The Atlantic Coast Observer Network - Virginia/North Carolina/South Carolina
http://members.cox.net/wxr/acon.htm

SUMMARY OF CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA 


MARCH 2009


... WIDE VARIETY IN TEMPERATURE & PRECIPITATION DEPARTURES...
... FIRST MAJOR SNOWS IN YEARS FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA ...
Hard to pinpoint similarities across the region in March with regard to precip and temps relative to normal altho' all of us experienced very cold temps during the first week of the month.

The major weather event was a cold outbreak during the first week of March, with several stations experiencing minimum temperatures below those of February. The cold also brought quite a bit of snow for sections of the three-state area, most notably over central North Carolina and Central and Northern Virginia. And notable snowfall totals could be found into South Carolina, as well.

  • MT. MITCHELL DATA FROM THE NC CHRONOS DATABASE    Kevin Shaw discovered this site when looking for Grandfather Mountain data and thought we'd be interested. Check it out! http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/cronos/?station=315923&temporal=D.


  • THE WEATHER OBSERVER RADIO SHOW    Basic info: The Weather Observer Radio Show - Covering the weather one story at a time. Host: Richard Foreman; Type: Meetings - Club/Group Meeting; Network: Global; Location: blogtalkradio.com. City/Town: Chester, VA; Phone: 3476771796; Email: theweatherobserver@gmail.com. Description: The Weather Observer Radio Show, covering all the weather events from the past week. You can call into the show at (347) 677-1796 during the show. Email them for details of the next show. Some shows are archived.


  • WEATHERBRAINS - A Netcast For People Who Love Weather    Another site for you to check out at http://weatherbrains.com:80/weatherbrains/.


  • WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS!   Summer is the peak season for one of the nation's deadliest weather phenomena- lightning. But don't be fooled, lightning strikes year-round. The goal of this Website is to safeguard U.S. residents from lightning. Check out this NWS lightning safety week subpage at: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov:80/.


  • THE WEATHERWISE PHOT0 CONTEST   Now through June 15th, Weatherwise is accepting submissions for its "2009 Photo Contest". There are great prizes awaiting the winners. This annual event provides an opportunity for you to share your potential prize winning photos with a nationwide audience. To find out more about the magazine and photo contest please visit the following link: http://www.weatherwise.org/Photo%20Contest/entryform.htm.


  • WANTED: WEATHER QUESTIONS for WEATHERWISE MAGAZINE    One of the long-time CoCoRAHS participants, Tom Schlatter of Boulder, Colorado, writes a question and answer column called ""Weather Queries" about weather and climate for Weatherwise magazine, a bi-monthly publication popular with weather enthusiasts. You can submit questions for Tom in care of ww@heldref.org. Sometimes the simplest questions like "What makes it rain?" are surprisingly challenging to answer. There is simply no limit to the kinds of questions that might enter the minds of people like yourselves, who watch the weather regularly and are curious about about what you observe. Young and old alike are invited to submit questions. Photos that illustrate the questions are especially welcomed. Space limitations mean that Tom can only answer 15-20 questions per year, but he does eventually get to most of them. So, if you have a burning question about weather or climate, send it to ww@heldref.org. Please give it a try, the only silly question is one that is never asked.


  • EASTERN U.S. WEATHER CONFERENCE    The annual Eastern U.S. Weather Conference for 2009, will be held at the Sheraton, Providence Airport. You do not have to be a member of EasternUSwx.com to attend. The conference is open to all who have a passion for weather and want to learn more about the subject. In addition to the main day of the conference, highlights this year include: three workshops on Friday, July 17, and a Friday night get together/reception where you will have a chance to meet folks who share similar enthusiasm for a variety of weather-related topics. For more details, visit the organization's website at http://conference.easternuswx.com:80/index.html.


  • THE NOAA RESOURCES PAGE    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has many exciting informative resources available for the public to view and learn about the oceans and atmosphere. CoCoRaHS in partnership with NOAA will continue to strive to bring you the latest products and information as it becomes available. To learn more about NOAA Resources listed on the CoCoRaHS Web site click on the NOAA logo on the left side of our home page: www.cocorahs.org or click here: http://www.cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=noaa.


  • DROUGHT MONITOR    http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html    More information on drought can be found at NOAA's Drought Information Center http://www.drought.noaa.gov/
  • REMINDER All National Weather Service station data listed herein is preliminary and may be subject to change.  The data has not been certified and cannot be used in legal actions.  Only reports certified by the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC can be used for these purposes.

  • ACON VA/NC/SC Member Station Extremes - MARCH 2009
    State
    Maximum Temperature
    Minimum
    Temperature
    Warmest
    Average
    Temperature
    Coldest
    Average
    Temperature
    Maximum
    Precipitation
    Minimum
    Precipitation
    Virginia
    83°
    Danville, Glen Allen,
    Chesterfield, Mechanicsville,
    Roanoke

    New Market
    48.9°
    Danville, Norfolk (FHC)
    43.3°
    Blacksburg
    6.76"
    Newport News
    1.38"
    Bridgewater
    North Carolina
    86°
    Raleigh (RDU)

    Roxboro
    53.7°
    Wilmington
    47.3°
    Asheville
    7.32"
    Raleigh (RAL)
    1.25"
    Beaufort
    South Carolina
    86°
    Charleston,
    Orangeburg
    18°
    Florence
    58.0°
    Charleston
    52.4°
    Anderson
    6.93"
    Greenville-Spartanburg
    2.84"
    Charleston


    ( For an explanation of column headers in the following tables,
    please note the column denotations table below. )


    TEMPERATURE / WINDS/ ELEMENTS

    VIRGINIA
    [Reminder: All NWS DATA HEREIN IS NOT OFFICIAL]
    
