Mosaic

Issue date: 3/24/04 Section: News

Storm systems, similar to the one that affected New England on March 16, 2004, are needed this spring to avoid water restrictions and the dangers of brush fires this summer.

After a wet 2003, 2004 has started off on a dry note, which could lead to an active fire season and maybe some water restrictions this summer.

Fox 25 Meteorologist A. J. Burnett says that in January, the storm track took storms south of New England. In February, the weather got warmer, but many storms still bypassed Southern and Central New England.

WB 56 Meteorologist Michael Wankum says that most of the winter's precipitation in the Boston area has been in the form of snow. As a result, Boston has had 39 inches of snow, just nine tenths of one inch below normal for the season. However, he adds that when melted into liquid, Boston is below normal in regards to liquid precipitation by 5.78 inches for 2004.

Burnett says that with this week's storms, the drought situation "has been quelled somewhat." He says that Massachusetts has already seen a few brush fires in 2004, and that there could be more later this spring, "if we don't get a few rounds of soaking rain during the first couple weeks of spring."

In Connecticut, WFSB Meteorologist, Bruce DePrest says, "we'll be in good shape if we get abundant spring rainfall." At this time though, "there is really no way of knowing which way it will go."

Weather Team 10, in Providence, indicates that their long-range predictions are for a wet spring. Burnett says that for the next couple of weeks, Boston should see near-normal temperatures and slightly below normal precipitation.

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