amherst weather

Those who are interested in Amherst weather must have some knowledge about Amherst town itself. Amherst is located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst weather is determined by the town geographical position.

The town is famous for Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The town has a continental climate and Amherst weather is characterized by extremely changeable configuration such as ample temperature alterations within few days and unseasonable snowfalls.

Amherst weather is considerably determined by damp continental climate featuring warm summers and cold, snowy winters. From the standpoint of precipitation Amherst weather is characterized by annual 40 inches of rains that are rather equally dispersed within the year with a small preponderance of wet Amherst weather in winter. More abundant precipitations are usually observed in May. Amherst weather becomes warm in summers with average high temperatures in July, reaching more than 80°F, and which nightly may be above 60°F. Summers are typically sunny, hot and humid. Winters, on the contrary, are rather cold, wet, windy, and snowy. Many people think that the best time to visit Amherst is in late spring or early autumn. Amherst weather at these periods of the year is warm and enjoyable. Autumn is extremely beautiful when the trees are covered with bright autumnal foliage. Amherst weather in winters is rather cold with average temperatures above freezing point in January; however occasionally Amherst weather can be a great deal colder. As a matter of fact, Amherst weather is cold in winters and fairly warm in summers. It also may occur that Amherst weather becomes the coldest in winters and the coolest in summers.

Moreover, Amherst weather can be changeable from fairly warm summers to cold winters. The average snowfalls may attain 42 inches and are usually the result of significant storms. Amherst weather shows excessive temperatures occasionally with 90°F in the summer and below 0°F in winter. Amherst weather determines and explains the record high temperature of 107°F detected in August of 1975. The record low temperature of –35°F was registered in January of 1981. Usually, Amherst weather is the warmest in July. During Amherst weather records the highest recorded temperature was 100°F in 1926. Amherst weather is the coolest in January. The lowest recorded temperature for Amherst weather was -30°F.

From time to time, the town experiences the effects of Amherst weather extremities, featuring the consequences of relentless winter storms. Summers are also characterized by thunderstorms, which on average occur approximately 30 days per year. The case is that Amherst is under the influence the belt of usually eastward air activity, which surrounds the globe in these latitudes. This circulation of interacting and all-embracing air masses produces frequent and considerable storm activity. A great number of these storms touches Amherst and influences upon Amherst weather.

The air masses upsetting the Amherst weather may be of several types. It may be cold and dry air from subarctic regions. This condition may be as well determined by warm and moist air streams from the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Stream. Another factor is cool and damp air from the North Atlantic.

Amherst weather may also become subject of severe and destructive tornadoes. Amherst weather is as well susceptible to hurricanes. Since 1851 Amherst weather had experienced a straight strike from a huge hurricanes three times. More frequently, hurricanes, weakened and transformed into tropical storms, passed through Amherst.

Amherst weather stained in the colors of tornado activity is 34% greater than that of the overall USA average index. On 6/9/1953, a category 4 tornado 18.7 miles away from the Amherst town center killed 90 people and injured 1228 people producing damages from $50,000,000 to $500,000,000. On 10/3/1979, a category 4 tornado 24.4 miles away from the town center killed 3 people and injured 500 people causing damages from $50,000,000 to $500,000,000.

Amherst weather favors the growth of birch, oak, maple, pine, and hemlock. Coyote, raccoon, river otter, gray fox, porcupine, and wild turkey are now encountered in Amherst suburbs and their number is increasing. However, many trees have been logged or destroyed. Fortunately, ecosystems possess a wonderful capacity for recovery. Scientists think that particular essential conditions are needed to regenerate the ecosystems damaged by tornado or hurricane. Fortunately, nowadays the secondary plant growth practically revitalized many areas of the town and suburbs.