A zonal flow developed and brought remarkably tranquil weather. Christmas Eve and Day and the 26th brought the winter's first cold spell and even some seasonal light snow and flurries across parts of Virginia and North Carolina as weak upper air disturbances heralded cold air from the northwest. Even bay effect snow showers formed over parts of Norfolk and Virginia Beach on Christmas Day, depositing as much as a half-inch of snow as the cold air passed over the still "warmer" Chesapeake Bay. Local news media capitalized on the event, depicting children playing gleefully on Christmas morn and focusing on a local meteorologist (John Cash, WAVY TV 10) who earlier had promised to kiss a pig if any part of the metro Hampton Roads area (Southeast VA) received any measurable snow on Christmas. It took two weeks to happen, but John finally made good, kissing a "piglette" from Suffolk although locals complained the kiss was too short (<1 second)!
Of course, as I write, most all of us have just encountered our first "major" snowfall of the season with 2 to 4" across VA and NC while isolated spots had even more. In fact, for some areas of NC (GSO & RDU areas in particular), this was your second significant snowfall of the season coming within 1 week! More on that next month as our members report about January 2000 weather in western and central NC.
TEAM WEATHERNET
Erica informs us that WRC-TV's WeatherNet4 now has the first issue of Team WeatherNet Online at http://www.nbc4.com ! Click on WeatherNet 4 and go to the search option. Search for the keyword Team WeatherNet.
STAMPS & DATA RETRIEVAL MODE
Thanks to everyone for sending in his/her stamp balance, clarifying the balance, and making a decision with regard to whether or not you will retrieve your monthly report from the Internet or you will continue your mailings.
While I have spent considerable time developing our new form of data and notes presentation, in the long run, I will save considerable time in preparation- as member Bob Keehn noted - by not having to use WordPerfect to prepare the mailing and to convert it to text files for placement on the Internet. In the future, I will simply edit the online template (in HTML form) then print it out for those who will continue the mailings. This will involve a bit more paper for the mailings and I will work on compacting that method in the next few months. Still, time and energy should be saved. Also, for those receiving the mailing, I may have to boost your monthly stamp contribution to 2 stamps or a 53 cent stamp for the additional weight. Will see how that goes and let you know later.
The new online publication takes just over 100kb of space. That's much larger than the simple text files. Plan to find a separate place on the Internet to upload the file to keep the ACON directory rather small (now housed at Geocities.com which only allows 10MB of free space). That way, I won't have to remove the archive of data begun in 1995. This will not impact the way you retrieve the monthly summary. It remains the same by visiting: http://www.pilot.infi.net/~bsmoot/acon.htm
NOTES FROM "AROUND THE LEAGUE"
Virginia:
Annandale - Lowell reports at mild and dry December with the mean temp departure of +2.5o the 6th warmest in the last 20 years. December '98 however was even warmer. The least amount of clouds also since '95- Precip was 0.88" below average. In the last 18 months, only 3 have had greater than average precip. Only 7 days had measurable precip, the least since '88. The lowest barometric pressure of 29.62 was the highest min monthly barometer since '89.
Arlington - NWS reports that Washington's mean temp for Dec '99 was +2.6o while precip was -0.63". As the year ended, precip for the year was +1.50".
Blacksburg - The monthly mean temp was 4.6 degrees above normal while precip was 1.02" below normal. (from NWS Blacksburg)
Bridgewater - The precipitation for the month was .54 inches below normal. The average temperature was 2.3 degrees above normal. The biggest excitement during the month was the surprise snow that occurred on the 24 th. The snow was beautiful coming down. It gave us a partially white Christmas. 1999 Summary: The precipitation for the year was around 3.5 inches below normal. We didn't get any severe flooding from the hurricanes that scooted up the coast. There were 18 thunderstorms during the year. We usually get 20 to 25. The average temperature for the year was 56.0 degrees which was 2.3 degrees above normal. In July, there were 3 consecutive days with 100 or above temperatures. This was a record for me. My record for temperatures are for 39 years. A lot of snow fell in March, but little snow fell during the latter part of the year. Weatherwise, the year was rather boring! - Clayton
Charlottesville - Longtime member Jack Stewart, from whom we've heard little this past year, informs us that he's still traveling around among NH, SC, VA, etc.! He hasn't lost interest in the weather and still keeps a record when in CHO land. He'll discontinue his monthly mailings but, hopefully, will check in once and a while and check us out on the Web when he has the chance.