         STN  A      B    C     C1     D    E  F    G    H  I  J K K1  L  M      N   N1   N2   O P Q R R1 R2   S   CWA
         ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         BCB 54.4  32.2  43.3   +1.9  76    7   6  3,4   0  2 14 0 75% 41 290°  30   5.4       1 0 0 0  5     2400 AKQ
         BRI 54.6  34.4  44.5   +2    79    8   7    3   0  2 13 0 57%                         0 0 0 0  0     0510/1600 LWX
         CEN 54.2  34.7  44.5   +2.4  78    8  13  3,4   0  2 13 0 62% 39 330°  11   3.4  180° 0 0 0 1  8     2400 LWX
         CHT 54.0  34.2  44.01  -0.1  77.3 11  11.6  4   0  2 11 0 67% 22 023°   9   1.2  180° 0 0 0 1  7     2400 LWX
         CHO 55.2  33.9  44.5         82    8  10    4   0  1 12 0     35 270°  29   4.6       0 0 0 0  4     2400 LWX
         DAN 59.4  38.4  48.9   +1.0  83    8  12    3   0  0  6 0 65% 43 240°  29   6.1       0 0 0 0  6     2400 RNK
         DCA 53.6  36.7  45.2   -1.3  76   29  14    3   0  2  8 0 60% 47 350°   2   8.9       0 0 0 1  4     2400 LWX
         IAD 53.8  33.5  43.7   +0.3  77    8   8    4   0  2 13 0 62% 45 300°   9   7.4       0 0 0 1  7     2400 LWX
         FCH 54.8  38.4  46.6         74    8  14    3   0  0  8 0     42        2             0 0 0 0  2     2400 LWX
         FRV 53.9  34.0  44.0         77    8  10    3                                                        2400 LWX
         GAV 57.10 36.48 46.79  +0.1  83    9   7    3   0  2  9 0 67% 39 248°  29             0 0 1 3  2     2400 AKQ
         HDV 53.9  33.4  43.7   -1.5  77    8   8    4   0  2 14 0 63%                         0 0 0 0  1     2400 LWX
         LDY 54.4  36.4  45.4   -2.6  78    8  11  3,4   0  1  8 0 56%                         0 0 0 1  1     2400 AKQ
         LYH 56.0  34.7  45.3   -0.7  81    8   5    3   0  1  9 0 65% 39 210°  29   5.6       0 0 1 1  8     2400 RNK
         NEW 55.74 32.64 44.19  +0.08 80    8   2    3   0  1 16 0 67% 31 045°  29  18.25      0 0 0 0  4     1700 LWX
         NPN 56.7  37.8  47.2         81    9  15    3   0  1  9 0     37 320°   1             0 0 0 2  1     2400 AKQ
         NOR 56.6  39.2  47.9   -0.7  81    8  17    3   0  1  7 0                             0 0 0 0  l     2400 AKQ
         ORF 55.6  39.4  47.5   -1.5  81    8  18    3   0  1  6 0 70% 59 040°   1  10.3       0 1 1 0  4     2400 AKQ
         FHC 56.54 41.26 48.90  -0.1  80.5  8  18.1  3   0  1  4 0 73% 48 010°   1   4.4  020°                2400 AKQ
         POR 57.0  39.7  48.3   -1.8  81    8  17    3   0  1  6 0 73% 50 360°   1   6.6  360° 0 0 0 0  1     2400 AKQ
         CTR 58.0  35.6  45.5   -2.2  83.2  8   8.8  3   0  1 11 0 71% 26 203°  29   1.0  238° 0 0 0 2  0     2400 AKQ
         MEC 60.06 36.48 48.48        83  8,9,  5    3   0  1  8 0                             0 0 0 1  0     1700 AKQ
                                           11
         RIC 56.9  36.6  46.7   -1.0  82  8,9  10    4   0  1  9 0 65% 46 030°   1   7.6       0 1 0 2  4     2400 AKQ
         ROA 57.6  39.0  48.3   +1.1  83    7  13    3   0  1  7 0 59% 44 290°   9   6.5       0 0 0 0  4     2400 AKQ
         WAL 52.9  35.5  44.2   -0.4  77    8  14    3   0  1 10 0     54 060°   2   9.5       0 0 0 0  3     2400 AKQ
         WOO 52.8  35.1  43.9   -0.6  77    9  10    3   0  2 11 0                             1 0 0 0  5     2400 LWX
         WSH 53.9  34.0  44.0   -0.12 77.2  8 8.2    3   0  2 12 0 64% 31 113°   9   1.8  203° 0 0 0 0  0     2400 LWX
    
    NORTH CAROLINA
    [Reminder: All NWS DATA HEREIN IS NOT OFFICIAL]
        
