2016 temperature summary
Overall, the season was as warm as it felt. From March through May, the Northeast was 2 degrees above average, with April being the only month this year cooler than average. August was very warm at 4 degrees above normal in some areas, as was the Fall, especially for Western NY where it’s been 4-5 degrees above average. Boston and Western NY recorded record numbers for GDD. CNY and Eastern NY did not set records, but were 300-400 GDD above normal. Essentially extending growing season by 2.5 to 3.5 weeks.
2016 moisture summary
From March through August, the Northeast received 50-70% of average precipitation levels. October has been generously wet, with areas in Western and Northern NY getting nearly 2 times the seasonal average for precipitation. While drought conditions have rebounded in western regions, eastern regions are still on the edge and suffering from several seasons of below normal precipitation.
Winter forecast
Climate models have been waffling and now seem to be converging to predict a mild La Nina winter. This suggests a wet and cold winter for the North and Midwest US. While systems can spread east, it is likely the East coast will see fewer storms this winter. Precipitation and cooling will lag a bit, starting later in January, and lasting until the end of March.
For more turf-related weather info and decision-making tools, visit the ForeCast website.