Centerville - Paul has been down with the flu and we hope he bounces back, and soon! (editor's note: I guess I was lucky in that I was down for much of late OCT and NOV with the flu; got it over with early!) He adds the closest CEN has come for chances of a white Christmas in years but with temps in the 40s the light blowing snow of the 22nd quietly melted away. He had no Y2k problems at his station and even the software he uses survived the "bug." Once gain, nighttime lows were higher than the average daily departure for the month (+8 deg. for nightly lows compared to +6 deg. for the daily average).
Dulles - NWS reports the mean temp for Dec '99 was +2.8o while precip was -0.55". As the year ended, precip for the year was +3.35".
Falls Church - Happy New Year!! from Erica. The month was above average in temperature but below average both in rainfall and snowfall.
Fredericksburg - Cold for Christmas! Ken adds that from the 19th through the 29th, temps average 33.8o over 6o colder than the rest of the month.
Hampton - Dave reports, "Dry and mild to close out 1999. brief cold snap with flurries on Christmas Eve. No records tied or set even with the mild temps."
Herndon - Russ notes: "December was a
warm and relatively dry month. The temperature averaged almost 3 degrees
above normal. The weather cooperated to put us in the Christmas spirit
with an end of month cool down and some sleet on the 22nd. I have yet to
see a trace of snow."
Lynchburg - NWS BCB noted a mean temp here 3.0 deg. above normal while precip here was 0.87" below normal.
New Market - For the year, Joyce notes the annual mean temp of 54.93 was 1 degree above normal. Temps ranged from 4 deg. (1/6) to 102 deg. (7/6). Annual precip of 39.16" was in excess by 4.28". The calendar year snowfall total was 24.25", a couple inches below normal. The highest wind gust was 55 MPH from the WSW on 5/8.
Newport News - Short and sweet! Gary notes, "Mild and dry."
Norfolk - NWS AKQ noted that the monthly average temp was 2.0o above normal while precip was 1.52" below the norm. for the year, rainfall was in excess by 10.63". The average wind speed was 8.4 mph.
Portsmouth - A new station minimum max. temp was set on the 1st with 38 degrees, the previous record being 39 in '76. The monthly mean temp was 1.3 degrees in excess of the norm while total rainfall was 56% of the norm (-1.30") The rainfall total for 1999 made it the wettest year on record (76.28") which was a whopping 28.29" above normal (159%)!! The year's mean temp was 1.1 deg. above normal (60.4).
Mechanicsville - Glenn reports a hard frost on the 23rd with brief snow flurries on the 24th, 27th, and 29th.
Richmond - Snow flurries noted by Roy on the 24th with a trace of snow on car and spotty patches of snow on the ground on the 28th.
Richmond - NWS AKQ noted that the monthly average
temp was 2.3o above
normal while precip was 1.54" below the norm. for the year,
rainfall was in excess by 5.04". The average wind speed was 7.2 mph.
Roanoke - Wendell notes the month was 3.3o
above normal while rainfall was normal. No measurable snow although
light snow fell most of Christmas Eve day. The ground was white but
not completely covered. Almost a "White Christmas."
Roanoke - NWS BCB reports the monthly mean temp was 5.8 deg. above the norm while precip was 0.51" below normal.
Weems - Sorry to hear that Francis has been spending much time since September visiting doctors or the hospital for testing. But, that's sort of expected when he's in his 75th year of weather watching and 86 years young! Nevertheless, we send wishes for better health in 2000 and beyond.
Woodstock - Lauck noted precip a little below normal with temps a little above.
Vienna - Notes from Robert: "December was warmer than the average here. Precip was about 1/2" below the average. Snowfall was well below the average. Except for 2 days, there were no real extremes of heat or cold." HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
North Carolina:
Asheville - From NWS GSP: AVL's mean temp was 2.4 degrees in excess of the norm while precip was 1.54" below norm. The average wind speed was 6.9 mph.
