Weather Summary 2012

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Historical Weather Information

Quick Links to 2012 Weather:

January

January had above average temperatures, snowfall, and sunshine with below average rainfall.  The average temperature was 35.0 degrees, 6.3 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature was 55.0 degrees on January 7th and 27th.  A minimum temperature of 9.0 degrees was recorded on the 16th.  Daytime high temperatures averaged 44.0 degrees, 7.0 above the norm. Evening temperatures averaged 26.0 degrees, 5.7 degrees above the norm.  Daytime high temperatures were below 32 degrees on 4 days.  Evening temperatures were 32 degrees or below for all but 10 nights.  There was only 1 night with temperatures in the single digits.  January 2012 ranked 10 warmest January in the 87 years of record keeping in East Wareham.

Precipitation totaled 3.49 inches.  This is 1.05 inches below normal.  We had measurable precipitation on 14 days; 5 of those days had less than 0.10 inches.  The largest 24-hour rainfall was 1.05 inches on the 27th.  A Northeaster hit on January 12th with rain and very high winds.  We had measurable snowfall of 0.10 inches or greater on 5 days, totaling 13.40 inches for the month, 3.2 inches above average.  The largest 24-hour snowfall was 10.8 inches on the 21st of January.  We had snow cover on the ground for only 4 days in January.  There were also 3 days with heavy fog this month.

Sunshine totaled 57% of the possible sunshine hours, 11 points above the normal. There were 5 days with no sunshine and 4 days with 90% or better sunshine.

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February

February was extremely warm and sunny, with very low rainfall and snowfall.  The temperatures averaged 36.4 degrees, 6.4 degrees above normal.  This is the 13th consecutive month with above normal temperatures.  The maximum temperature was 60.0 degrees on the 1st and a minimum temperature of 16.0 degrees was recorded on the 13th.  Daytime high temperatures averaged 45.7 degrees, 7.5 degrees above the norm. Evening temperatures averaged 27.0 degrees, 5.3 degrees above the norm.  The monthly average was 6 degrees warmer than February 2011 and was the 3rd warmest February in the 86 years of recorded keeping in East Wareham.  There were no nights with single digit temperatures recorded in February, and all but 8 nights had temperatures below 32 degrees. 

Sunshine totaled 61% of the possible sunshine hours, 11 points above the norm.  Nine days had 90% or better sunshine while 4 days had no sunshine data recorded at all.  The sunshine hours are recorded at the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, MA.

Precipitation totaled 0.96 inches, 3.17 inches less than February 2011.  This was 2.76 inches below the norm.  February 2012 is the second driest February in the 86 years of weather data recorded in East Wareham, surpassed only by 1968 with 0.91 inches of rainfall.  This is the 4th consecutive month with below normal rainfall.  We had measurable precipitation on 13 days of which only 3 were 0.10 inches or greater.  The largest 24-hour rainfall was 0.20 inches on the 22nd.  There were 3 days with measurable snowfall totaling 1.40 inches, 8.0 inches below normal.  The greatest snowfall for one storm came on the 9th with 0.60 inches.  Year-to-date snowfall recorded in East Wareham is now 14.80 inches, 13.20 inches less than this time in 2011; the 2011-2012 season to date is also 14.80 inches, 16.6 inches below the seasonal average.

The official winter in East Wareham (Dec. 2011 - Feb. 2012) was extremely warm and sunny, with well below average precipitation and snowfall. The season temperatures averaged 35.67 degrees, 4.8 degrees above normal.  The low mark was 9.0 degrees on Jan. 16th and the high mark was 60 degrees on Feb. 1st.  The coldest daily high was 29.0 degrees on Jan. 4th.  Sunshine was 56%, 9 points above normal.  Precipitation totaled 7.79 inches, 4.96 inches below average.  Snowfall totaled 14.80 inches, 9.60 inches below normal. Most of the snowfall came in January this year.  December actually turned out to be the warmest month with no snowfall recorded in East Wareham.  January was the coldest and snowiest of the season.  February had the least amount of rainfall and the most sunshine hours.                 

