Winter 2023-2024 Summary – Tenth Warmest and Ninth Wettest on Record

Blue Hill Observatory Winter (December-February) 2023-2024 Summary: 

Winter 2023-2024 was very warm and very wet with much less snowfall and more sunshine than average. The approximated 24-hour mean temperature for the season of 32.2 deg F was 4.7 degrees warmer than the 1891-2020 130-year average for winter, and it was 2.5 degrees warmer than the 1991-2020 30-year average. Winter 2023-2024 tied as the tenth warmest on record. The average maximum temperature of 41.0 deg F was 3.7 degrees warmer than the 30-year normal, which was the fifth warmest on record. The average minimum temperature of 26.9 deg F was 6.0 degrees warmer than the 30-year normal, which was the third warmest on record. The warmth persisted all season, and the longest period of cold weather lasted only about five days in mid-January. There were only twelve days all season with a high temperature at or below freezing with ten of them occurring in January. The warmest temperatures were 62F on February 27th, which was a daily record, and 61F on December 11th and 18th. Eleven days had a high temperature of 50F or higher. The lowest temperature was 10F on January 20th and 21st, which was the warmest winter minimum temperature ever observed. The total precipitation was 17.89 inches, which was 4.00 inches more than the 30-year normal, and the season was the ninth wettest winter on record. December and January were very wet, while February was very dry. The largest storm of the season brought 2.94 inches of precipitation on December 17th-18th, which also brought record warmth, wide-spread power outages, and a daily record wind gust to 90 mph. Nearly all of the rainfall, 2.93 inches, fell within 24 hours on December 17th-18th. Another major warm, rainstorm brought 2.62 inches of precipitation, with periods of heavy rain, in less than 24 hours on December 10th-11th. The largest storm in January brought 2.88 inches of rain, which started with a trace of snow and sleet, on the 9th-10th. The total snowfall for the season was 26.1 inches, which was 23.3 inches below the 30-year average, and most of this amount, 20.6 inches, fell in January. The largest snowfall of the season was 13.2 inches on January 6th-7th, which was also the greatest snowfall in 24 hours during winter. After first freezing very late on January 9th, Houghton’s Pond thawed on February 26th after only 48 days, and it was only partly frozen for most of that time. The mean wind speed was 11.6 mph, which was the lowest on record for winter, and the prevailing wind direction was from the northwest. The highest wind gust was 90 mph from the south-southeast during the strong storm on December 18th. Sunshine was below average in December and much below average in January, though sunshine returned in February. Winter sunshine was near average with 393.5 hours of bright sunshine, or 47 percent of possible, which was one percent less than the long-term average for the winter season. 

BHO Warmest Winter (Dec-Feb) 24-Hour Mean Temperature, deg F (1885-86 to 2023-24):

1) 34.9 in 2015-2016
2) 34.8 in 2001-2002
3) 34.7 in 2022-2023
4) 34.3 in 2011-2012
5) 32.9 in 2016-2017
6) 32.7 in 2019-2020
7) 32.6 in 1997-1998
8) 32.3 in 1936-1937
   32.3 in 1998-1999
10) 32.2 in 1932-1933
   32.2 in 2023-2024

BHO Warmest Winter (Dec-Feb) Average Maximum Temperature, deg F (1885-86 to 2023-24):

1) 43.3 in 2015-2016
2) 42.7 in 2011-2012
3) 42.5 in 2001-2002
4) 41.6 in 2022-2023
5) 41.0 in 2023-2024
6) 40.7 in 1936-1937
   40.7 in 1990-1991
8) 40.6 in 1889-1890
9) 40.5 in 2016-2017

BHO Warmest Winter (Dec-Feb) Average Minimum Temperature, deg F (1885-86 to 2023-24):

1) 28.0 in 2001-2002
2) 27.2 in 2015-2016
3) 26.9 in 2023-2024
4) 26.7 in 2022-2023
5) 26.5 in 2011-2012
6) 26.2 in 1997-1998
7) 25.7 in 2016-2017
8) 25.6 in 2019-2020
9) 25.2 in 1948-1949

BHO Warmest Winter (Dec-Feb) Seasonal Minimum Temperature, deg F (1885-86 to 2023-24):

1) 10 in 2023-2024
2) 9 in 2001-2002
3) 6 in 1936-1937
4) 5 in 1931-1932
   5 in 1959-1960
6) 4 in 1952-1953
   4 in 2005-2006
   4 in 2011-2012
   4 in 2019-2020

BHO Highest Winter (Dec-Feb) Precipitation, inches (1886-87 to 2023-24):

1) 22.03 in 1957-1958
2) 20.02 in 1978-1979
3) 19.35 in 1969-1970
4) 19.11 in 1977-1978
5) 18.98 in 2007-2008
6) 18.55 in 2014-2015
7) 18.26 in 1993-1994
8) 17.96 in 1968-1969
9) 17.89 in 2023-2024
10) 17.37 in 1992-1993

BHO Lowest Winter (Dec-Feb) Mean Wind Speed, mph (1885-86 to 2023-24):

1) 11.6 in 2023-2024
2) 12.2 in 2020-2021
3) 12.7 in 2022-2023
4) 12.8 in 2019-2020
   12.8 in 2021-2022
6) 13.1 in 2013-2014
   13.1 in 2018-2019

Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory