Ithaca Climate Summary for February 1997

Temperature

• With an average temperature of 30.3 degrees, the month of February averaged 7.7 degrees warmer than normal.
• It was the 3rd warmest February on record in Ithaca. The warmer years were February 1984 (31.7 degrees) and February 1981 (30.7 degrees).
• This was the largest positive departure from normal for any month since January 1990 (which was +10.8 degrees).
• The warmest reading of the month was 67 degrees on the 27th. This was a record for the day (old record: 62 degrees in 1880) and also the warmest temperature ever recorded in the month of February (old record: 66 degrees on 2/20/1930 and also 2/21/1953).
• The maximum temperature of 63 degrees on February 22 also broke a daily record. The old record was 62 degrees set in 1930.
• The coldest temperature of the month was 5 degrees on the 13th. This was the highest February minimum since 1960.

Precipitation

• The total precipitation for the month was 1.67 inches, which was 84% of the monthly normal.
• This was 0.33 inches more than Ithaca received in February 1996.
• The January-February precipitation total of 2.54 inches was 66% of normal.

Snowfall

• The monthly snowfall total was 9.7 inches, which was 5 inches below the February normal.
• This total was surprisingly 3.2 inches more than the amount received last February.
• The seasonal total stands at 41.3 inches, which is 11.4 inches less than normal through this point in the winter.
• This total, however, exceeds the amount measured during the entire winter of 1994-95 and is greater than the October-February total during 5 of the last 10 winters.
• The greatest depth of snow on the ground during the month was 5 inches on the 17th.
• Amounts for surrounding communities included 13.9 inches in Groton and 11.6 inches in Freeville.
• Note: March snowfall averages 10.2 inches, but has exceeded 30 inches twice in the last 4 years.