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March

March started out like a tamed lion this year, during which time we experienced above average temperatures and sunshine with below average precipitation and snowfall.  The temperatures averaged 43.0 degrees, 5.8 degrees per day above the average, tying the record average high set in 1946 for the month of March.  This is also 4.9 degrees above last year’s average.  Maximum temperature was 73.0 degrees on the 21st and a minimum temperature of 20.0 degrees was recorded on the 6th.  Daytime high temperatures averaged 51.5 degrees, 6.3 degrees above the norm.  Evening temperatures averaged 35.2 degrees, 6.0 degrees above the norm.  Winds can be a big factor in March, yet this year we only had 2 days with damaging winds and a peak gust of 49 mph. 

Sunshine totaled 44% of the possible sunshine hours, 2 points below the norm, and 5 points below last year.   Sunshine data are from the Blue Hill Observatory.  Year-to-date sunshine for 2012 is 54% of the possible, 3 points above the normal at this time of year. 

Precipitation totaled 1.81 inches. This is 2.75 inches below normal and is the 4th lowest rainfall recorded for the month of March in East Wareham.  In the 85 years of record keeping in East Wareham, there have been only 6 years in which March has had less than 2 inches of rain.  We had measurable precipitation of 0.10 inches or greater on 5 days.  The largest 24-hour rainfall was 0.96 inches on the 1st.  Most of the monthly rainfall came in the first three days of the month. We have received a total of 6.26 inches of rainfall year-to-date, totaling 6.56 inches below average for East Wareham.  If we look at the past 5 months, we are 8.52 inches below the average rainfall.  We had just 1 day with measurable snowfall during the month, totaling 0.3 inches, 4.4 inches below average.  Snowfall for the month of March will also come in as the 10th lowest in the records in East Wareham.  The 2011–2012 winter season snowfall recorded in East Wareham is now at 15.1 inches, 15.2 inches below the seasonal average.

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April

April was very warm, dry and sunny this year.  The temperature averaged 50.1 degrees, 4.3 degrees above normal.  This is the 2nd warmest April recorded in the 86 years of data collection in East Wareham, surpassed only by April 1946 with a monthly average temperature of 50.8 degrees.  For the past 4 years, April has had an average temperature in the top 9 warmest on record.  The maximum temperature was 80.0 degrees on the 17th and a minimum temperature of 28.0 degrees was recorded on the 1st.  Daytime high temperatures averaged 59.8 degrees, 4.9 degrees above the norm.  Evening low temperatures averaged 40.4 degrees, 3.6 degrees above the norm. 

Sunshine totaled 64% of the possible sunshine hours, 15 points above the norm and 20 points above April 2011.  We had 12 days with 90% or better sunshine and only 3 days virtually no sunshine.  We only experienced heavy fog on 1 day during the month of April.
Precipitation totaled 1.95 inches, which is 2.66 inches below normal.  This is also 5.15 inches less than April 2011. 

We had measurable precipitation on 6 days, 3 of those days had 0.10 inches or greater rainfall.  The largest 24-hour rainfall was 1.67 inches on the 23rd.  Year-to-date rainfall for 2012 stands at 8.21 inches; this is 9.60 inches below normal and 8.89 inches below the 2011 year-to-date rainfall at this point.  This marks the 6th month in a row with below average rainfall, giving us an 11.68 inch deficit over the last 6 months. We had no snowfall in April.  This is 1.4 inches below average and keeps the 2011 – 2012 season at a total of 15.05 inches of snow.  In the past 30 years, we averaged 36.10 inches of snowfall during the winter season.  Snowfall recorded during the winter season of 2011-2012 in East Wareham was 21.05 inches below the average.  This is also 28.90 inches less than the winter season of 2010-2011.

