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Annual Snowfall Records |
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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 just off Faxon Hill.
When their reports differ slightly, as they often do, the average
of the two is charted below. How does one officially measure snowfall? As former watcher Lincoln Gilbert explained it, "I always measure in the same area, behind the house, for consistency. I have a piece of plywood, about 30" square, painted white, which I use to avoid measuring on grass or on top of old snow. I also check other bare, hard surfaces for comparison. I report to the Weather Service only when the snow totals at least two inches". 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." |
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 Taking
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. |
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| Historical Data- | 2002-03 Highlights | 2003-04 Highlights | 2004-05 Highlights |
| 2005-06 Highlights | 2006-07 Highlights | 2007-08 Highlights | |
| 2008-09 Highlights | |||
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2009-10 |
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Date |
Amount |
Season Total |
Total Feet |
| 12/05/09 | 5.9" | 5.9" | 0' 5.9" |
| 12/09/09 | 11.75" | 17.65" | 1' 5.65" |
| 12/11 | .5 | 18.15" | 1' 5.15" |
| 12/13 | 2.75" | 20.90" | 1' 7.90" |
| 12/16 | 0.5" | 21.40" | 1' 8.40" |
| 12/28 | 3.5" | 24.90" | 1' 11.90" |
| 12/31 | 3.5" | 28.40" | 2' 3.40" |
| 01/01-01/4 | 14.5" | 42.90" | 3' 9.90" |
| 01/08 | 2.45" | 45.35" | 3' 8.35" |
| 01/18 | 6.80" | 52.15" | 4' 4.15" |
| 01/19 | 2.75" | 54.90" | 4' 6.90" |
| 01/20 | 1.5" | 56.40" | 4' 8.40" |
| 1-24/25-10 1.4" freezing rain and rain, temp range 30-50 degrees, lot of snow melt | |||
| 01/28 | 1.5" | 57.90" | 4' 9.90" |
| 02/03 | .5" | 58.40" | 4' 10.40" |
| 02/10 | 2.2" | 60.60" | 5' 0.60" |
| 02/16 | 5.75" | 66.35" | 5' 6.35" |
| 02/24 | 18.5" | 84.85" | 7' 0.85" |
| 02/25* | 3.25" | 88.10" | 7' 4.10" |
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*- along with an unmeasured amount of rain. The only difference between this and walking on water is the footprint only fills up halfway with water. |
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| 02/26-27 | 6.8" | 94.90" | 7' 10.9" |
| 02/27-28 | 1.1" | 96.00" | 8' 0.00" |
| 03/01 | 4.25" | 100.25" | 8' 4.25" |
| 03/14-15 | 3.5" | 103.75" | 8' 7.75" |
| 04/16 | 1.5" | 105.25" | 8' 9.25" |
| 04/17 | 1.0" | 106.25" | 8' 10.25" |
| 04/28 | 2.0" | 108.25" | 9' 0.25" |
| *- this snow season it has snowed the 28th of every month except March. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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" | |||
| 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" | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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- 02/29- 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" | |||
| 2008-09 Highlights | |||
| First Snowfall- 11/25 (1.75") | 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 | |||