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MARCH BEGAN LIKE FEBRUARY ENDED – First the Monday, Feb. 26, hailstorm swept over the western Fidalgo Island peninsula and through La Conner. Then Saturday, March 2, an even bigger hailstorm deposited at least half an inch of pellets in the early afternoon. That turned to a snowy slush before 5 p.m.
DAFFODILS REPORT SPRING IS ON THE WAY – They did not wait until March, but daffodils have been springing up in yards and pots all over La Conner for a couple of weeks now.
WHITE FROM TREES BLOOMING, NOT SNOW – By the third week in February, ornamental fruit trees have been reporting that more light, warmer temperatures – every once in a while – and spring is on the way. You do not have to be at Washington and Whatcom Streets in La Conner to find trees in bloom.
Suddenly, the fields around La Conner are puddling up.
February's 3.2 inches of rain is the third above average rainfall month in a row. There was over 2 inches of rain the last six days: 1.2 inches Feb. 28-29 after 0.8 inches Feb. 24-25. With three days of sprinkles, 2.2 inches fell Feb. 19-29, 71% of the month's precipitation, and continued March 1-3. Most of the rest, 0.5 inches, came down Feb. 11-12. Rain came down on 17 days. No measurable snow fell.
This was the seventh-wettest February since 2000. The four wettest Februarys have been since 2016 with 5.8 inches of rain in 2018 the most.
The month was slightly warmer, with an average daily maximum temperature of 47.8. The 59.0 degree reading Feb. 1 was the month's warmest day. It only frosted twice, on Feb. 16 and 26, February's low, at 31 degrees. The month's average daily minimum of 36.2 degrees was 1.5 degrees higher than the century average. February's daily average temperature of 41.1 degrees was 2.1 degrees above that average for the last 25 years.
January's rain total of 4.6 inches was 0.6 inches above the century average. December's 4.6 inches of rain was 1.5 inches above the century average.
No temperature or precipitation records were set.
Measurements and data are at Washington State University's Mount Vernon weather station on Memorial Highway.
Rain Report: February
Rain Feb. 25-March 2: 2.1"
Rainfall in Feb.: 3.2"
Number of rain days: 17
Least rain, one day: 0.01", Feb. 9
Most rain, one day: 0.6", Feb. 28, 29
Least rain: 1.25", 2009
Most rain: 5.78", 2018
Avg. rainfall, 2000-2024: 2.9" *
Rainfall last month, Jan: 4.6"
* 24 years: no data, 2005
Data from WSU Mount Vernon.
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