February 2020 Summary – Warmer and Drier Than Average
Blue Hill Observatory February 2020 Summary:
February was generally very warm with much less precipitation and almost no snowfall. The 24-hour adjusted mean temperature for the month of 33.0 deg F was 6.6 degrees warmer than the 120-year average for February and 3.9 degrees warmer than the 1981-2010 30-year average. The average maximum temperature of 40.7 deg F was 3.4 degrees warmer than the 30-year mean. The average minimum temperature of 25.8 deg F was 4.5 degrees warmer than the 30-year mean, and it was the seventh warmest on record. The highest temperature for the month was 60F on the 24th, and the lowest temperature was 4F on the 16th. Twenty-one of the twenty-nine days during the month were warmer than average. Precipitation totaled 3.20 inches, which was three-quarters of an inch less than the long-term 120-year average and nearly an inch less than the 30-year mean. The greatest precipitation in 24 hours was 0.74 inches on the 26th-27th. Snowfall totaled only 0.6 inches, which was 13.5 inches less than the 30-year mean and tied for the second lowest ever observed in February. The greatest snowfall in 24 hours was just 0.5 inches on the 13th. The combined snowfall for January and February was 4.8 inches, which was also the second lowest on record behind only 3.1 inches observed in Jan-Feb 1937. Another sign of the lack of storms during the month was the mean wind speed of just 12.0 mph, which was the lowest ever observed in February. The prevailing wind direction for the month was from the west. The monthly peak gust was 71 mph from the west-southwest preceding the passage of a strong cold front on the 7th. This event also brought the lowest station pressure during February of 27.97 inches, which was 28.68 inches converted to sea-level. This reading was the fifth lowest pressure ever observed in February and the lowest pressure recorded at the Observatory since February, 1995. February was cloudier than average with 126.6 hours of bright sunshine, or 43 percent of possible, which was seven percent less than the long-term average.
BHO Warmest February Average Minimum Temperature, deg F (1885-2020):
1) 27.9 in 1998
2) 27.3 in 2018
3) 27.1 in 1984
4) 26.4 in 2012
5) 26.3 in 1925
6) 26.2 in 1954
7) 25.8 in 2020
8) 25.7 in 1981
BHO Lowest February Snowfall, inches (1885-2020):
1) 0.4 in 1937
2) 0.6 in 1984
0.6 in 2020
4) 1.0 in 1925
1.0 in 1998
6) 1.5 in 1941
7) 1.8 in 1912
1.8 in 1954
BHO Lowest January-February Snowfall, inches (1885-2020):
1) 3.1 in 1937
2) 4.8 in 2020
3) 6.1 in 1992
4) 7.6 in 1980
5) 9.0 in 1890
BHO Lowest February Sea-Level Pressure, inches (1885-2020):
1) 28.45, February 1976
2) 28.62, 8 February 1895
3) 28.66, 1 February 1898
4) 28.67, February 1995
5) 28.68, 7 February 2020
6) 28.70, 25 February 2010
7) 28.76, 16 February 1958
BHO Lowest February Mean Wind Speed, mph (1886-2020):
1) 12.0 in 2020
2) 12.6 in 2014
3) 12.7 in 2005
12.7 in 2012
5) 12.8 in 2018
6) 13.0 in 1986
7) 13.3 in 2019
Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory
