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Community Corner

Eventful Year Sees Lots of Rain, Snow, and a Disputed Tornado

A recap of the fast and furious weather in 2010.

Weeks of above normal temperatures, a few major snowstorms, record-setting rain and Hurricane Earl-who? These are a few of the big points that sum up the weather for 2010 in East Hampton and the rest of the tri-state area.

It did not take long to see snow in 2010 with data records showing snow fell in East Hampton the second and third of January. The end of February brought the fourth highest snowfall on record for New York City with 20.9 inches of snow falling in just two days at the end of the month. Lighter accumulations were seen in East Hampton because the storm began as some rain on Feb. 25. This was the third snowstorm to have an impact on the area, rounding out the month of February as one of the snowiest months on record.

After March 5, East Hampton did not see snow until recently – the Blizzard of December 2010. Well, for East Hampton the storm was more about the wind and less about the snowfall accumulations. The South Fork saw the least amount of snow from this storm, with totals across the East Hampton area ranging anywhere from 6 to 10 inches. It was still a significant snowfall and a storm many will remember for quite some time, mostly because of that wind. Winds howled all night on Dec. 26 into Dec. 27. Gusts were often over 50 mph, which is tropical storm force strength, causing  and .

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Speaking of tropical, Long Island was spared any big direct impacts from any tropical storm or Hurricane in 2010. There were a few dangerous days at the beach because of rip tides and swells, as storms churned to the north and east well offshore. One woman in Amagansett lost her life and countless others were pulled from the rough surf up and down Long Island.

There was one storm in particular you may remember hearing of – Hurricane Earl. At first glance, it looked like this tropical system would have an impact on Long Island, but we all know how that turned out. A forecast of rain and wind turned into mainly sunny skies and just a light breeze as what was left of Earl decided that Long Island didn't need to feel its impacts.

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And although a hurricane was not in the picture for East Hampton in 2010, the rain sure was --  The month of March turned out to be the wettest March in recorded history, with nearly 11 inches of rainfall.

Severe weather also had an impact on East Hampton. Strong, gusty thunderstorms at times this summer caused power outages and flash flooding.

While weather experts said there was technically no tornadic activity on the South Fork, those in Springs would disagree. On July 21, trees snapped, boats washed ashore, and houses were damage in a sudden burst of winds around 70 mph. Some reported seeing a downspout, but the event was deemed a thunderstorm instead. Whatever it was, it left a trail of destruction right across the Springs.

As far as temperatures are concerned, April was overall a mild month, the warmest of the days coming on April 7, when East Hampton hit 78 degrees. It's tough to come by temperatures that warm in April. However, roughly 60 to 70 miles west, New York City hit 92 this same day, making it the earliest 90 degree day ever recorded.

Ninety-one degrees was the hottest temperature East Hampton saw this year, coming on Sept. 1. The lowest East Hampton temperature for the year was 12 degrees on Jan. 30, a day where East Hampton only had a high temperature of 19.

It was a year full of exciting weather watching and forecasting, a year splattered with record setting events and some of the nicest weather, in between the snowflakes and the rain drops that is.

Where does that leave East Hampton weather-wise for 2011? That's the beauty of Mother Nature – we will just have to wait and see.

Have a great shot of the eventful winter weather from 2010? Show us!

Matt Hammer is a fill-in weather anchor for WLNY-TV on Long Island and an avid weather watcher. He runs the local weather blog, Hammer Out the Weather.

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