Brevard - Remarks: December, 1999 tended
on the warm side, accumulating 678 mean 30-day heating degree days compared
with five-year averages of 725 and 761 DD for 1990-1994 and 1995-1999 respectively,
or 745 DD for the entire ten years. The mean low temperature, 28.6 deg.
F, is on the low side, lower means were recorded twice, in 1995 and 1998.
Rainfall, 2.59", was about 2"
low for December, resulting in a year total of 60.47",
by far the lowest I have observed, 6.45" less than my ten year average
of 66.92".
Charlotte - CLT's mean temp was only 1 degree above normal while precip was 1.74" below norm. The average wind speed was 4.9 mph.
Raleigh - December, saith Bob Woodson, was similar
to November with above normal temps and below normal precip. He did
observe
some snow flurries for several hours on Christmas
Eve but there was no significant accumulation. For the year, Bob
noted precip 16.46" above the norm.
Roxboro - Merriell notes the month was drier than normal with only about half of the normal rainfall. Temps averaged about 3 degrees above normal. A few snow flurries on Christmas Eve, almost a "white Christmas"-
Wilmington - The mean temp (according to NWS ILM) was in excess by 1.3 degrees. Rainfall was 2.22" below norm. ILM received 54% of its possible sunshine. ILM prepared a 20th Century report you can read at:
gopher://twister.sbs.ohio-state.edu:70/0/wxascii/climate/CXUS42.KILM
South Carolina:
Charleston - Max. calendar day precip record set at Charleston International Airport on 12/19 at 1.39". The previous record was 0.75" in 1965. The mean temp was just 0.7 deg below norm while rainfall was 0.61" below the norm. The average wind speed was 6.8 mph. The year-to-date precip was 5.22" in deficiency. --Eleanor
Florence - FAA Florence (elevation 151') noted a slight departure from normal (-0.07 deg.) temp while rainfall was 1.74" below the norm. The month was the 6th driest on record (to 1948). Daily rainfall record on the 19th (0.87") with the old daily record of 0.67" in 1996.
Greenville-Spartanburg - The mean temp was 2.9 degrees in excess of the norm while precip was 1.52" below norm. The average wind speed was 6.6 mph. - from NWS GSP
North Myrtle Beach - NWS ILM now places this FCWOS' WS Form F-6 online. The station's elevation is 33'. The month's precip was 1.33" below normal. The station noted a record low on the 2nd of 23o with the old record 26 in 1953.
Ruby - Rather mild and dry in SC too!
Franklin sends greetings: Happy New Year!!
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U1 |
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7A | S |
ANN | 2.72 | 0.89 | 14 | 1.36 | 13-14 | 7 | 0 | 43.69 | T | 26,28 | 2 | 0 | T | T | 30.51 | 1 | 29.62 | 28 | 2400 |
BCB | 1.92 | ||||||||||||||||||
CEN | 3.00 | 0.99 | 14 | 1.43 | 13-14 | 6 | 0 | 48.78 | 0.1 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 30.44 | 25 | 29.59 | 28 | 2400 |
DCA | 2.49 | 0.90 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 40.23 | T | 21,22,26,
27,28 |
5 | 0 | T | T | 2400 | ||||||
IAD | 2.67 | 0.96 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 43.61 | 0.2 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 2400 | ||||||
BRI | 2.19 | 0.79 | 14 | 1.14 | 13-14 | 6 | 0 | 35.04 | 0.5 | 24 | 0.5 | 30.41 | 29.78 | 0530
1600 |
|||||
FCH | 2.75 | 0.90 | 14 | 1.40 | 13-14 | 5 | 0 | 53.86 | T | 21,27,28 | 0 | 0 | T | T | |||||