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May

May was a very warm grey month with well above average temperatures, rainfall and below average sunshine.  The temperatures for May averaged 60.0 degrees, 3.7 degrees per day above normal.  This is 2.6 degrees warmer than May 2011.    The maximum temperature was 81.0 degrees on the 31st and a minimum temperature of 40.0 degrees was recorded on the 7th.  Daytime high temperatures averaged 67.7 degrees, 2.9 degrees above the norm.  Evening temperatures averaged 52.4 degrees, 4.7 degrees above the norm.  May 2012 is the 16th month in a row with above average temperatures.

Sunshine totaled 40% of the possible sunshine hours, 13 points below the norm and just about the same as May 2011.  There were 6 days with 90% or better sunshine and 18 days with no sunshine at all.  There were 6 days with fog in East Wareham. 

Precipitation totaled 6.55 inches, 2.82 inches above the average rainfall for May in East Wareham.  There were 15 days with measurable precipitation.  The largest 24-hour rainfall was 2.66 inches on the 9th and the 10th. Our total year-to-date rainfall is 14.76 inches, 6.77 inches below the average in East Wareham and 8.85 inches below the average for the past 7 months.

The official spring (March-May) was warm and dry with just about average sunshine.  Temperatures averaged 51.0 degrees, 4.5 degrees above average; rainfall totaled 10.31 inches, 1.99 inches below average and snowfall only totaled 0.3 inches, 5.50 inches below average.  Sunshine for the spring average was just a little above normal, coming in with 49% of possible points.  While sunshine during April was extremely high, March and May were well below average.

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June

June was a bit cool with average sunshine and a little below normal rainfall.  The temperature averaged 65.1 degrees, 0.5 degrees below average and 0.9 degrees below 2011.  Maximum temperature was 95.9 degrees on the 21st; a minimum temperature of 44.6 degrees was recorded on the 6th.  Daytime high temperatures averaged 74.3 degrees, 0.7 degrees above the norm.  Evening temperatures averaged 56.7 degrees, 0.8 degrees below the norm.  We did have a June heat wave with temperatures above 90 degrees on 4 days, 3 consecutive days June 20th, 21st, and 22nd.

Sunshine totaled was 55% of the possible sunshine hours.  This is just at the average sunshine and slightly higher then 2011. 

Precipitation totaled 3.36 inches, which is 0.21 inches below normal. We had measurable precipitation on 13 days, with 9 of those days having measurable precipitation greater than 0.10 inches.  The largest 24-hour rainfall was 0.78 inches on the 13th.  Year-to-date rainfall for 2012 now stands at 18.12 inches, 5.68 inches below average for East Wareham and 6.85 inches below the total rainfall at this time in 2011.  There were 4 thunderstorms and 3 days with fog.

The first half of 2012 has been very warm and dry.  Temperatures have averaged out to be 3.8 degrees above normal for the year.  This is the second warmest first half of a year, with temperatures to date averaging out at 48.2 degrees, surpassed only by 1998 with an average temperature for the first six months of 49.3 degrees.  Sunshine has also been above average for the first six months of 2012.  While precipitation has been low with 1.07 inches below average rainfall and 1.71 inches below average for snowfall.

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July

July’s weather was hot and sunny with below average rainfall.  The temperature averaged 73.9 degrees, 2.5 degrees above average and 0.9 degrees warmer than July 2011.   Maximum temperature was 91.0 degrees, recorded on the 18th, and a minimum temperature of 55.0 degrees was recorded on the 22nd.  Daytime high temperatures averaged 82.9 degrees, 3.3 degrees above the norm.  Evening temperatures averaged 65.0 degrees, 0.9 degrees above the norm.  There were 4 days with temperatures above 90 degrees recorded this month. 

Sunshine totaled 70% of the possible sunshine hours, 13 points above average.  July 2011 was 9 points above the average.  We had 17 days with 90% or greater of possible sunshine, while on 5 days we had less than 10% sunshine.  Fog was reported on 2 days this month.

