January kicked off 2019 on a very mild note with above normal temperatures on 14 of the first 17 days. The second half the month would see a return of cold air, with a significant arctic outbreak at month’s end. Highs never warmed out of the single digits after the 24^th, while temperatures never made it above zero from the night of the 29^th into the morning of February 1^st. The mild start helped offset the very cold end to the month a bit as January finished a few degrees below its normal. Precipitation was right around normal, although there wasn’t any measurable snow through the first 2 weeks of the month. After the 16^th, there were 8 days with measurable snow, with over half of that total falling on the 18^th (8.1”). 

April was fairly typical for a spring month with cold and mild stretches. For instance, highs were in the 60s and 70s for the 6^th through the 9^th, but then didn’t reach 40 on the 10^th through the 13^th. Overall, highs were in the 30s and 40s on 10 days (normal) and in the 60s and 70s for 12 days (also normal). The first 80 degree day of 2019 occurred in April with 83 on the 21^st – about 2 weeks earlier than average. The last freeze of the spring came on the 28^th (low of 27 degrees), a about a week early compared to when that usually occurs. Precipitation was over ½ inch above normal for April, most of it coming in small amounts here and there. Measurable precipitation fell on 16 days, tied for 5^th most in an April, but less than ¼ of an inch fell on 10 of those. The last snowfall for the 2018-19 would fall on the 27^th with 2.1” – well past the average of April 10^th for the last snowfall in a season. 

Snowfall for the 2018-19 season (July through June) was 86.8 inches, greatest on record for Rochester (besting the previous high of 85.1” for the 1996-97 season). 

May continued the cold start to 2019 averaging 4 degrees below its normal. That said, there were no significant cold stretches, or warm for that matter. Temperatures were below normal on 22 days but still managed to reach 70 degrees or warmer on 8 days, even climbing to 86 on the 31^st. It was a very wet month, with the rainfall having a hand in keeping May on the cool-side. Measurable rain fell on over half the days (16) with generally no more than a few days in between rain. Over an inch fell on 4 of those days – tied for 2^nd most in a May. The 9.42” total made it the 2^nd wettest on record for a May in Rochester and 11^th most out of any month.

Rainfall for the spring months (Mar-May) came to 14.82 inches, 4^th most in a spring in Rochester.

June was right around its normal for temperatures with no significant swings warm or cold. For the most part, average temperatures hovered plus/minus 5 degrees of the daily normal. June was another very wet month, finishing almost 4 ½ inches above normal with the 9.08” total making it the 4^th wettest on record. There was measurable rainfall on 15 days, tied for 9^th most in a June. Meanwhile, one day accounted for over half of the monthly total with nearly 5” falling on the 28^th (4.90”)! Not only is that a record for the 28^th, but it was also the 6^th wettest out of any day for Rochester.

A bit more summer warmth for July, but again, daily temperatures generally hovered a few degrees around the normal. Highs did reach 90 for the first and only time in 2019, but just barely at that with 90 degrees on the 19^th. For comparison, there are only 5 years when Rochester never even warmed that much. On average, 90 degrees is reached on 11 days. Another soggy month for Rochester with 7.38” falling, nearly 3 inches above normal and 8^th most for a July. Out of the 11 days with measurable rain, 6 of those had more than ½ inch, tied for 3^rd most in a July. A thunderstorm would bring the peak wind of 2019 for Rochester - a northerly gust at 74 mph on the 20^th.

The warmth of September would be left in the rearview mirror as the calendar flipped to October. After a pleasant 70 degree day on the 1^st, highs would struggle to warm out of the 50s the rest of the month. Temperatures never saw 60 on 22 days (tied for 9^th most in an October and well ahead of the 16 day average) and couldn’t even warm to 50 on 12 days. That said, the first freeze of the fall would come on the 11^th, about 2 weeks later than average.  October would finish around 4 1/2 degrees below normal at 43.9 degrees (13^th coldest). While the warmth didn’t follow, the wetness of September did. Over 5 ½ inches (5.71”) of rain fell in October, making it the 4^th wettest on record. The bulk of that fell on 3 days with the 1^st, 5^th and 21^st accumulating 4.32” or 76% of the monthly total. It was also the first time in October that 3 separate days recorded at least 1 ¼” of rain. The end of the month did bring a break from the soggy conditions with no measurable rains after the 22^nd. The first snow flurries of the season would fall on the 11^th with the first measurable snow the next day, 0.2” on the 12^th. This is nearly a month ahead of what occurs in an average year, and 7^th earliest first snow accumulations on record for Rochester.