MONTHLY SUMMARY: FEBRUARY 1998 UPDATED: 4/4/98 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Records "a plenty" during the month of February, mostly tied to precipitation and temperatures. As the month began, most weather watchers were still not convinced that El Nino could be clearly shown as the culprit of the winter-to-date. By the end of the month, upon looking at the weather and patterns established across the nation and throughout our region, it was indisputably clear that, indeed, El Nino had impacted the nation. For most everyone, excessive and record breaking rains occurred. Quite interestingly, a couple of our sites noted below normal precip, particularly at Woodstock, VA. Every station noted above normal (and record, too) temperatures. Particularly noteworthy was the pattern of persistent low pressures moving out of southwest across Texas and strengthening over the Gulf and along the SE US coast. Had this been the pattern with normal winter temps, all of us would likely have been still trying to dig-out of snow!! It is important to note, however, that we would not likely have had the training lows out of the Gulf had the weather been colder. Two northeasters in particular devastated the Virginia Coast from late January through the first week of February. Although not the severest El Nino occurrence, this 1998 version will long be remembered by us all for the rains, floods, and wildly milder temperatures! Stamps A couple of you have inquired during the past month about your stamp balances. Quite honestly folks, I've just not had the time to complete an account check and likely won't get to it until summer. Then, I'll balance your accounts and mail the findings. You then can remit stamps for any adjustments. As long as I'm employed, I can handle the cost until then! Wanted to do it at the end of December, but that didn't work out. Tom Hensley of Boston, VA has withdrawn, without explanation, from our group. He thanks us for having included him these seven months. Please note several changes in our email address list below AND PLEASE check and recheck your data before mailing it off or sending via e-mail! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES FROM "AROUND THE LEAGUE"- Annandale - Lowell Koontz, whose mailing address is in Falls Church, has written to suggest that his site be reassessed with regard to location. Although his mailing address is in Falls Church, Lowell informs me that his station's location- in Barcroft Hills - is acutally closer to Annandale and and Bailey Crossroads, both in Fairfax County. Therefore, he and I have agreed, that his location will be attributed to Annandale since it is closest to his station (1.75 miles). After looking at the map he included locating the station, it is, as he says, closest to Annandale despite his official residence address. Very confusing, but agree after looking at the map, that we will henceforth refer to his site as Annandale. Lowell noted February's warm nights and wet, cloudy conditions. The average minimum temp of 34.93 degrees was the warmest on record. The lowest minimum temperature for February was 25, a new high minimum record. A 40 degree daily maximum temp set on the 6th and 14th establishing new records. The highest lowest mean temperature of 33.5 degrees set a new record. Most rain recorded for a February here with 7.26", 2.8 inches above previous record of 4.46" set in 1994. February set new records for many precipitation parameters: most rain in a day, hour, 5 minute and 1 minute periods. The month saw the least snow since February 1990. The month also featured the highest average relative humidity on record. The month was the cloudiest since 1989 and 16 days during the month could be characterized as having low barometric pressure. Arlington - February followed January's lead in keeping the Mid-Atltan under a damp but mild umbrella of weather. With a succession of storms continuing to stream across the souther tier of the United States and up the Atlantic Coast, an incresingly well-known weather pattern know as El Nino made its presence felt. The month will go down as one of the wettest and warmest Februaries in the 128 year record of the Washington, DC area. With the exception of three days during mid-month, every day was above normal during the month. The area only reached the average low temp for the month, 29 degress, 5 times! 60 degree temps were noted 3 times at the end of the month while the 50s were reached on eleven other days! Despite the warmth, February 1998 only goes down as the 9th warmest on record. (Even February 1997 was slightly warmer!) The month ranks as the 12th wettest on record. It was the wettest February in 20 years with FEB 1979 only slightly wetter. Due to the excessive rains this month, flooding was again observed along many points on the region's rivers. Meanwhile, a snowless February is unusual. This was only the 16th February of 128 on record without measurable snowfall. If we manage to finish the winter without more snow, then our seasonal total of 0.10" would tie the record for the least snowfall in a winter [Editor's note: And that was the case!] The other year with 1/10th inch was in 1932-1933. Bridgewater - The 5.54" of rainfall for February is a record for this month. The total precipitation of 11.00" for the combined months of January and February is also a record. This