We recorded 2.82 inches of rainfall, which is 0.41 inches below the average for July.  Rainfall was recorded on 10 days, and 6 of these days had measurable precipitation over 0.10 inches.  The first half of the month very dry with only 0.19 inches of rain recorded, leaving the last half very wet.  The largest 24-hour rainfall of 0.94 inches occurred on the 28th.  Year-to-date rainfall for 2012 is 20.94 inches, 6.06 inches below the average year-to-date rainfall for East Wareham and 8.49 inches below 2011 rainfall at this time.  It should be noted that on July 31, rain began at 4 PM and continued into the early morning of Aug. 1st; close to 3 inches were recorded on Aug. 1st.  Thunderstorms were recorded on 3 days.

The first seven months of 2012 had an average temperature of 54.5 degrees.  This is the 4th warmest start for any year in our records since 1926 for East Wareham.  The warmest first seven months average was in 2006 at 55.8 degrees.  Rainfall year to date for 2012 here in East Wareham stands at 20.94 inches, the 12th driest on record; the driest being in 1965, at 16.01 inches.   This year temperatures and rainfall has been very close to 1995 in which we recorded an average temperature of 55.1 and 20.88 inches of rainfall for the first seven months of the year.

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August

August had well above average temperatures, rainfall and sunshine. The temperature averaged 73.4 degrees, 3.1 degrees per day above normal. Maximum temperature was 88.0 degrees on the 6th and a minimum temperature of 53.0 degrees was recorded on the 30th. Daytime high temperatures averaged 82.0 degrees, 3.6 degrees above the norm. All but 5 days had temperatures between 80 and 88 degrees. Evening temperatures averaged 65.0 degrees, 2.1 degrees above the norm. This is the 3rd warmest August in our records, tied with 2003 and surpassed only by 2005 & 1939 which tied at 73.5 degrees and 1937, the warmest at 73.7 degrees. Sunshine totaled 69% of the possible sunshine hours, which is 11 points above the norm. We had 11 clear days, 14 partly cloudy days, and 6 cloudy days. We had 2 days with heavy morning fog in East Wareham. Precipitation totaled 6.43 inches, 2.49 inches above normal. We had measurable precipitation on 10 days, and of those 10 days, 6 had measurable rainfall of 0.10 inches or more. The largest 24-hour rainfall was 2.61 inches on the 1st, noting that most of this rain actually came during the evening of July 31st. Year-to-date, 2012 has received 27.31 inches of rain, 3.53 inches below the yearly average for East Wareham and 6.90 inches lower than last year at this time. We had only 1 thunderstorm on the 15th.  

OFFICIAL SUMMER SEASON

The official summer (June, July and August) was very warm, wet and sunny. The average temperature was 70.8 degrees, 1.4 degrees above the 30-year average and total rainfall with 12.61 inches, 1.74 inches above the normal precipitation. Sunshine hours were 800.02, 57.20 hours above the average. We had a maximum temperature of 95.9 degrees recorded on the June 21st and a minimum temperature of 44.6 degrees recorded on June 6th. Rainfall totaled 12.61 inches, 1.18 inches less than the 2011 summer season. We had an official heat wave on June 20, 21, and 22. We had 8 days this summer with 90 degrees or higher temperatures, 4 in June and 4 in July. Despite July having four 90 degrees days the monthly average temperature was still below average. In August all but 5 days were in the 80's with no 90-degree days, but the monthly average temperature was above average. 

2012 CROP FORECAST

New England Agricultural Statistics Service released the United States forecast for the 2012 cranberry crop. This year's forecast is for 7.68 million barrels, down 1 percent from 2011. Massachusetts' cranberry crop is forecasted to reach 2.10 million barrels (down 9 percent from 2011). New Jersey's forecast is for 542,500 barrels (up 6 percent from 2011), Oregon: 400,000 barrels (up from 2011), Washington: 142,000 barrels (up from 2011), and Wisconsin: 4.5 million barrels (up 2 percent from 2011).  

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September

September was slightly on the warm side with above average sunshine and extremely wet. The temperature averaged 63.5 degrees, 0.6 degrees per day above normal. We have had only one month so far this year with temperatures averaging below normal. Maximum temperature was 82.0 degrees on the 7th and 8th; a minimum temperature of 41.0 degrees was recorded on the 25th. Daytime high temperatures averaged 72.3 degrees, which is 0.9 degrees above the norm. Evening temperatures averaged 54.6 degrees, 0.1 degrees above the norm.