         STN  A      B    C     C1    D    E  F      G  H  I  J K K1  L  M     N    N1   N2  O P Q R R1 R2  S    CWA
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         AVL 58.4  36.2  47.3  +1.0  78   7,8 14     3  0  1  7 0 69% 48 330°  1    6.6      1 0 0 0  5     2400 GSP
         MRH 58.7  43.0  50.8        72     9 22   3,4  0  0  4 0     39 230° 29   10.0      1 0 0 0  3     2400 MHX
         CLT 60.8  40.6  50.7  -2.1  83  9,11 16     3  0  0  6 0 67% 37 010°  1    7.7      1 0 0 1  4     2400 GSP
         ECG 58.4  40.0  49.2  -2.6  82     9 19   3,4  0  1  7 0 65% 52 030°  1   10.4      1 0 0 0  1     2400 AKQ
         FAY 63.4  42.5  53.0        86     9 18     4  0  0  4 0 62% 40 020°  2    8.6      2 0 0 0  1     2400 RAH
         GSO 58.5  39.4  49.0  -0.1  80   8,9 14     3  0  0  6 0   % 41 030°  1    7.8      0 0 2 1  3     2400 RAH
         HSE 55.1  43.6  49.4  -3.0  71     9 23     5  0  0  4 0   % 37 200° 29    9.2      0 0 0 0  4     2400 MHX
         HKY 59.5  39.6  49.6  -0.4  80  9,11 16     3  0  0  6 0     35 010°  1    4.7      0 0 0 0  5     2400 GSP
         LBT 63.5  42.3  52.9  +0.5  84     9 19     4  0  0  5 0 69% 40 250° 29    6.7      3 0 0 0  1     2400 ILM
         EWN 61.1  41.1  51.1  -2.8  83     9 16     4  0  0  6 0   % 43 280° 29    7.7      3 0 1 0  0     2400 MHX
         RDU 62.3  42.0  52.2  +1.5  87   8,9 18     3  0  0  6 0 62% 40 240° 29    7.3      0 0 0 0  2     2400 RAH
         RAL 61.0  39.7  50.4  -0.3  82   8,9 13     3  0  0  7 0     35      29             0 0 0 0  2     2400 RAH
         ROX 58.9  38.5  48.8  +0.4  82     8  7     3  0  1 15 0 69% 35 270°  9        090° 0 0 1 1  6     2400 RAH
         ILM 63.9  43.5  53.7  -1.3  84     9 19     1  0  0  4 0 68% 40 270° 29    8.2      0 0 0 0  1     2400 ILM
                                                                      47 270° 22
    SOUTH CAROLINA
    [Reminder: All NWS DATA HEREIN IS NOT OFFICIAL]
       
         STN  A      B    C     C1    D    E  F      G  H  I  J K K1  L  M     N   N1   N2   O P Q R R1 R2  S    CWA
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         AND 62.9  41.9  52.4  -0.5  84     9 22     3  0  0  5 0     38 240° 29   6.0       2 0 0 0  2     2400 GSP
         CAE 66.1  43.7  54.9  -0.5  85  9,11 21     4  0  0  4 0 64% 40 260° 29   6.3       2 0 0 0  1     2400 CAE
         CRE 62.0  44.5  53.3  -0.4  84     9 21     4  0  0  4 0 73% 37 270° 29   8.1       2 0 0 0  4     2400 ILM
         CHS 69.1  47.0  58.0  +0.3  86     9 22     4  0  0  4 0     38 250° 29   8.8       2 0 0 0  4     2400 CHS
         FLO 64.7  43.3  54.0  -1.8  85    11 18     4  0  0  4 0 68% 44 190° 29   7.4       2 0 0 0  3     2400 ILM
         GSP 62.2  42.8  52.5  +0.9  85     9 19     3  0  0  5 0   % 39 250° 29   7.1       2 0 0 0  3     2400 GSP
         OGB 68.0  44.4  56.2        86  9,11 23     4  0  0  4 0     36 270° 29   6.6       2 0 0 0  4     2400 CAE
    NEARBY STATIONS
    [Reminder: All NWS DATA HEREIN IS NOT OFFICIAL]
       
         STN  A      B    C     C1    D     E  F     G  H  I  J K K1  L  M     N   N1   N2   O P Q R R1 R2  S    CWA
         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         TRI 60.0  36.3  48.1  +1.6  78    10  11    3  1  0  9 0     38 140° 28   4.6       0 0 0 0  5     2400 MRX
         DAV             26    -1    67     8  -4    4  0 21 29 3                                           0700 PBZ

    (Please note the column denotations table below.)
    PRECIPITATION / BAROMETRIC PRESSURE

    VIRGINIA
    [Reminder: All NWS DATA HEREIN IS NOT OFFICIAL]
       
