February Ranks as One of the Snowiest Months on Record

No, you weren't mistaken if you thought this past month's snow total seemed a bit out of proportion. The 31.2 inches recorded in Bernards in February could be the highest total ever to blanket the area in one month.

Determining snowfall records is partially imprecise due to the lack of historical data for each town in New Jersey. The National Weather Service has only one official recording station in the area, in Newark, which is over 20 miles east of Bernards Township and occasionally receives different weather results.

Newark received 32.9 inches of snow this February, short of the record snowfall of 33.4 inches in 1994. The National Weather Service does operate "unofficial" Cooperative Observer Program stations in several New Jersey towns, however, which have historical snowfall data. Three of the stations are located in towns closer to Bernards than Newark.

Bernard's 31.2 inches far exceed any previous recorded high in Bound Brook, which tops out at 24.5 inches in February 2003. The Bound Brook data, obtained through the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University, dates back to 1956 with some omissions. This year's February total also beats the highest monthly total for any month recorded in Bound Brook, 25.5 inches in January 1996.

Somerville, also has a cooperative observer station, with data that goes back to 1892. Bernard's February total also beats the high in Somerville, which occurred 111 years ago in February 1899–a total of 30 inches. The 29.9 inches that fell in February 2003 ranked as the second-highest total. The highest single month total for snowfall accumulation in Somerville was 35 inches in January 1925.

About 10 miles west of Bernards, Pottersville has data dating back to 1968. The highest February total in Pottersville was 24 inches in 1994, then 23 inches in 2003. Pottersville also had a 35-inch January, this one in 1996–a brutal winter that piled up 81 total inches of snow before the end.

Bernards has received 48.6 total inches of snow this winter (2009-10), and will need a big March to push into the level of all-time snowiest winters due to a snow-less January (2.1 inches in 2010).

What was the snowiest winter on record? The winter of 1995-96 was at or near the top at all three nearby recording stations (54 inches in Bound Brook, 62.7 inches in Somerville, 81 inches in Pottersville). Other bad winters include 2002-03 (57.4 inches in Somerville, 51.3 inches in Pottersville), 1977-78 (54.8 inches in Somerville, 50.3 inches in Pottersville), 1966-67 (65.5 inches in Somerville) and who can forget 1899-99 (62.4 inches in Somerville).

For those who are concerned, spring did follow each of the recorded winters.