Sunshine totaled 59% of the possible sunshine hours, 3 points above the norm. We had 9 days with 90% or better sunshine and only 3 days with no sunshine at all, compared to September 2011 which had only 3 days with 90% or better sunshine and 5 days with no sunshine at all. We also had 3 days with morning fog in East Wareham.

Precipitation totaled 7.49 inches, 3.02 inches above normal and 2.51 inches above last year's September rainfall. We had measurable rain of 0.10 inches or greater on just 6 days, and 3 days with spotty showers and drizzle with less than 0.10 inches recorded. We had two major rain events; one was at the beginning of the month, starting on the 4th and ending on the 6th totaling 3.60 inches; the other was at the end of the month starting on the 28th and ending on the 30th with a total of 2.92 inches. The largest 24-hour rainfall was 3.18 inches recorded on the 6th. There were two thunderstorms this month, one being close enough to strike the administration building here at the Cranberry Station. Year-to-date rainfall for 2012 is 34.86 inches, 0.06 inches above average for East Wareham and 4.39 inches below 2011 total rainfall at the same time last year. This is the first time this year that we are above the average yearly rainfall.

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October

October was extremely mild and wet, with below average sunshine. The temperature averaged 55.9 degrees, 3.5 degrees per day above normal. This is the 8th warmest monthly average temperature for October since 1926, the record being 58.0 degrees set in 1990. Maximum temperature was 74.0 degrees on the 6th; a minimum temperature of 30.0 degrees was recorded on the 13th. Daytime high temperatures averaged 64.4 degrees, 2.5 degrees above the norm. Evening low temperatures averaged 47.5 degrees, 4.5 degrees above the norm.

Sunshine totaled 45% of the possible sunshine hours, 10 points below the norm. We had 4 days that were mostly clear (90% of possible) and 7 days with no sunshine. There was also 3 days with fog in East Wareham. Year-to-date sunshine is running above the norm.

Precipitation totaled 4.58 inches, 0.78 inches above the 30-year average. The largest rainfall was from Hurricane Sandy which gave us 2.16 inches on the 29th and 30ed. This month's rainfall was 4.58 inches less than the rainfall of October 2011. Measurable rain was recorded on 18 days, 8 days of which measured rainfall was 0.10 inches or greater. Year-to-date rainfall for 2012 is 39.44 inches; 0.84 inches above average for East Wareham and 8.97 inches less than 2011. This is the first time this year that we are above average for year-to-date total rainfall. During the month, we also had two thunderstorms, one the 20th and one the 30th with a microburst on the 30th, which caused heavy wind damage. There was no reported snowfall on the Cape this month.

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November

November was cool and sunny with below average rainfall for the month. This was the first month this year with below average temperatures. The temperature averaged 41.1 degrees, 2.1 degrees below normal. Maximum temperature was 65.0 degrees on the 12th; a minimum temperature of 25.7 degrees was recorded on the 26th., 27th, 28th, and the 29th. Daytime high temperatures averaged 49.1 degrees, 3.5 degrees below the norm. Evening temperatures averaged 33.1 degrees, 1.5 degrees below the norm. November 2012 averaged 7.45 degrees cooler than November 2011.

Precipitation totaled 3.36 inches, 1.16 inches below normal and 0.37 inches less than 2011. Measurable rain of 0.10 inches or more was recorded on 4 days. The largest rainfall was over a 34-hour period with 2.72 inches on the 7th and 8th. Year-to-date rainfall for 2012 is 42.80 inches, 0.20 inches below the year-to-date average for East Wareham. This is 9.32 inches below November 2011 year-to-date average for East Wareham. There was no recorded snowfall for the month of November in East Wareham. The average snowfall for November in East Wareham is 1.2 inches.

Sunshine totaled 54% of the possible, 7 points above average and 6 points lower than November 2012. There were 9 days with 90% or more sunshine, and 3 days with near zero. 

