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The year of 2008 was one of the most active years for weather in North Conway during the
last fifty years. The repeated headline for the year was the seemingly endless
train of heavy precipitation that hit the Mount Washington Valley. The winter months recieved a significant amount of snow causing roofs
to collapse. By summertime, many thunderstorms produced high wind, hail, and localized flash floods.
Remnants of a tropical storm and two Nor'easters were
some of the main features during the autumn months.
Major weather records* were broken as a result of the heavy precipitation during 2008. Scroll down to view which weather records were broken, as well as to read a detailed summary for the year of 2008. Included in this detailed summary are three graphs that illustrate rain, snow, and temperature trends for the year. Rain Wettest Year on Record Heavy rainfall throughout the year of 2008 produced a total of 63.68 inches, which was nearly 16 inches above normal. This total made the year of 2008 the wettest year on record. The previous record holder was in 2005 when 63.48 inches accumulated. January was one of three months to receive below normal precipitation during the year of 2008. By the following month, heavy amounts of snow translated to a melted down total of 7.35 inches during February. This enabled the month to become the 2nd wettest February on record. First place remained far ahead with 9.64 inches during February 1964. High amounts of precipitation continued throughout March. The melted down value for this month was 5.73 inches, which ranked within the top four. The most rainfall / melted snow ever recorded during March was in 1983 when the Valley received a total value of 8.47 inches. April was quiet until a significant rainstorm produced 3.28 inches on the 28th and 29th. Near drought conditions occurred during May due to total rain amounting only to 1.06 inch. Things turned around significantly during the onset of June due to numerous showers and thunderstorms. A total of 6.24 inches of rain (+2.44 inches) fell during 22 of the 30 days in June. The following month of July received the most amount of rain during 2008, which was 9.24 inches (+5.26 inches). A stretch of eleven days of rain occurred during the timeframe of the 18th to the 28th of July. Heavy rain continued into August where over 5.05 inches accumulated during the first ten days. The latter two thirds of the month saw a much needed break from the heavy rain with partly cloudy skies and drier conditions.
Wettest Summer On Record Seventeen days witnessed at least one thunderstorm during the summer, which more than doubled 2007's season total. A noteworthy thunderstorm locally produced 2.49 inches of rain within a short period of time during July 24. This storm produced a rainfall rate of 10 inches per hour that was followed by a minor flash flood. The remnants of Tropical Storm Hannah continued the theme of heavy rain into September as the storm locally produced 2.59 inches on September 6th and 7th. An additional 2.50 inches of rain occurred from the 26th to 28th, which ultimately pushed September's rainfall total above the six inch mark. October was a quieter month producing below normal rainfall with one storm that produced rainfall accumulations greater than two inches (October 26). November returned to the theme of above normal rainfall. A Nor’easter on the 25th and 26th produced 2.54 inches of rain, which helped November to achieve a rainfall total of 6.58 inches (+2.19 inches). The final month of 2008, December, was similar to that of November. A major winter storm on the 11th and 12th produced 2.97 inches of melted down precipitation, which helped the December total to also surpass six inches. In total, 159 days during 2008 recorded measurable rainfall while 110 days received accumulations greater than 0.10 inch. Eighteen of these days received heavy rainfall surpassing one inch.  Snow 3rd Snowiest Calendar Year on Record 2nd Deepest Snow Depth January began 2008 with a snowstorm that produced 9.5 inches on New Years Day. The month ended above normal giving North Conway the snowiest January in 9 years. The depth of snow averaged around 20 inches. It wasn't until the following month that Old Man Winter's grip was in full action. The month of February recorded 54.1 inches of snow (+37.7 inches), which became the 2nd snowiest February on record and the third snowiest month of all time. The first place winner for both remained February 1960 with 68 inches of snow. A total of two feet of snow accumulated from the 5th to the 10th while two storms produced separate amounts upwards of 1 foot on February 13 and 26-27. The deep snow pack in the Mount Washington Valley increased from 20 inches on February 1 to 48 inches on Leap Day. Nearly 9 inches of snow fell on March 1, which helped to increase the already deep snow depth to 55 inches. This depth was the 2nd deepest snowpack ever measured in the last 50 years. As a result, some buildings such as barns collapsed in the region due to the weight of the snow. The number one position remained March 1969 when a depth of 65 inches was present. In total, 25 inches of snow accumulated during March, which was the most for any March in 7 years. The last snowfall for spring occurred on April 4, but the snow didn't completely melt away until April 27. Over one foot of snow was on the ground for 107 consecutive days (January 1 to April 16). The high amount of snow on the ground during April raised fears regarding the potential for significant river flooding. However, such fears were brought to ease as time went on thanks in part to somewhat dry conditions and a slow moderation in temperatures. A powerful Nor'easter produced the first snowfall for the autumn months on November 25th. A total of 6.0 inches of snow accumulated before changing to rain. This was the greatest daily snowfall in November since November 2002. Two storms produced light amounts thereafter, which gave North Conway a total of 10.1 inches. The first half of December witnessed little in the way of snow. Things turned around when two storms on the 17th and 19th produced a total of 13 inches. Another event followed with heavy snow and high winds. Around 15 inches accumulated in North Conway giving the town a total of 28 inches within 5 days. The snow depth spiked to 23 inches, but warm weather reduced its size to 10 inches by New Years Eve. The year of 2008 became the third snowiest calendar year on record. A total of 148.0 inches of snow accumulated from January 1 to December 31, which was 64.5 inches above normal. The other calendar years with a greater accumulation of snow remain 1972 with 163 inches and 1969 with 151 inches. In total, 44 days received a measurable snowfall of greater than or equal to 0.1 inch while 11 of the days reached a measurement of at least 6 inches.  Temperature Temperatures for 2008 failed to produce much of a story compared to the heavy precipitation that fell in North Conway. The average year-round temperature for 2008 was 44.1° F (-0.4° F). The coldest day occurred on Leap Day when the mercury dropped to -15° F. Less than two months later, the first 80° F reading was recorded on April 23. The warmest day of 2008 was reached on June 10 when the temperature soared to 95° F. In addition, the humidity and dew point were very high causing the heat index to swell up to 109° F. Except for September, the latter half of the year witnessed slightly below normal temperatures with some warm ups during each month. During the year of 2008, a total of 4 days reached a maximum of at least 90° F while 63 days failed to reach a maximum greater than 32° F. As for low temperatures, nearly 180 days recorded a minimum equal to or under 32° F. Seventeen of these days remained at or below the zero degree mark.  Wind
The windiest day of the year occurred on February 11 when southwest winds
averaged 12 MPH and gusted to 54 MPH. This resulted in near whiteout
conditions. Christmas Day was also a very windy day. The wind remained
sustained out of the west 14 MPH with gusts up to 48 MPH during the
morning hours, which ultimately resulted in some power outages.
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