         STN  T      T1     U  U1   V    V1   W X   Y      Z  1   2 3    4    5     6   6A   7    7A    8    S
         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         BCB  4.58  +0.75 0.76 15 0.76    15 11 0 10.14  5.3  1   5 2  8.9 19.1                             2400
         BRI  1.38  -1.12 0.33    0.63 16-17  9 0  7.35           2 2  3.0  9.5  30.5   21 29.5   29        0510/1600
         CEN  2.38  -1.41 0.59 28 0.74 28,29 11 0  5.53  5.0  2   3 1  5.3  8.7  30.54  21 29.31  29 29.93  2400
         CHT  2.28  -1.27 0.85 28 1.04 27-28 11 0  5.54  3.1  2   2 2  4.7  7.1  30.574 21 29.277 29 30.18  2400
         CHO  2.27        0.33 16 0.33    16 12 0  4.34                                    29.26  29        2400
         DAN  4.37  +0.12 1.00  1 1.00     1 12 1  8.35  3.6  2  12 1  3.6  4.5  30.53  21 29.37  29        2400
         DCA  1.97  -1.63 0.52 28 0.52    28 11 0  5.00  4.5  2   3 2  5.5  7.5            29.26  29        2400
         IAD  2.41  -1.14 0.92 28 0.92    28 10 0  5.17  5.1  2   3 1  6.0  8.0            29.26  29        2400
         FCH  1.82        1.05 28 1.30 28-29  6 1  5.54  6.0  2   2 1  6.3  9.6                             2400
         FRV  2.02                            9 0                           1.8  30.52  21 29.29  29        2400
         GAV  4.28  +0.53 0.74  1 1.23   1-2 12 0  6.90  4.9  1   3 2  9.5 11.6  30.53  21 29.30  29 30.15  2400
         HDV  2.39  -1.32 0.78 28            11 0  5.87  5.6  2   3 0  6.0  8.5  30.53  21 29.23  29        2400
         LDY  2.86  -1.02 0.46 27 0.71 27-28 12 0  5.05  4.0  1   3 2  8.3 10.4  30.56  21 29.29  29 30.18  2400
         LYH  3.23  -0.60 0.64 16 0.64    16 13 0  7.60  7.5  2  13 2 10.0 11.2  30.55  21 29.35  29        2400
         NEW  1.64  -2    0.78 28                  6.15  2.0           3.5  9.8  30.70 12, 29.72  29,30     1700
                                                                                  13,21,22       
         NPN  6.76        1.67  1 1.87   1-2 12 1 10.23  2.0  2   1 1  2.0  2.0  30.53  21 29.32  29        2400
         NOR  5.78  +1.71 1.28  1            13 2  9.30  0.5  2   1 0  0.5  0.5                             2400
         ORF  5.28  +1.20 1.08 18 1.08     1 13 1  8.36  0.5  2   2 0  0.5  0.5  30.53  21 29.32  29        2400
         FHC  5.06  +0.98 0.98  1 0.98     1 13 0  7.85  0.5  2   2 0  0.5  0.5  30.508 21 29.320 29 30.148 2400
         POR  5.13  +1.19 0.94  1 1.00   1-2 13 0  8.29  0.6  2   2 0  0.6  0.7  30.52  21 29.33  29 30.161 2400
         CTR  4.75  +0.45 1.05  1 1.39   1-2 12 1  7.96  4.0  1   2 2  8.0  8.5  30.53  4, 29.30  29 30.157 0400
                                                                                        21            
         MEC  4.93        1.14  2 1.64   1-2 11 2  6.93  9.5  2   2 1  9.8 10.6  30.27 12, 29.12  29        1700
                                                                                        21
         RIC  4.26  +0.17 1.09 27 1.09    27 11 1  5.00  4.3   1  3 2  6.3  6.6  30.56  21 29.32  29        2400
         ROA  3.47  -0.37 0.67 14 0.67    14 12 0  7.41  2.1   1  3 2  3.6  4.0  30.55  21 29.41  29        2400
         AKQ                                             0.0           0.0  0.0                             2400
         WAL  4.14  +0.16 1.33 28 6.27    28 12 1  1.03  1.0  13 12 1  2.0  2.4  30.54  21 29.32  29        2400
         WOO  2.12  -0.81         0.63 27-28 12 0  4.95  1.0   2  3 1  1.3  9.5  30.64  21 29.67  29        0800
         WSH  2.03  -2.45 0.53 28 0.78 27-28 12 0  5.29  2.8   2  3 3  5.1 10.2  30.56  21 29.36  29        2400
    NORTH CAROLINA
    [Reminder: All NWS DATA HEREIN IS NOT OFFICIAL]
       
         STN  T      T1     U  U1   V    V1   W X   Y      Z    1 2 3   4    5     6    6A   7    7A    8     S
         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         AVL  4.07  -0.52 0.83 27 0.85 27-28 13 0  8.34   5.1   1 2 1  5.1  5.1  30.49  21 29.45  29         2400
         MRH  1.25        0.74 16 0.74    16  5 0  6.77   0.0          0.0    T            29.49  29         2400
         CLT  5.40  -1.01 2.18  1 2.18     1 12 1 10.13   4.0   1 2 1  4.0  4.0  30.53  21 29.52  29         2400
         ECG  4.94  +0.27 1.58 28 1.58    28 12 2  7.18   0.1   2 1 0  0.1  0.8  30.56  21 29.32  29         2400
         FAY  3.59        1.38  1 1.38     1 13 1  7.17                                    29.13  31         2400
         GSO  4.59  +0.74 1.16  1 1.16     1 14 1  8.75   3.9   2 2 2  5.7  6.9            29.13  31         2400
         HSE  2.99  -1.96 1.50  1 1.50     1  9 1  8.84   0.0          0.0  2.3            29.49  29         2400
         HKY  5.07  +0.15 1.78  1 1.78     1 12 1 10.02   0.0          0.0   T   30.49  21 29.44  29         2400
         LBT  2.43  -1.88 1.27  1 1.27     1  8 1  3.69                          30.52   4 29.48  29         2400
         EWN  2.87  -1.62 0.79  1 0.79     1 11 0  6.78   0.0          0.0  1.5            29.49  29         2400
         RDU  6.83  +2.80 1.38  1 1.38     1 11 1 11.01   3.2   2 1 1  3.2  6.7            29.13  31         1900
         RAL  7.32  +3.29         1.57  28-1 14 2 11.69   4.1   2 1 1  4.1 10.1  30.48 3-4 29.44  29         2400
         ROX  6.30  +2.47 1.42  2 1.42     2 13 2 11.70   6.5   2   1  6.5  8.3  30.54  22 29.40  29  30.17  2200
         ILM  3.58  -0.64 1.45 16 1.45    16  9 1  6.53    T    2 0 0   T   1.0  30.54   5 29.51  29         2400
    SOUTH CAROLINA
    [Reminder: All NWS DATA HEREIN IS NOT OFFICIAL]
       
         STN  T      T1     U  U1   V    V1   W X   Y     Z   1  2 3  4     5     6    6A   7    7A    8     S
         ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
         AND  6.65  +1.68 2.65  1  2.65     1  9 2 13.96  0.0    0 0   0.0    T  30.50  21 29.52  29         2400
         CAE  3.41  -1.18 1.40 28  1.40    28 10 1  7.48   T 1,1 2 0    T     T  30.54   4 29.56  28         2400
         CRE  3.10  -0.69 0.74 16  0.74    16 10 0  6.56                         60.54   5 29.55  29         2400
         CHS  2.84  -1.16 1.44  1  1.44     1  8 1  5.46  0.0          0.0    T  30.53   4 29.59   1         2400
         FLO  3.17  -0.83 1.26  1  1.26     1 12 1  5.38                         30.55   4 29.53  29         2400
         GSP  6.93  +1.62 2.68  1  2.68     1  9 2 13.86  4.3  1 2 1   4.4  4.4  30.50  21 29.49  29         2400
         OGB  2.93        0.93  1  0.93     1  9 0  8.42                         30.54   4 29.61  29         2400
    NEARBY STATIONS
    [Reminder: All NWS DATA HEREIN IS NOT OFFICIAL]
       
