Northern California received less rainfall in February than in January, but the staggered rain showers kept the region saturated and green throughout the month. These repeated winter storms also helped to maintain the California snowpack in the mountains; however, we still are hopeful for some late-season winter storms to move through! As of March 1, California’s snowpack was at 61% of normal. The number of winter storms we see in March will help us identify the state's level of drought and help us anticipate the fire risk for the state for the 2021 fire season.
Less Rainfall, More Heat
The AcuRite Atlas® wireless weather station at my house reported a monthly rainfall total of 0.78 inches, while the nearby official NWS location at Livermore reported 0.40 inches for the month. This was 2.63 inches below normal for February! Meanwhile, warm temperatures persisted with the highest temperature reported by my home weather station on February 23: a midday high of 81.5 °F (27.5 °C). A few local Bay Area NWS locations broke records on that day, shown in the official report below, with Santa Rosa reaching 81 degrees Fahrenheit!
Days Are Getting Longer
It’s also neat to track the hours of daylight on the My AcuRite® dashboard. Looking back at my monthly hours of sunlight reported by my AcuRite Atlas home weather station with UV index and light intensity data, we are back up to over 11 hours of daylight! My family appreciates this change, as we can take more evening walks, and I have time again for my early morning runs! Even my flowers and garden are showing signs of spring with the daffodils already blooming!
Share and Discuss
What did your February weather look like? Is there anyone reporting from Texas that can share what their low temperatures dropped to with the unprecedented February winter storm? Share and discuss your winter weather below!