is almost a third of a year's normal supply of moisture. All of the snows this month, as well as most of the snows this winter, have come with the temperature in the 30s. There were two days this month when snow fell most of the day with little accumulation. Surrounding areas had quite a bit more snow because of higher elevation. Already, we have had two thunderstorms this year. Our first thunderstorm last year didn't occur until May 8th. [Editor's note: Clayton's notes bring back the memory of a SE VA "snowstorm" some 35 years ago when it snowed (wet) non-stop for 36 hours and not one flake stuck anywhere as temps hovered near 35 degrees the entire event! Have never seen such an occurence since!] Centreville - Paul noted the wind speed between February 24 & 25th averaged 19.7 MPH with a NW dominant direction! 13 days during the month had winds >= 20 MPH while there were 8 days with winds 30+ MPH. For the month, precip was 3 times the norm! Temps were 9 degrees above normal. Charlottesville - Well, well, well! We've heard from Jack Stewart! Welcome home Jack!! I'll pass on his notes here. First, a very wet February was noted in CHO with the wettest February here since Jack's records began in 1966. Jack says it looks like the work of El Nino to him! No extremes in temperature. Mild, with little snow- Second, Jack writes, "I'm still here, and keeing records and doing fine. I remarried last September and we have been traveling more; so fewer complete months of record. March should be a complete month but we'll be away half of April and heading for New Hampshire (as usual!) in late May!" (Editor's note: You and your new wife enjoy everything you can Jack! Happy travels!!) Falls Church - Erica noted that February '98 felt more like spring than winter with above average temps. Her rainfall total was above average, +5.87" to be exact. We had below average snowfall. Fredericksburg - Much warmer and wetter than normal. This, according to Ken, is the 2nd consecutive February in which the temperature did not fall below 20 degrees. It seemed the month consisted of one big low pressure system moving NE from the Gulf to off the New England coast. A very strong thunderstorm occurred on the evening of the 17th and produced heavy rain, vivid, continuous lightning, hail, and a hook echo on NWS radar. An F0 tornado touched down within 10 miles of my location. This would have been a strong storm for July, and unbelivable in February! Hampton - Dave noted a February that continued the mild, wet winter weather. During the winter, his coldest temperature was 25 degrees on the first day of the year. He imagines that the early spring (March, April) could be colder and more prone to storms (of a snowy nature) if the past El Nino winter patterns hold out. [Editor's note: Well, he got half of it right!] A strong storm on February 4-5 produced 3 high tides of 6.5, 7.5, and 6.5 feet in Hampton. The 7.5 foot tide early on the 5th was the highest since 1962 and was the fourth highest this century! Only the 1933, 1936, 1962, tudes were higher. Damage estimates of 4 million dollars occured in the Buckroe and Grandview areas. Peak wind gust of 65 MPH occured on the evening of the 4th as thunderstorms moved NNW from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. 5.5" (3.9 on the 4th and 1.6 on the 5th) of rain fell helping to produce a record 9.10" of rain. The old February record of 6 inches occured in 1989. Herndon - Russ Topping noted an unusually warm and snowless February '98. Nor'easters brought rain and strong winds, rather than February snowstorms. Herndon - Bob Beall reports that winter (Dec. through Feb.) saw 15.2" of rain at his site but was still no match for the 1978-1979 winter total of 17.4". Bob ponders the idea that we might wish to add the dates when records began at each station. We certainly can do that. I'll make an adjustment on the data submission form for March and post the dates in the future when all are in. They then can be added to the monthly data page. Mechanicsville - A nor'easter affected Glenn's station on the 4th with heavy rain and strong winds. Thunderstorms with sharp lightning occurred in the area on the 17th New Market - The month, sayeth Joyce, was 4 degrees warmer than normal while precip was 2.5" above normal. This was a very wet and cloudy month. Newport News - Temperatures averaged 4 degrees above normal while precip was 6.47" above normal and establishing new records. The 25 degree minimum temperature for the month was also a record for the highest February minimum temperature. (notes from Gary Leonard) Norfolk - The monthly average temp was 6.2 degrees above normal while the monthly rainfall was 4.74 inches above normal. Portsmouth - I have to ditto Dave's Hampton summary. He handled the great nor'easter of 1998 (Feb. 3-5) quite well. I've also included an excerpt of the PWRS report on the storm (found at http://www.pilot.infi.net/~bsmoot/articles.htm) During that period, nearly 4.5" of rain fell at the Portsmouth site. This, added to subsequent rainfall for February pushed the monthly total to 7.60", establishing a new record since February totals were begun in 1977. For the period February 3rd - 5th, it is important to note that even heavier rains fell to our northeast over Norfolk and toward the Peninsula of southeast Virginia. Rainfall here was 214% of the norm and the 3.86" on the 