         STN  T      T1     U  U1   V      V1  W X   Y      Z  1  2  3   4     5     6   6A   7    7A 8      S
         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         TRI  2.21  -1.70 0.52 15 0.52    15 13 0  8.85    T 1,2  2  0    T    7.8 30.49  3 29.40  29        2400
         DAV  3.03  -1.9  0.65 27            13 0 17.42  1.4   1  7  2   3.8 174.4                           0700    

    Virginia:

    Arlington - From NWS WBC come these notes: " TEMPERATURES THIS MARCH WERE SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL. THE LOW OF 14° ON MARCH 3RD WAS THE COLDEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN WASHINGTON DC DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH IN 23 YEARS SINCE MARCH 8 1986...WHEN IT WAS ALSO 14°. THE LAST TIME THE LOW DROPPED BELOW 14F WAS 66 YEARS AGO ON MARCH 4 1943...WHEN IT WAS 11F. PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH WAS WELL BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH AND EIGHT OUT OF THE LAST NINE WITH BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE FIRST THREE CALENDAR MONTHS OF 2009...JANUARY THROUGH MARCH...WAS THE FOURTH DRIEST PERIOD ON RECORD WITH ONLY 5.00 INCHES MEASURED. MARCH MONTHLY SNOWFALL TOTALING 5.5 INCHES...ALL OF WHICH FELL IN ONE STORM ON MARCH 1-2...WAS WELL ABOVE NORMAL AND THE MOST IN MARCH SINCE 1999. A NEW DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL WAS SET ON MARCH 2ND OF 4.5 INCHES...WHICH BROKE THE OLD RECORD OF 2.1 INCHES SET IN 1994. " [ - - ] 

    Bridgewater - " The temperature for the month was 2 degrees above normal. The precipitation Was 1.12 inches below normal. The precipitation for the year is now 3.23 inches below normal. The dry weather is continuing. There were 3 inches of snow for the month bringing the total for the winter season to 9.5 inches. This is much below normal. We usually get Around 22 inches a season. We have had a couple of April snows in the last 42 years, but the chance of an April snow is very slim. " - [ + - ] - notes from Clayton

    Centreville - " True to lore, March arrived as a lion, well a sorta tame lion... hmmm, a small tame lion with a slight limp might be more like it. Our local weathercasters were finally going to be awarded their gold star though. Beginning on late Sunday, March 1st, our anxious waiting and dreams of a reasonable amount of snow were about to come true. By Tuesday noon we had accumulated 5.3" of white stuff and neighborhood snow blowers were at full throttle. Even as the sun appeared and some compacting occurred, we were still out there trying to get the most from our, until now, dormant toys. In general, March temperatures behaved nicely with the calculated monthly average of 44.5° being just 2.4° above the 42.1° published normal. We were given a brief taste of spring-like weather on the 29th though when a high for the month of 75° was entered in our log. This was a far cry from a pair of 13's for monthly lows on the 3rd and 4th; and a tie with February's low values. The average night time low of 34.7° was just 3.8° above the usual 30.9° and to date this year 0.8° over the current average low temp. deviation. So far, this plus three degree deviation is half that of 2008. Precipitation finally made a reasonable showing, particularly during the last half of the month when we recorded all but 0.59" which came from our snow of the 1st and 2nd. All totaled, 2.38" was logged with our greatest 24-hour amount being 0.74" from the 28th and 29th representing 31% of our monthly accumulation. Normally we would expect 3.79" of precipitation, but compared to 0.20" for February, I'll happily settle for 63% of normal. A quarter of our total monthly water was from snow melt. You remember, that blizzard of the 1st and 2nd of March leaving us ankle deep in snow and that nearly approached the total winter snowfall of 2007-08; yeah, that one... all 5.3 inches of it. For 2009 we are 4.71" below our 10.24" rainfall normal. April showers are on the way! " - [ + - ] - notesf from Paul in Centerville

    Chantilly - Russ reports: " March brings us our biggest snowfall of the season, with at least 4.7" falling in the storm on the 1st & 2nd of the month. Precip totals may have been higher, but snow was blowing sideways and a portion of it may actually have blown off the snowboard and also not made it into the 4" opening of the rain gauge. Snow totals at neighboring Dulles Airport totaled 6.0". Actual measurements were 1.6" on the 1st and 3.1" on the 2nd. Some sleet mixed in with the snow on the 1st. Despite the unusual March snowfall, at the end of a winter with barely 7" of measurable snow, March added to our precipitation deficit. We're back in the midst of another notably dry period. January through March was one of our top five driest on record. Temperatures actually averaged very close to normal, at just 0.1° below normal. Following the snowstorm on the 1st & 2nd, we had a record low maximum temperature of 29.7° on the 3rd. This was followed soon after by a record high minimum temperature of 58° on the 8th. Dense fog was observed on the 16th, 18th, and 26-29th. *Please note, anemometer is currently partially obstructed from the Southeast " - [ + - ]

