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Contacts: Diane Greenberg, (631) 344-2347 or Mona S. Rowe, (631) 344-5056

Long Island Weather of 2007: Strong Northeasters, a Tornado, Low Snowfall

January 8, 2008

UPTON, NY -Unusual weather events characterized 2007 both around the world and on Long Island. For example, England had the warmest April in 348 years of record-keeping; South Africa had its first significant snowfall in 25 years; nearly 155 inches of rain fell in three days on Reunion Island, 400 miles east of Africa; a cyclone ripped through Oman and Iran; and, on Long Island, a tornado tore up trees in Islip Terrace.

The tornado hit Islip Terrace on July 18, a very unusual occurrence for Long Island. At Brookhaven Lab, the emergency operations center was activated on that date, as meteorologists tracked the tornado, which they had feared might strike the Laboratory. Again on August 8, a tornado touched down in Brooklyn, another rare event, while three-quarters of an inch of rain fell at Upton.

At Brookhaven Lab, where meteorologists have been keeping weather records since 1949, the average yearly temperature for the area in 2007 was 51.7 degrees Fahrenheit (F). While that temperature was slightly above normal, it did not nearly reach the record-breaking yearly temperature of 53.2 degrees F, in 2006.

With total precipitation of 45.33 inches, 2007 was a dry year, in contrast to 2006, which brought 61.59 inches of precipitation. But three strong northeasters brought icy roads and torrents of rain to Long Island in 2007. On memorable Valentine's Day, a strong northeaster hit Long Island causing treacherous driving. The north shore was hit the hardest with three to four inches of snow. Another northeaster brought two inches of rain and wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour to Long Island on April 15 and 16, while a northeaster on December 15 and 16 brought snow and sleet and 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts to the area.

Snowfall in the 2006-2007 winter season was 9.5 inches, well below the 31.2 inches of yearly average snowfall for Long Island, and about ten times less than the record high snowfall of 90.8 inches set in the 1995-1996 snow season.

Four new daily highs and one daily low temperature were set in 2007. On January 6, the thermometer hit 64 degree F, beating the record of 56 degrees F, set in 1950, and January 7 brought a high temperature of 55 degrees F, one-half degree higher than the record set in 1995. On May 25, a high of 91.5 degrees F was also one-half degree higher than the record set in 1991. October 8 brought a new high of 88.5 F, besting the record of 77 degrees F set in 1990. The new low was set on June 24, when the temperature dropped to 43.5 degrees F, one degree lower than the record set in 1988.

Number: 08-05  |  BNL Media & Communications Office

One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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