The Old Farmer's Almanac 2015 (28 page)

Alaska

SUMMARY:
Winter temperatures will be above normal, with January the coldest period. Precipitation and snowfall will be below normal, with the snowiest periods in mid- to late December N (see Key below), mid-February and mid-March EC and WC, mid- and late January SC, late January A, and early to mid-November, late December, late January, and late March P.

April and May will be warmer than normal, with near-normal precipitation and less snowfall than normal.

Summer temperatures will be below normal, on average, with the warmest periods in mid-July and other warm periods in early July N and mid- to late June S and C.

September and October temperatures will be colder than normal, with below-normal precipitation and near-normal snowfall.

Key:
Panhandle (P), Aleutians (A), North (N), Central (C), South (S), East-Central (EC), West-Central (WC), South-Central (SC), Elsewhere (EW)

NOV. 2014:
Temp. 2° N, 42° S (avg. N, 6° above S); precip. 0.1″ N, 8″ S (3″ above avg. P, 0.3″ below EW). 1–3 Flurries, cold N+C; showers, mild S. 4–14 Frequent snow P; clear, very cold EW. 15–30 Flurries, turning quite mild N+C; Rainy periods, mild S.

DEC. 2014:
Temp. 0° N, 38° S (7° above avg.); precip. 0.2″ N, 3″ S (avg. N, 2″ below S). 1–6 Flurries, turning cold N+C; rain and wet snow S. 7–15 Snow, then clear, turning mild. 16–26 Snow showers N+C, rainy periods S; mild. 27–31 Snowy periods P, clear EW; cold.

JAN. 2015:
Temp. −13° N, 28° S (1° below avg.); precip. 0.2″ N, 4.5″ S (avg. N, 0.5″ below S). 1–8 Freezing mist, mild N; clear, cold EW. 9–19 Flurries, cold, then milder. 20–31 Snow showers, cold N+C; periods of rain and snow S.

FEB. 2015:
Temp. −14° N, 41° S (4° above avg. N, 12° above avg. S); precip. 0.2″ N, 3.5″ S (avg. N, 0.5″ below S). 1–10 Flurries N, showers S; mild. 11–21 Flurries N; snow C; rain, some heavy S; mild. 22–28 Snow showers, turning cold.

MAR. 2015:
Temp. −11° N, 42° S (2° above avg. N, 8° above S); precip. 0.5″ N, 6″ S (avg. N, 1″ above S). 1–4 Clear, turning mild. 5–17 Flurries, cold N; snow showers, mild C; rainy periods, mild S. 18–24 Snow showers N+C, rainy periods S; mild. 25–31 Clear N, snowy periods C+S; cold.

APR. 2015:
Temp. 2° N, 41° S (avg.); precip. 0.7″ N, 3″ S (avg.). 1–4 Snow showers, cold. 5–15 Snow showers, mild N+C; showers, cool S. 16–22 Flurries, cold N; showers, mild C+S. 23–30 Flurries N, showers S; cool.

MAY 2015:
Temp. 22° N, 48° EW (1° above avg.); precip. 0.6″ N, 3″ S (avg.). 1–8 Showers, cool P+A; sunny, mild EW. 9–19 Flurries and freezing drizzle N, a few showers C+S; seasonable. 20–31 A few showers; cool WC+P, seasonable EW.

JUNE 2015:
Temp. 34° N, 54° EW (1° below avg.); precip. 0.2″ N, 2.5″ S (1″ above avg. C, 0.5″ below EW). 1–6 Flurries N, scattered showers EW; cool. 7–12 Showers P+A, sunny EW; cool. 13–22 A few showers; cool N, warm EW. 23–30 Sunny N, showers C+S; cool.

JULY 2015:
Temp. 40° N, 55° EW (2° below avg.); precip. 1.7″ N, 4.5″ S (0.5″ above avg.). 1–7 Sunny, warm N; showers, cool C+S. 8–15 Sunny N, rainy periods C+S; cool. 1620 Sunny, turning very warm. 21–31 Showers, cool.

AUG. 2015:
Temp. 38° N, 54° EW (2° below avg.); precip. 0.7″ N, 4.5″ S (0.5″ below avg.). 1–15 Showers C, cool. 1620 Showers N+C, sunny S; cool. 21–31 Freezing mist, cold N; sunny, cool WC; rainy, cool P+A; showers, mild EW.

SEPT. 2015:
Temp. 29° N, 51° EW (3° below avg.); precip. 0.6″ N, 6.5″ S (0.5″ below avg.). 1–5 Sprinkles, mild N; rain arriving, cool, then mild C; rain, then sunny, cool S. 6–13 Freezing mist and flurries N, showers EW; cool. 14–24 Flurries, cold N+C; rainy periods, turning mild S. 25–30 Snow showers N, snowy periods C, rainy periods S; cold.

OCT. 2015:
Temp. 8° N, 45° S (4° below avg. N, 2° above S); precip. 0.1″ N, 6.6″ S (0.4″ below avg.). 1–7 Flurries, very cold N; snowy periods, some heavy C; rainy periods, mild S. 8–19 Snow showers, very cold N+C; rain, then rain and snow showers S. 20–24 Snow showers N+WC; snow, then showers C; rainy periods S; turning mild. 25–31 Snow showers, mild N+C; rain, then clear, cold A; rainy periods, mild SC+P.

