Sunbathers flocked to the Green last week to enjoy the unseasonable warmth that brought an unusually early taste of summer to the College and shattered longstanding temperature records across the Northeast.
The heat abated significantly by last Saturday in the wake of a cold front, causing many to now reluctantly return to long pants and sweaters. However, last week saw some of the highest temperatures ever recorded in New England for so early in the year.
"We saw temperatures running more than 20 degrees above normal," noted Nolan Atkins, Professor of Meteorology at Lyndon State College. Boston set four consecutive record high temperatures on the 1st through the 4th of the month, including three straight days of 90 degree readings, the earliest such occurrence since the start of record keeping in 1872.
Other cities, among them Worcester, Massachusetts, Providence, Bridgeport, New York City, and Burlington, Vermont all saw records set or tied during the first four days of the month.
"Temperatures in the 60s and 70s are the norm for this time of year," Atkins said of New England weather. In Hanover, which typically sees daytime readings in the low to mid 60s during the first week of May, last week's temperatures soared to near 90 degrees.
Along with the record setting temperatures, however, has come a lack of rain. After a very rainy March, both April and the first week of May saw little in the way of precipitation, and near-drought conditions have set in across some portions of the Northeast.
Atkins drew attention to some of the dangers that accompany a long dry spell, while downplaying the severity of the drought.
"A number of areas have fire bans presently ... the fire danger is getting to be pretty high."
He also noted that due to a record snow pack that has yet to fully melt at higher elevations, most streams and rivers are running at close to their normal levels, and as yet there have been no calls for water rationing.
"It's only the ground that's becoming very dry," Atkins said. "To be overly concerned at this point I don't think is warranted."
With regards to the implications of last week's heat wave for this summer's weather, Atkins explained that long range forecasting, especially for summer weather, is extremely difficult, and that it is still too early to know what to expect.
