug Hill Plateau on the 11th.
Snowfall totals to the east of Lake Erie were more consistent with a typical
lake effect event, with amounts in the 18 to 30 inch range. Buffalo, NY
recorded 21.4 inches on the 10th and 11th, which ranks as their fourth greatest
24-hour total.
A complete analysis of this event and a comparison to the 76 inch 24-hour
snowfall recorded at Silver Lake will be available in a forthcoming report from
the National Weather Service.
Water Resources
Central New England
Streamflows were above normal across all areas, except for
normal flows in eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, southwestern Vermont and
northeastern New Hampshire. Groundwater levels were also above normal, except
for normal levels across most of Vermont, southwestern New Hampshire, and small
portions in north-central, southwestern, and northeastern Massachusetts.
Reservoir contents ranged from 115 to 150% of normal, while levels ranged from
57% to 106% of capacity.
New York
Mean flows were in the average range at all monitored sites
across New York, except for excessive flows reported at sites in northeastern
New York. Upstate lake and reservoir levels were all above normal. The New York
City reservoir system was at 95.8% of capacity, compared to the normal of
81.7%.
Maryland and Delaware
Streamflows decreased across the bi-state region, falling from
excessive levels to the normal range in all areas, except central Maryland,
where flows remained in the excessive range. Groundwater levels remained above
normal throughout the bi-state region. Groundwater levels rose in western and
central Maryland, but fell in west central Maryland and the eastern shore.
Contents of the Baltimore reservoir system increased slightly, and were 117% of
normal.
Maine
Streamflows were normal across the entire state, except for
above normal flows in southwestern and northern Maine. Groundwater levels were
also normal statewide, except for above normal levels across western and
northern Maine. Storage in the reservoir system was 63% of capacity, above the
normal of 53%.
New Jersey
Streamflows were 127% of normal at the Trenton index station,
118% of normal at Folsom, and 128% of normal at the High Bridge index station.
Combined storage capacity in the 13 major reservoirs was 97.3% of capacity, 7.1
billion gallons less than the contents of one month ago. Groundwater levels
were above normal at the Morrell and Lebanon State Forest index wells, and were
below normal at the Bird index well.
Connecticut
Streamflows averaged 163% of the long-term median. Burlington
Brook (northwestern CT) remained in the above normal range for the 5th
consecutive month, with the 3 remaining stations falling into the normal range.
Groundwater levels decreased at all sites, except Fairfield and Middlefield,
and were all in the above normal and normal range. Usable contents of the
reservoirs ranged from 90 to 100% of capacity. Individual systems ranged from
4% below normal to 26% above normal.
17-February-1997
Keith L. Eggleston (kle1@cornell.edu) and
Jeff Schultz (jds4@cornell.edu)