    Dulles - from NWS Sterling (KLWX) come these notes: " TEMPERATURES THIS MARCH WERE NEAR NORMAL. THE LOW OF 8F ON MARCH 4TH TIED FOR FIFTH COLDEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE AT DULLES DURING ALL OF MARCH AND WAS THE LOWEST READING IN MARCH SINCE MARCH 10 1996...WHEN IT DROPPED TO 7F. PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH WAS BELOW NORMAL. THIS IS THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH AND EIGHT OUT OF THE LAST NINE WITH BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE FIRST THREE CALENDAR MONTHS OF 2009...JANUARY THROUGH MARCH...WAS THE FIFTH DRIEST PERIOD ON RECORD WITH ONLY 5.40 INCHES MEASURED. MARCH MONTHLY SNOWFALL TOTALING 6.0 INCHES...ALL OF WHICH FELL IN ONE STORM ON MARCH 1-2...WAS WELL ABOVE NORMAL AND THE MOST IN MARCH SINCE 1999. A NEW DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL WAS SET ON MARCH 2ND OF 5.1 INCHES...WHICH BROKE THE OLD RECORD OF 4.7 INCHES SET IN 1994. " - [ + - ]

    Falls Church - Erica sends these notes: " Below average in temperature and rainfall. My greatest snowfall for the season occurred on the 2nd with a total of 6" from the storm. The storm caused my power to go out from 1am-5am. My max wind gust also occurred during the storm of 42 mph. " - [ - - ]

    Front Royal - Mike sends these additional summary notes: " The weather took a back seat this month as other obligations limited my time. Poor time management probably didn't help either. March overall was cooler and drier then normal. A winters start to the month with the largest snowfall of the season occurring on the 1st. While amounts of 1-2" were common in the Shenandoah Valley amounts of 5-10" were common closer to Washington DC. A ten day dry stretch occurred from the 2nd to the 11th. Lighter amounts which were all under one-quarter inch occurred from the 12th to the 18th as a series weak weather systems affected the area. Total for the seven day period was .47". While the ferocity of the mid-west systems never affected our weather the strongest system of the month brought much needed precipitation to our area from the 26th to the 29th. While the 1.01" of rainfall was not nearly enough to make up our three inch deficit it was welcome and helped the green of spring begin its bloom. " - [ - - ]

    Glen Allen - Lowell Koontz sends this report: " March was near average as the monthly mean temperature was 46.8°, a +0.1° departure, and was much wetter than average (when compared to Ashland, Virginia records). There were 9 days the minimum temperature dropped below freezing and two days that the maximum didn't climb above freezing. The 4.28 inches of precipitation for March was a +0.53 inch departure when compared to the Ashland, VA average. The maximum precipitation recorded in a day was 0.74 inches on the 1st on a day of sleet and snow but mostly snow. Measurable precipitation occurred on only twelve days and it is noteworthy that there wasn't any measurable precipitation from and including the 3rd to the 12th a ten-day period. The total frozen precipitation was 9.5 inches for the month recorded on the 1st, 2nd and 13th which was a +7.8 inch departure compared to Ashland, Virginia records. We had a total of 9.0 inches on March 1st and 2nd. This was the biggest snow I have seen since February 11th and 12th 2006 in Northern VA before moving to the Richmond area. But for the people in western Richmond area this was the largest snow they had seen since January 25, 2000. The Richmond International Airport first reported 5.7 inches that was later revised to 6.3 inches. I got this information from the Wakefield branch of the Weather Service. A Cooperative Weather Observer near the airport reported a much larger amount thus they felt the airport observation was in error and so increased the amount to 6.3 inches. See the following link for an animation movie of the snow accumulation. http://www.annandaleweather.com/links/snows08-09/3-1-2009.avi. Problems in recording the movie 1. The camera stopped working once and I didn't notice it for awhile. 2. I had to move the camera twice as the snow got too deep for a good angle across the surface. This was a good problem though!! 3. We had a 30 mph wind blowing snow on the glass of the camera box and almost blocking the view at times around midnight. The wind also blew some snow from the camera snowboard thus giving a reduced amount of snow. 4. The temperature was above freezing until about midnight and snow stuck to camera box glass window. Here's a link to a beautiful satellite image after the storm: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=37261. The maximum temperature for March was 83° on the 9th and the lowest minimum was 7° recorded on the 3rd, which was the second coldest day of the winter. On March 4th the Richmond International Airport recorded a minimum temperature of 10° which was not only a new record low for the date but also a new record low for the month of March. It is also noteworthy that after the big snowstorm of the first, one week later it was 83° and about 50° warmer. There were three days (8th, 9th, 11th) that the temperature was 80° or higher. The lowest dew point temperature on the 5th at 1827 was -2.9°. The maximum wind gust was 39 mph from the west-southwest that occurred on the 29th at 1259. The highest barometer recorded for the month was 30.53 inches on the 21st and the lowest was 29.30 inches on the 29th. " - [ + - ] 

    Herndon - Randy sends these notes: " March was slightly below normal for temperature and for precipitation. March started out with a bang. We had our largest "Snowstorm" of the year when we received 6 inches on the 1st and 2nd and the temperatures fell to a low of 8 degrees on the morning of the 4th. However, it didn't last long and the snow all melted quickly as the temperatures rose quickly during the week and we reached the middle and upper 70s over the weekend (7th and 8th). The temperatures were typical for March the rest of the month with short periods of very warm then very cool weather. The average max temps ended up about 2 degrees below normal and the average min temps were about 1 degree below normal. The precipitation fell in three distinct periods. The cold snow on the 1st and 2nd, then a rainy period during the middle of the month giving us just under a half inch of rain, then a heavier period of rain at the end of the month dropping almost 1.5 inches of rain. We ended up with 2.39" for the month, which was 1.5" below normal. This is the 6th straight month of below normal precipitation and the 9th in the last 10 months. " - [ - - ]

    Ladysmith - Danny adds: : " March finished with well below normal temperatures and below normal precipitation. 7.5" of snow fell on March 1-2, the largest snowfall I have measured since living in Ladysmith (summer 2003). 8 of the last 9 months have featured below normal precipitation. " - [ - - ]