Hawaii

SUMMARY:
Winter temperatures will be near or slightly above normal, with the coolest periods in late December, early and mid-January, and early and mid-February. Rainfall will be greater than normal on Oahu, Lanai, and Molokai, but below normal elsewhere.

April and May will be rainier than normal, especially on the Big Island. Temperatures will be near or slightly above normal.

Summer temperatures will be near normal, with the hottest periods in mid- and late July. Rainfall will be above normal, with a tropical storm threat in mid- to late August.

September and October temperatures will be slightly cooler than normal, with above-normal rainfall.

Key:
East (E), Central (C), West (W)

NOV. 2014:
Temp. 77° (0.5° below avg.); precip. 4.5″ (2″ above avg.). 1–4 Sunny, nice E; t-storms W. 5–8 Heavy t-storms E+C, sunny W; seasonable. 9–18 Scattered showers, warm C+W; rainy periods, cool E. 19–22 Sunny, nice C+W; a few t-storms E. 23–27 Sunny E, a few showers C+W; warm. 28–30 Showers E, sunny C+W; warm.

DEC. 2014:
Temp. 75.5° (0.5° above avg.); precip. 2.3″ (1″ below avg.). 1–7 A few showers; cool E, warm C+W. 8–16 Scattered t-storms E, sunny C+W; cool. 17–22 A few t-storms, some heavy; warm. 23–26 T-storms E+W, sunny C; warm. 27–31 Showers and heavy t-storms, cool.

JAN. 2015:
Temp. 74° (1° above avg.); precip. 1.5″ (1″ below avg.). 1–3 Sunny, cool. 4–14 Sunny, warm E+C; a few t-storms, cool, then warm W. 15–16 T-storms, cool. 17–19 Sunny E+C, showers W; warm. 20–25 Showers E+C, sunny W; warm. 26–31 Sunny, seasonable.

FEB. 2015:
Temp. 72° (1° below avg.); precip. 0.7″ (3″ below avg. E+W, 2″ above C). 1–8 Widely separated showers, cool. 9–13 T-storms, then sunny, nice. 14–19 Showers and heavy t-storms E+C, scattered showers W; cool. 20–28 Daily showers, warm, then cool E+C; isolated showers, seasonable W.

MAR. 2015:
Temp. 74.5° (0.5° above avg.); precip. 0.7″ (4″ below avg. E+W, 4″ above C). 1–6 Scattered showers, cool. 7–15 Showers and heavier t-storms, seasonable E+C; scattered showers, warm W. 16–24 Scattered showers, warm E+W; showers and t-storms, cool C. 25–31 Showers and heavier t-storms, warm.

APR. 2015:
Temp. 76° (0.5° above avg.); precip. 7.7″ (11″ above avg. E, 3″ above W). 1–9 Rain and heavy t-storms E+C, showers W; warm. 10–14 Showers and t-storms E+W, heavy rain C. 15–18 Rainy periods, cool. 19–25 Showers, warm E+W; heavy rain and t-storms, cool C. 26–30 Showers, seasonable.

MAY 2015:
Temp. 77° (avg.); precip. 4.7″ (8″ above avg. E, avg. W). 1–8 Rainy periods, cool. 9–15 Showers, seasonable. 16–21 Scattered showers, warm E+W; showers and heavy t-storms, cool C. 22–31 Scattered showers, seasonable.

JUNE 2015:
Temp. 80° (0.5° above avg.); precip. 2.4″ (2″ above avg.). 1–10 Daily showers, cool. 11–17 Scattered showers E+W, daily light showers C; warm. 18–30 Frequent showers E, scattered showers and heavy t-storms C+W; cool, then warm.

JULY 2015:
Temp. 81.5 (0.5° above avg.); precip. 1.5″ (1″ above avg.). 1–11 Daily showers, scattered t-storms; cool, then warm. 12–19 Scattered showers; very warm E, seasonable W. 20–31 Daily showers, seasonable E+C; scattered showers, very warm W.

AUG. 2015:
Temp. 80.5° (1° below avg.); precip. 3.6″ (3″ above avg.). 1–11 Showers; warm, then cool. 12–17 Daily showers; cool E, warm W. 18–23 Scattered showers, warm E; tropical storm threat C+W, heavy rains and t-storms. 2431 Daily showers; warm E+W, cool C.

SEPT. 2015:
Temp. 81° (0.5° below avg.); precip. 1.8″ (1″ above avg.). 1–6 Scattered showers; cool E, warm W. 7–19 Showers; warm E+W, cool C. 20–26 Scattered showers, cool E+W; sunny, very warm C. 27–30 Daily showers E+C, scattered showers W; seasonable.

OCT. 2015:
Temp. 79.5° (0.5° below avg.); precip. 4″ (2″ above avg.). 1–7 Showers, then sunny cool. 8–10 Sunny, cool. 11–20 Scattered showers, warm E+W; daily showers and scattered heavy t-storms, cool C. 21–31 Showers, cool.

Dates given are normal averages for a light freeze; local weather and topography may cause considerable variations. The possibility of frost occurring after the spring dates and before the fall dates is 50 percent. The classification of freeze temperatures is usually based on their effect on plants. Light freeze: 29° to 32°F—tender plants killed. Moderate freeze: 25° to 28°F—widely destructive to most vegetation. Severe freeze: 24°F and colder—heavy damage to most plants.

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courtesy of National Climatic Data Center

When Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Ulysses S. Grant in Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War, only 16 men witnessed the event in Wilmer McLean’s parlor. Although some faded into obscurity over the next six decades, these 10 continued to make history.