FRB | 1.87 | 0.73 | 13 | 0.73 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 36.50 | T | 24,28 | 2 | 0 | T | T | 0800 | ||||
HAM | 1.59 | 0.98 | 14 | 0.98 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 58.95 | T | 24 | 1 | 0 | T | T | 30.45 | several | 29.80 | 14 | 2100 |
HER | 2.83 | 1.00 | 14 | 1.00 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 45.48 | 0.1 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 30.56 | 1 | 29.47 | 28 | 2400 |
HRN | 2.27 | 0.90 | 14 | 1.20 | 13-14 | 6 | 0 | 40.23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 30.33 | 29.66 | 2400 | |||
LKU | |||||||||||||||||||
LOU | 2.10 | 1.50 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 41.50 | 0.2 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 30.60 | 22 | 29.80 | 26 | 0800 | ||
LYH | 2.36 | ||||||||||||||||||
NEW | 2.06 | 0.75 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 39.16 | T | T | T | 30.50 | 1 | 29.70 | 28 | 1700 | |||||
NPN | 1.87 | 0.91 | 14 | 0.93 | 13-14 | 9 | 0 | 68.69 | T | 24 | 1 | 0 | T | T | 2300 | ||||
NOR | 1.97 | 0.67 | 6 | 0.76 | 6-7 | 8 | 0 | 68.97 | T | 24 | 2 | 0 | T | T | 2400 | ||||
ORF | 1.71 | 0.60 | 6 | 0.60 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 55.27 | T | 24,25,28 | 3 | 0 | T | T | 2400 | ||||
POR | 1.68 | 0.69 | 6 | 0.69 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 76.28 | T | 24,25 | 2 | 0 | T | T | 30.48 | 8 | 29.65 | 28 | 2400 |
MEC | 1.87 | 1.10 | 14 | 1.10 | 13-14 | 7 | 1 | 52.47 | T | 24,26,27 | 3 | 0 | T | T | 30.00 | 24 | 29.35 | 28 | 1800 |
RMD | 1.79 | 1.09 | 12-14 | 1.14 | 13-14 | 7 | 1 | 42.08 | T | 28 | 1 | 0 | T | T | 2300 | ||||
RIC | 1.72 | 1.02 | 14 | 1.02 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 48.20 | T | 24,27,28 | 3 | 0 | T | T | 2400 | ||||
ROA | 2.46 | ||||||||||||||||||
ROK | 2.99 | 1.34 | 14 | 1.55 | 13-14 | 9 | 1 | 41.50 | T | 24 | 1 | 0 | T | T | 30.53 | 1 | 29.62 | 28 | 2400 |
AKQ | 1.66 | 1.01 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 62.65 | T | 24 | 1 | 0 | T | T | 2400 | ||||||
WEE | 2.97 | 1.89 | 14 | 1.89 | 14 | 8 | 0 | T | 27 | 2 | 0 | T | T | 30.47 | 1 | 29.78 | 28 | 1630 | |
WOO | 2.29 | 1.03 | 13-14 | 9 | 1 | 0.5 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 30.78 | 1 | 30.05 | 14 | 0800 | |||
WSH | 2.35 | 0.88 | 14 | 1.07 | 13-14 | 9 | 0 | 47.94 | T | 21,22,
24,28 |
4 | 0 | T | T | 30.50 | 1 | 29.60 | 28 | 2400 |
VNA | 2.72 | 0.87 | 14 | 0.87 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 44.74 | 0.1 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2200 |
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STATION/LOCATION (MILES & DIRECTION
FROM MAIN POST OFFICE) /OBSERVER /YEAR RECORDS BEGAN:
ANN Annandale, VA 1 3/4
ENE
ROA Roanoke, VA Airport
|
BRE Bob Keehn
Bob_Keehn@citcom.net
BRI Clayton Towers Ctowers@rica.net POR Bill Trotter
pwrs@pilot.infi.net
CEN Paul Bassett III pbassett@digizen.net WSH David Yowell runamok@runamok.com FCH Erica Page ERICA96661@aol.com RMD Roy Britt rbritt@erols.com NEW Joyce Winfree joywood@shentel.net FRB Ken McKneely mckneelys@email.msn.com STF Danny Jessee
doppler2k3@hotmail.com
WOO Lauck Walton jwalton@shentel.net NPN Gary Leonard GaryMLeonard@aol.com LKU Joe Bowers jmbiii@mnsinc.com CHS Eleanor Vallier-Talbot
Eleanor.Vallier-Talbot@noaa.gov
HAM Dave Kessell tccdkessel@yahoo.com VNA Robert Boott boottr@vrinet.com CHW Dave Lesher wxdave@boo.net |