MONTHLY SUMMARY: DECEMBER 1996 UPDATED: 1/27/97 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Happy New Year! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... Please use the most recent monthly data form I include in the mailing as the it is adjusted monthly for various weather data. For instance, the form changed the "past" from "past season's total snowfall" to "'96-'97 season's total" to reflect the first snowfall totals from you for the new season. Thus, some of you didn't do a total for the new, current season. I've included the ACON Stamp Account balances through 12-17-96. Rest assured, I've already adjusted those accounts for the stamps you sent in this January 1997. Of course, we are in need of everyone to bring his/her account up to date. Please keep in mind that I've done my best to be accurate but do not have time to look for needles in haystacks regarding errors! Our friend Francis Socey was rather sick during the last days of the month. We hope he has recovered. And great to have Joyce Winfree back online with data after the devastating flood this past year! Bill ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES FROM "AROUND THE LEAGUE"- Arlington - The month was warmer than normal, our second break in a 13 month cold snap says NWS WBC. The month was the 8th wettest since records began in 1871. Bridgewater - The most exciting thing about this December's weather were the two snowstorms.Otherwise the month was rather quiet. We missed a white Christmas by two days. Some years go by without any major weather events, but not this past year. There were plenty of weather stories. On January sixth and seventh, 23 inches of snow fell, which was the biggest snowstorm since March, 1962. The total snowfall for January was 26.2 inches which was a record snowfall for this month. Soon after the big snowstorm, a heavy rain occurred with warm temperatures. This caused damaging flooding in the Shenandoah Valley, and in parts of West Virginia. In September, Hurricane Fran caused devasting flooding over a large area. According to the Red Cross, 165 homes were destroyed in the Central Shenandoah Valley. Record-breaking precipitation for the year occurred in the Middle Atlantic states as well as New England. Precipitation at Bridgewater was about 23 inches above normal. This was a year for thunderstorms. I recorded 38. We usually get 20 to 25 a year. This was also a snowy year. The 49.7 inches was the most for a year since 1966 What a year weatherwise! Centreville - The first ten days and last ten days of the month were warmer than normal. Christmas Day was about right, but New Year's Eve felt like a day in May. (report from Paul Bassett) Falls Church - Lowell Koontz noted the following: the month was both warm and wet with the mean temp 3 degrees above his site's 11 year average. His precip total was the most since 1986 and the month was the cloudiest since 1992. Falls Church - Erica Page reported for her station that December 1996 was 4 degrees warmer than average and also wetter than average. Fredericksburg - Ken McKneely reports: "Once again, above average precipitation for the month, though over half of it fell the first seven days. The temperature averaged about 2 degrees above normal, with the highs slightly below normal and the lows almost 5 degrees above normal. The outstanding event was a strong cold front which passed on the 19th. Rain changed to snow as temps fell. The monthly low of 10 degrees was reached on the 21st. Following Christmas, a warm-up ensued, with the monthly high of 68 degrees being reached only 8 days after the 10 degree reading." Hampton - In his monthly report, Dave Kessel has noted a mild and wet December '96. The only cold outbreak lasted 3 days! Herndon - R. M. Beall notes that his monthly precip for December was the greatest during the 1977-1996 period. Also, December was far warmer than December 1995! Louisa - The November mean temperature averaged of 37.77" and was below the season average of 41.72" December's average of 36.92" was above five-year average of 34.73". Newport News - The 59.45" precip for the year was the most recorded by Gary Leonard since he started keeping his records in 1983. The month was also warmer and wetter than average. Norfolk - According to NWS AKQ, temps averaged 2.9 degrees above normal. Precip was 0.63" above normal. Portsmouth - Somewhat of a turnabout this December as the temps rebounded from a cold November. On two days, the high reached 70 degrees! The month ended some 2.7 degrees ABOVE the normal monthly mean temperature. Most interesting, the December low temps averaged colder than those of November while the monthly mean for December was warmer than that of the cold November! Precip was 149% of the normal 2.97". Mechanicsville - Strong thunderstorms moved through the area on the 5th with pea-sized hail, strong winds, sharp lightning, and downpours. Rain turned to snow showers as temps fell during the afternoon hours. Snow accumulated to 1.16" on the 19th. -report from Glenn Martin Richmond - Roy Britt noted a thunderstorm on the 5th with hail reported around the area. On the 19th, a brief period of snow brought a trace at his station. Roanoke - Wendell Prillaman notes that the mean temp was 1.6 degrees above average and rainfall was 0.26" above the average. Snowfall for the month (5.7") was 3.7" above the norm. Woodstock - The annual rainfall, says Lauck Walton, exceeded his previous high in 1990 by 7.65". Lowest annual mean temp in 11 years of records, 0.3 degrees below that of 1989. Brevard - Bob Keehn reports that December 1996 was, on the average, somewhat cooler than previous Decembers. The average high and low daily temperatures, 51.2 and 28.9 degrees F., are slightly below 55.2 and 33.0 recorded for the period 1990-1994, but are higher than the 46.60 and 20.6 degrees recorded in 1995. The month was about 2 inches drier than previous Decembers. The year was slightly cooler than earlier years with mean daily highs and lows of 66.5 and 43.0 degrees compared with 69.7 and 45.6 degrees for the years 1990-1994. Rainfall totaled 67.99 inches, about normal for Brevard. Charlotte - The monthly normal temp was 3.7 degrees above normal while precip was some 0.87" below normal. Henderson - A warm December here, too, says George Stevenson. January has begun the same. Raleigh - Bob Woodson sent the enclosed "Blowing away the record book" (not see on Internet home page) and added, "December was quite mild after a very cold November. Recorded 60 degrees or higher on 11 days. First snowfall of season occurred during late afternoon on the 19th. There was no accumulation of snow in Raleigh; about 8 miles south where I live, I observed 1/2" of wet snow." Raleigh - NWS RDU notes the month of December had an average monthly temp some 3.2 degrees above normal. Precipitation was 0.35" below the norm. Roxboro - "From a hard winter to a mild spring" was the temperature range for December says Merriell A. Jay. The month was wetter than normal. Wilmington - December was a warm one with the average temp 2.0 degrees above normal. The precip for the month totaled 2.75", 0.88" below normal. For the second month in a row, it was drier than normal. Ruby - From Franklin Hancock: "In general terms, December was a very mild month. Only a few days were really cold. Happy New Year!" Tri-cities - Like most everywhere else, average temps were above normal (+2.0). Here, unlike other sites, precipitation was, however, 0.51" above normal. Greenville-Spartanburg- Rather high snow total here for the month with 2.50" recorded on the 18th. Temps were only 1 degree above normal for the month while precip was 4/10ths inch above normal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATED MEMBERS' E-MAIL ADDRESSES: (posted by permission) BRE Bob Keehn Bob_Keehn@juno.com BRI Clayton Towers Ctowers@rica.net POR Bill Trotter wtrotter@pen.k12.va.us 71470.1535@compuserve.com wtrotter@whro.org RAL Bob Woodson woods@pipeline.com CEN Paul Bassett III pbassett@nmaa.org WSH David Yowell runamok@juno.com FCH Erica Page erica@erols.com -----------------------------------------------------------------------------