Spring Must Spring Back Once Again

By Dottie Evans

Even if this was not the hardest winter Newtown residents have ever experienced, it may have been the longest.

At least, it seemed that way this past week when the snow and ice just kept hanging on.

By all counts, winter began the week before Thanksgiving and there has been no letup.

This last blow –– a four-inch storm on Monday and more flurries Tuesday –– was just the frosting on the cake.

Actually, those who love to challenge records should hope for eight more inches of snow. Then they could say there had been a total of 100 inches during the winter of 2002–2003 and that would be the second snowiest winter on record since the late 1930s when the weather people began keeping count. The absolute worst winter was the record-breaking 1995–1996 season when a total of 120 inches of snow fell.

It was not clear whether meteorologist Mike Thomas of the Connecticut Weather Center in Danbury was trying to make people feel better, or whether he was simply trying to be accurate when he discussed late snowstorms on Monday.

“This wasn’t the latest by any means,” Mr Thomas said.

“We had four inches of snow on April 19, 1983. The most recent significant late snowfall was April 1, 1997, when we had 5.2 inches. That was unusual because it was a pretty warm winter with not much snowfall and then we got hit, Pow!”

If it was any comfort, he added that our long winter of 2002–2003 had been somewhat predictable.

“Usually when you do see a significant snow before Thanksgiving, you’re in for a long haul,” Mr Thomas said. His next comment was not reassuring.

“We’ve even had snow into the month of May.”

The temperatures this past week were way below normal at only 34 degrees, which was 20 degrees lower than is usual for this time of year, he said.

Luckily, however, Monday’s snow did not accumulate on the roads, since during the month of April the sun is higher in sky and the ground is heating up.

“Even though the sun isn’t out, radiation penetrates the clouds and warms things up,” Mr Thomas said.

Accordingly, when Thursday’s sun peeks through, the snow and ice should melt fast and Newtown residents and schoolchildren about to enjoy their spring break next week are counting on it.