4th easily established a new daily record rainfall and provided the only thunder of the month. A trace of snow fell on the 14th with no accumulation. The average monthly temp was 5.5 degrees in excess of the norm. During our 22 years of February records, FEB 1998 was the second warmest, only behind the 50.3 degree average in 1990. Richmond - NWS AKQ noted: The monthly average temp was 5.5 degrees above normal while the monthly rainfall was 2.60 inches above normal. Roanoke - Wendell reports his wettest February on record with 9.42" of rainfall, 6.28" above normal. The mean temperature was 41.9 degrees, 4.2 degrees above normal. Snowfall of 1 inch was 5.4" below normal. Stafford - The monthly average temperature was 7.15 degrees above normal. Still no measureable snowfall in 1998! The 9.26" rainfall total was 319% of the average. A severe thunderstorm on the 17th brought heavy rain, small hail, and gusty winds. Woodstock - Warm and wet conditions with the mildest winter (Dec.-Feb.) since Lauck has been keeping records. January/February 1990 was warmer than 1998 but December 1989 was the coldest month he's ever recorded; thus "no competition." Asheville - The monthly average temp was 3.5 degrees above normal while the monthly rainfall was 2.47 inches above normal. Brevard - Temperature readings for February 1998 differed little from the average for the previous eight years with a thirty-day mean of 750 Heating Degree Days. During the past eight years, HDD varied from a low of 415HDD to a high of 795 HDD. No Cooling Degree Days have been observed in any February. The 12.72 inches of rain recorded exceeded all past Februarys to 1990; range from a low of 2.24 inches to a high of 10.52 inches. The total rainfall for 1998 to date, 25.50 inches, is nearly twice the average (13.07") for the previous eight years. El-Nino continues to have a profound effect upon rainfall in western North Carolina. Charlotte - The monthly average temp was 7.2 degrees above while the monthly rainfall was 0.02 inches below normal. Greensboro - No records were set this month with regard to high or low temps. The average temperature for the month was 4.3 degrees in excess while the precip total was 1.07" above the norm. Henderson - Congratulations to George Stevenson on his recent appointment to "official" cooperative observer. We are all cooperative observers; however, George has earned this distinction awarded to operators of key weather sites throughout the United States who maintain stations which disseminate weather data via phone (keypad data entry) to a NOAA computer center. He sends his data to Charleston, WV., 2 times a day, 7 days a week. Stations such as George's are selected for data input basically for the site's strategic location. Raleigh - Bob reports that February was a carbon copy of January '98, very mild and very wet. Precipitation for the year- now 7.18" - is well above normal. Rainfall was recorded on 15 days in February. Raleigh - NWS Raleigh noted: The monthly precip total was 2.10" above normal while the mean temp was 4.1 degrees in excess of the norm. No record high or low temps were established. Rockwell - Overall February weather in Rockwell was about average with the mean temperature 2.9 degrees above the norma with rainfall only 0.15" above normal. Most of North Carolina had rainfall much above average. Central North Carolina was definitely not part of the trend over the Southeast. Roxboro - Merriell reports a windy, wet and warmer than usual February. Soggy ground and gray skies were generally the rule for about 2/3 of the month. No severe weather occurred at this station. Wilmington - Never before- according to NWS ILM - has the Port City seen so much rain during the second month of the year. The total of 11.22" was 7.52" above the normal and about 2.5" more than the old record set in 1983. Wilmington also experienced the wettest climatological winter with a total of 23.34" with the old record of 20.21" during 1982-1983. The 3.37" which fell on the 3rd was the most to ever fall on any day in the month of February. No temperature records were tied or broken. Columbia - The monthly average temp was 2.9 degrees above normal while the monthly rainfall was 2.11 inches above normal. Greenville-Spartanburg - The monthly average temp was 3.7 degrees above normal while the monthly rainfall was 2.53 inches above normal. Ruby - As rainfall totals here for February indicate, the wet weather continues. Some flooding, but not major. The soil remains saturated and the farmers still can't get started with their crops. Tri-cities - The monthly average temp was 5.3 degrees above normal while the monthly rainfall was 1.30 inches below normal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATED MEMBERS' E-MAIL ADDRESSES: (posted by permission) BRE Bob Keehn Bob_Keehn@citcom.net BRI Clayton Towers Ctowers@rica.net POR Bill Trotter wtrotter@whro.org RAL Bob Woodson woods@pipeline.com CEN Paul Bassett III pbassett@digizen.net WSH David Yowell deyowell@mnsinc.com FCH Erica Page erica@erols.com RMD Roy Britt rbritt@erols.com NEW Joyce Winfree joywood@shentel.net FRB Ken McKneely mckneelys@email.msn.com STF Danny Jessee tornado@tidalwave.net RWL Tom Myers tmyers@salisbury.net WOO Lauck Walton jwalton@shentel.net NPN Gary Leonard garleonard@aol.com -----------------------------------------------------------------------------