'53 Equalled Heat Record And Was Second Wettest

Weatherwise, the year which just ended was an outstanding one in at least three respects. It was as warm as any one on record in Cambridge. Also, it accomplished the almost phenomenal feat of being the second wettest year and at the same time delivering a crippling drought.

In the 1953 record book in which the U.S. Weather Bureau's East Boston station made their last entry last Thursday night while elsewhere revelers were toasting 1954 or blasting horns, there was growing evidence that New England is getting warmer.

The Weather Bureau announced that the average temperature for the year was 53.6 degrees, 2.9 degrees above the normal. This equalled the revious high, recorded in 1949. Every month of 1953 was warmer than normal, something which has never before occurred in this area in the 82 years of the Bureau's records of Boston temperatures.

There was no snowfall significant enough to be measured in either November or December, something which has happened only once, in 1890. Snowfall for the year totaled 27.4 inches, far below the 42.5 normal.

But whatever 1953 lacked in snow it more than made up for in rain. Total precipitation was 57.73 inches, 18.97 above normal and exceeded only by the 65.53 inches of 1878.

Most of the excess was piled up in the first five months, with March leading with 11 inches. This was 1) the greatest amount for any month of 1953, 2) the greatest for any March of record, and 3) the third highest for any month of record. The 3.10-inch 24-hour rainstorm of March 29-30 set a new March record for 24 hours precipitation.

The weather of June through through September was quite another story. The four months provided a total of only 7.55 inches of rain, 5.33 below normal. June had only .48, second least of any June on record.

Hottest day of the year was Sept. 2, when the mercury hit 100. Tied for the coldest day were Feb. 2 and March 11, when it was 10 above zero.

Last night, as the paper went to bed, it was raining steadily outside the Crimson Printing Company's offices at 14 Plympton St. There has been some disagreement over whether this deluge was predicted with sufficient accuracy by the local weather prophet.