OFFICIAL FALL SEASON

The official fall season Sept – Nov. 2012 was warm, wet, and low sunshine. October was the cloudiest month with below average sunshine hours. Temperatures averaged 53.3 degrees, 0.6 degrees above normal and 3.4 degrees cooler then 2011. A maximum temperature of 82.0 degrees was recorded on the 7th and 8th of September and a minimum temperature of 25.7 degrees was recorded on the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th of November. Rainfall totaled 15.43 inches, 2.98 inches above normal and 2.43 inches less then the fall of 2011. Average snowfall for the fall season for East Wareham is 1.2 inches; we have not received any snow this season. Sunshine was just slightly below normal. Overall this season was 3.0 degrees cooler, 2.43 inches drier, and a lot less sunshine than the fall season of 2011.

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December

December was very warm, cloudy and wet. The temperature averaged 38.6 degrees, 4.4 degrees per day above normal. Maximum temperature was 68.0 degrees on the 3rd; a minimum temperature of 19.0 degrees was recorded on the 31st. Daytime high temperatures averaged 46.3 degrees, 3.2 degrees above the norm. Evening temperatures averaged 30.9 degrees, 5.5 degrees above the norm. This was our 6th warmest December in the 86 years of our record keeping. Four of the seven warmest Decembers have occurred in the past 12 years. Precipitation totaled 7.01 inches, 2.58 inches above normal and 3.67 inches more then December 2011. This was the 10th wettest December in the 86 years of our record keeping. We had 16 rain events spread out evenly during the month. Measurable rain of 0.10 inches or more was recorded on 8 days. The largest 24-hour rainfall was 1.87 inches on the 11th. Total rainfall for 2012 was 49.81 inches, 0.51 inches below average for East Wareham and 5.56 inches less than the total rainfall for 2011. There was one day with measurable snow this month, totaling 3.50 inches. December's snowfall was 1.30 inches below the average for East Wareham. Sunshine for the month was very low, totaling 33% of possible, 13 points below the norm. There were only four days with 90% or greater sunshine hours and 12 days with no sunshine at all.

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2012 Year in Review

The year 2012 had above average temperatures and sunshine with slightly below average rainfall and snowfall. The first six months of the year were warm and dry, while the last six months of the year continued to be warm but very wet. This year set an all-time highest yearly average temperature in the 86 years of record keeping in East Wareham. Temperatures averaged 53.5 degrees, 3.5 degrees above the 30-year average in East Wareham and surpassing the highest average temperature of 53.2 degrees set in 1998. The average monthly temperature was above normal 11 out of 12 months. The maximum temperature of 96 degrees for the year was recorded on June 21st. The minimum temperature of 9.0 degrees was recorded on January 16th. We started the year with 13.4 inches of snow in January and the total snowfall for the year was only 18.6 inches. The official winter season of 2011 - 2012 was above average in temperature and sunshine hours with below average rainfall and snowfall. Snowfall for the winter of 2011- 2012 in East Wareham was 15.1 inches. Our seasonal average snowfall is 24.40 inches in East Wareham. The record low snowfall was set in 1997 with only 5.07 inches of snow. The official spring 2012 season had above average temperatures and sunshine hours with below average rainfall and snowfall, just the same as the winter season. The official summer of 2012 was also warm and very sunny, but very damp. The official fall season for 2012 was again warm, wet with above average sunshine. By the year's end, precipitation totaled 48.81 inches, 0.19 inches above normal. September was the wettest month with 7.49 inches of rainfall. The driest month was February with only 0.96 inches of rain. January gave us the greatest snowfall in 2012 with 13.4 inches. June was the only month this year with slightly below average temperatures. There were five months with low sunshine hours and seven months with above sunshine hours. Possible sunshine for the year was above normal. Overall, we started 2012 very warm and dry with below-average snowfall. After the lack of rain for the first 4 months of the year, the weather was characterized by being very warm, sunny and wet. The year ended warm and wet, with below average sunshine and snowfall.

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