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Annual Snowfall Records

 
Do we have snow?  Yes we do!  And a lot of it!  Washington has two National Weather Service trained and certified weather watchers.  Rocky Cavender measures in the center of Town, and Phil Barker on Valley Rd.  When their reports differ slightly, as they often do, the average of the two is charted below.

How does one officially measure snowfall?  As weather watcher Phil Barker explained during the "Snowtober" Nor'Easter, " I was going to be home thru this storm so  I took measurements every two hours and cleared half of the board after each check. Thus two things occurred: First- I got true snowfall measurements; Second- I was able to monitor the settling rate as it accumulated".

Washington's Town Common is at the highest elevation of all town commons in the state at 1572 feet above sea level.  We get notoriety all winter because of our snowfall totals.  The storms just seem to come up and get squeezed between Mt. Monadnock and Mt. Sunapee and dump all the precipitation on us. Succinctly explained by Phil, "It is very common to have differentials every half mile. If you watch the satellite weather maps in motion you will see that our high ground often splits a storm so it feathers off in certain areas. At the police station it could be a degree or so different than here at the house and that could give you a different accumulation than either one of us. And of course just a breeze can affect how snow falls. We do our best to get an accurate measurement  at our locales."

       
  Oskar the OshKoshTaking a Washington winter in stride.  Feb 27, 2010- Heading into the Notch on Rt. 31, weather watcher Phil Barker spends much of his winter rearranging snowflakes for the State of NH.
Historical Data- 2002-03 Highlights 2003-04 Highlights 2004-05 Highlights
  2005-06 Highlights 2006-07 Highlights 2007-08 Highlights
  2008-09 Highlights 2009-10 Highlights 2010-11 Highlights
     

2011-12

Date

Amount

Season Total

Total Feet

       
10/27/11 4.25" 4.25" 0.354'
10/29-30 23.25" 27.5" 2.291' ( 2'   3.5")
11/23 12.00" 39.5" 3.291' ( 3'   3.5")
12/08 4.00" 43.5" 3.625' ( 3'   7.5")
12/23 3.75" 47.25 3.937' ( 3' 11.25")
01/11-14/12 6.875" 54.125" 4.522' (4'  6.125")
01/17 1.50" 55.625" 4.635' (4'  7.625")
01/20 2.0" 57.625" 4.802' (4'  9.625")
01/21 1.0 58.625" 4.885' (4' 10.625")
01/26 0.5" 59.125" 4.927' (4' 11.125")
01/30 1.25" 60.5" 5.041' (5'  0.375")
01/31 0.5" 61.0" 5.083' (5'  0.875")
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
2002-03 Highlights
First snowfall- 10/23 (6.25") Last snowfall- 04/23 (2")
Heaviest snowfall- 22" (01/03-04) Total snowfall- 75.25", 6' 3.5"
Most consecutive days with snow- 4 (02/28-03/02) 9"
Heaviest snow period- same

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2003-04 Highlights
First snowfall- 10/23 (4.25") Last snowfall- 03/23 (1.5")
Heaviest snowfall- 20" (12/06-07) Total snowfall- 146", 12' 2"
Most consecutive days with snow- 2 (twice) 
Heaviest snow period- 2 consecutive days 12/06-07 20" 

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2004-05 Highlights
First snowfall- 11/08 (.5") Last snowfall- 03/24 (8")
Heaviest snowfall- 12" (03/12) Total snowfall- 103.25", 8' 8.25"
Most consecutive days with snow- 2 (twice) 
Heaviest snow period- 2 consecutive days 12/06-07 20" 

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2005-06 Highlights
First snowfall- 10/25 (2") Last snowfall- 04/06 (.75")
Heaviest snowfall- 11" (12/09) Total snowfall- 81", 6' 10"
Most consecutive days with snow- 2 (11/23 & 24 5.25" 
Heaviest snow period- 2 consecutive days 11/23-24 

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2006-07 Highlights  
First snowfall- 11/12 (.5") Last snowfall- 04/15 (7")
Heaviest snowfall- 16" (02/14) Total snowfall- 62.75", 5' 2.75"
Most consecutive days with snow- 2 (12/7&8, 26&27, 01/19&20, 02/22&23, 03/2&3 16&17, 04/04&05) 
Heaviest snow period- 1 day 02/14 16" 
   
2007-08 Highlights  
First snowfall- 11/06 (1.0") Last snowfall- 04/08 (1.5")
Heaviest snowfall- 01/29- 03/01 14.0" Total snowfall- 90.50", 7' 6.5"
Most consecutive days with snow- 4 (02/27-03/01)
Heaviest snow period- 4 (02/27-03/01/08)  15.5" 

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2008-09 Highlights  
First Snowfall- 11/25 (5.0") Last snowfall- 03/22 (.4")
Heaviest snowfall- 12.5” (12/19-20) Total snowfall- 111.00", 9’ 3"
Most consecutive days with snow- 6 02/18 - 02/23 24.4"
Heaviest snow period- same
   
2009-10 Highlights  
First Snowfall- 12/09 (1.75") Last snowfall- 04/28 (2")
Heaviest snowfall- 21.75” (02/24-25) Total snowfall- 108.25",  9.791'
Most consecutive days with snow- 4 01/01 - 04   14.5"
Heaviest snow period- 02/24-25   21.75"

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2010-11 Highlights  
First Snowfall- 10/15 (1.5") Last snowfall- 04/23 (2")
Heaviest snowfall- 23.0” (01/11-12) Total snowfall- 117.5", 9’ 0.25"
Most consecutive days with snow- 3 02/01 - 03   12.5"
Heaviest snow period- 01/11-12   23."

                             
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