Warmest Spring on Record

6/8/2012 (Updated 11:42:47 PM)

(Source: Kate Thornton)

According the National Weather Service in Binghamton, Spring 2012 is the warmest spring on record.  Records at BGM date back to 1950.

The mean temperature for March, April, and May was 50.8 degrees which beats the old record of 50.3 set just two years ago in 2010.

The spring was characterized by an unusually warm March which was around 12 degrees above normal, breaking a record. It was also the third warmest May on record which was about 6 degrees above normal.

For the first time ever, the month of March was warmer than the month of April.  April was .6 degrees below average.

While some folks fully enjoyed the early start to the warmer weather, meteorologists at BGM knew it would cause problems for vegetation.

"The warmth is going to get everything started and unfortunately April ended with nearly a week of at or below freezing temps at night.  That in itself is not terribly unusual, but the fact that we were so far along in our growing season, it was as if we had a frost more like in mid to late May," said Mark Pellerito of the National Weather Service.

There were several factors into this unusually warm spring.  The area was under the influence of a La Nina pattern and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) was in a positive phase for most of the season.  These factors led to a more southerly flow in the atmosphere which led to warmer temperatures.

Syracuse and Scranton also had a record breaking warm spring.

This past winter season was also the least snowiest, with only 43.5".  That is almost 40" below normal.  Last year BGM recorded 117.5" of snow.

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