    Portsmouth - " March was a colder, wetter month relative to normal for March months from 1977 to 2008. The 5.13" of rain produced a March that was 1.19" ABOVE normal rainfall (130% of normal). The month's average temp was 1.8° BELOW normal FROST occurred on the 5th, 22nd, 23rd, and 25th, with frontal passages noted on the 1st, 2nd, 9th, and 11th. STATION RECORDS: 1st - WIND MAXIMUM GUST 50 mph [prev 40mph 1983]; 3rd - TEMPERATURE Minimum 17° [prev 19° 1990]; 3rd - TEMPERATURE Minimum Maximum 28° [prev 36° 1978]; 7th - TEMPERATURE TIED Maximum 77° [prev 1994]; 8th - TEMPERATURE Max Min 60° [prev 58° 1980]; 13th - TEMPERATURE Min Max 43° [prev 46° 1989]; 15th - RAINFALL 0.92" [prev 0.61" 1989]; 24th - TEMPERATURE Min Max 44° [prev 1983]. " - [ - + ] 

    North Carolina:

    Greensboro - NWS Raleigh (RAH) reports: - " The March 2009 North Carolina Weather Review is located here: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rah/ncsummaries/MonthlySummary.Mar.2009.doc [when available]. " - [ + + ]

    Raleigh - Bob sends these notes: " March, as you would expect, was a month of extremes, from snow and cold to a few days in the 80s. 4.1" of snow was measured on March 2nd, while 82 degree highs were recorded on March 8th and 9th. A couple of unusual items were the number of overcast days (nine days) and there were no thunderstorms observed during the month. " - [ - + ]

    Raleigh - NWS Raleigh (RAH) reports: " The March 2009 North Carolina Weather Review is located here: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rah/ncsummaries/MonthlySummary.Mar2009.doc [when available]. " - [ + - ]

    Nearby Cities:

    Tri-Cities - NWS Morristown, TN (MRX) reports: " The monthly-averaged temperature at Tri-Cities was 48.1 degrees, which was 1.6 degrees above normal. It tied with 1955 as the 25th warmest March on record at Tri-Cities. A record high temperature was broken on the 10th when the temperature reached 78 degrees, breaking the old record of 74 degrees set in 2000. The warmest March at Tri-Cities was back in 1945, when the monthly-averaged temperature was 56.0 degrees. Tri-Cities received 2.21 inches of precipitation in March, which was 1.70 inches below normal. It ranked as the 11th driest March on record at Tri-Cities. Measurable precipitation occurred on only thirteen days, and only four of those days had more than one-quarter of an inch. The heaviest precipitation fell on the 15th, when 0.52 inches was reported. The driest March of the 72 years of observations taken at Tri-Cities was back in 1985, when only 1.31 inches was recorded. " - [ + - ]

    Davis, WV - from Dave Lesher: " March experienced average temperatures but drier than normal conditions. The 4" of snow total was well below normal, by 22 inches! Snowfall for the first three months of the year was 3.8" below normal; but for the season, the early heavy snows pushed totals to 40 inches of excess snowfall compared to normal. The first subzero March temps since 1999 were observed. " - [ +/- + ]



    COLUMN DENOTATIONS:

    A  maximum mean temperature T total precipitation (inches)
    T1 departure from normal
    B  minimum mean temperature U maximum calendar day precipitation (inches)
    C  monthly mean temperature
    C1 departure from normal
    U1 date of maximum calendar day precipitation
    D  maximum temperature V date(s) of maximum daily precipitation
    E  date(s) of maximum temperature V1 maximum 24-hour precip. & date(s)
    F  minimum temperature W number of days with precip. >= .01"
    G  date(s) of minimum temperature  X number of days with precip. >= 1.0"
    H  days with maximum temperature >=90 Y year-to-date precipitation (inches)
    I  days with maximum temperature <=32 Z maximum calendar day snowfall (inches)
    J  days with minimum temperature <=32 VRB Variable
    K  days with minimum temperature <= 0 1 date of maximum calendar day snowfall (inches)
    K1 average relative humidity 2 number of days with snowfall
    L  peak wind gust (miles per hour)  3 number of days with snowfall >= 1.0"
    M  direction of peak wind gust 4  total snowfall for month (inches)
    N  date(s) of peak wind gust  5 total snowfall for 2007-2008 season (inches)
    N1   average wind speed (miles per hour) 6 maximum barometric pressure (inches)
    N2 dominant wind direction 6A date of maximum barometric pressure
    O  number of days with thunder  7 minimum barometric pressure (inches)
    P  number of days with hail 7A date of minimum barometric pressure
    Q  number of days with glaze 8   average sea-level pressure
    R  number of days with ice pellets STN  Station
    R2 sky cover percentage NR not recorded
    R1 number of days with dense fog [1/4 mile and less visibility] (i) incomplete data
    S  local observation time for temps/precipitation (M) missing, if listed in data table
     ~ "about" E estimated
     +  additional indeterminate number of days CWA - NWS Office County Warning Area


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    National Weather Service Web Sites & Current Email Addresses
    Within or Nearby the ACON VA/NC/SC Area Can Be Found At:

         NWS Washington/Baltimore, VA/MD
         NWS Wakefield, VA
         NWS Blacksburg, VA
         NWS Raleigh, NC
         NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC
         NWS Wilmington, NC
         NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
         NWS Columbia, SC
         NWS Charleston, SC
         NWS Morristown, TN

         National Weather Service Homepages

         $$$ National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC $$$

    STATION / LOCATION (MILES & DIRECTION FROM MAIN POST OFFICE)/OBSERVER / YEAR RECORDS BEGAN / EMAIL ADDRESS:

      
       ROK   Roanoke, VA 6SW Wendell Prillaman  4/76 wlprillaman@cox.net
      AKQ    Wakefield, VA NWS Wakefield Municipal Airport 36-58-53N 077-00-04W 33M
    DCA    Arlington, VA Washington, DC, Reagan Washington National Airport 38-50-54N 077-02-03W 18M WSH   Washington, VA  David Yowell runamok@runamok.com
    BCB    Blacksburg, VA NWS Virginia Tech Airport 37-13N 080-25W   
    BRI     Bridgewater, VA Clayton Towers Ctowers@rica.net WOO  Woodstock, VA 5NW Lauck Walton - 12/1/85 jwalton@shentel.net
    CEN  Centreville, VA Paul Bassett 1985, 38° 50.9788' N LAT. 77° 25.6374' W LON. | Elevation 324' | m.psb@verizon.net LDY Ladysmith, VA Danny Jessee 2003 danny@dannyjessee.com
       WAL   Wallops Island, VA 37° 56'26" N 75° 27'47" W Wallops Flight Facility Airport
    CHO   Charlottesville, VA  Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport ASOS  (Rappahannock County) 38-08-18N 078-27-21W 192M AVL    Asheville, NC  Asheville Regional Airport 35-25-55N 082-32-15W 670M
      MRH    Beaufort, NC  Michael J. Field Airport 34-44-01N 076-39-38W 3M
    DAN  Danville, VA, Danville Regional Airport, 36-34-22N 079-20-10W 175M  CLT    Charlotte, NC NWS Charlotte/Douglas International Airpot 35-12-48N 080-56-55W 220M
    IAD   Dulles - Washington-Dulles International Airport  38-56-05N 077-26-51W 93M  SSB    Sunset Beach, NC   33.9° N 78.5° W  Tom Myers
    FCH    Falls Church, VA Erica Page - 3/7/94 Windie1970@aol.com HKY  Hickory, NC 
    HAM    Hampton, VA 5NE Dave Kessel 1989 david82@verizon.net ECG  Elizabeth City, NC,  Coast Guard Air Station 36-15-47N 076-10-58W 11M
    CTR  Winterpock in Chesterfield County, VA Albert Arnold 06/03 FAY  Fayetteville, NC Fayetteville Regional Airport, 34-59-22N 078-52-48W 55M
      GSO   Greensboro, NC NWS Piedmont Triad International Airport 36-05-51N 079-56-37W 275M
    CHT   Chantilly, VA Russ Topping -  12/2006  russ.topping@gmail.com - new location December 2006 HSE    Cape Hatteras, NC  Mitchell Field 35-13-56N 075-27-21W 3M
    HDV    Herndon, VA  Randoplh W. Ashby, 3.3 SM South, Lat: 38.922127, Lon: -77.38015, Elev: 390'. Randolph_Ashby@Raytheon.com LBT    Lumberton, NC  Lumberton Municipal Airport 34-36-26N 079-03-36W 37M
    GAV - Glen Allen, Henrico County, VA - Lowell Koontz  8/1/08  wwkoontz@verizon.net EWN    New Bern, NC  Craven County Regional Airport 36-04-03N 077-02-50W 3M
    FRV     Front Royal, VA  Michael Perritt -  04/08 snowyat9@yahoo.com RAL    Raleigh, NC 7NNW  Bob Woodson -  6/1/93 kf4mmm@qsl.net
    LKU     Louisa, VA 1N Joseph Bowers 1944 - NWS ID  44-5050-02jmbiii@earthlink.net RDU   Raleigh-Durham, NC Raleigh-Durham International Airport 35-52-14N 078-47-11W 130M
    LOU     Louisa, VA 6S John Bullock (about 1970) INACTIVE 1/1/02 - MEMBER DECEASED FALL 2004 ROX    Roxboro, NC 2SE Merriell A. Jay 1/93
    LYH     Lynchburg, VA NWS Lynchburg Regional Airport 37-19-15N 079-12-24W 295M ILM     Wilmington, NC NWS New Hanover International Airport 34-16-06N 077-54-22W 9M
    NEW    Newmarket, VA 2W Joyce Winfree joywood@shentel.net CHS   Charleston, SC NWS Charleston Air Force Base 32-53-56N 080-02-26W 13M
    NPN     Newport News, VA 7N Gary Leonard -  6/91 GaryMLeonard@aol.com CAE    Columbia, SC NWS Columbia Metropolitan Airport 33-56-31N 081-07-05W 73M 
    NOR     Norfolk, VA 3NE Jim Fentress 6/1/77 FLO    Florence, SC Florence Regional Airport 34-11-16N 079-43-51W 44M
    ORF     Norfolk, VA 5NE 36-54-13N 076-11-31W 14M  1871 GSP   Greenville-Spartanburg, SC NWS Greenville-Spartanburg Airport 34-53-02N 082-13-15W 286M 
    POR     Portsmouth, VA 36.81° North 76.33° West 3S Bill Trotter -  7/1/76 wxr@cox.net CRE    North Myrtle Beach, SC Grand Strand Airport 33-48-42N 078-43-26W 10M
    MEC     Mechanicsville, VA Glen Martin 11/19/91 OGB   Orangeburg, SC  Orangeburg Municipal Airport 33-27-50N 080-51-13W 59M
    FHC    Norfolk, VA  Fred Heutte Center 36° 54'N 76° 16'W 01/01/03 fhcgarden@cox.net AND   Anderson, SC 
    RIC     Richmond, VA Richmond International Airport 37-30-40N 077-19-24W 50M TRI     Tri-cities, TN  (Bristol / Johnson / Kingsport), Tri-City Regional Airport 36-28-47N 082-23-56W 474M 
    ROA    Roanoke, VA Roanoke Regional Airport 37-19-01N 079-58-27W 362M DAV  Davis, WV Dave Lesher canaanwx@canaantv.tv