MONTHLY SUMMARY: MARCH 1997 UPDATED: 4/19/97 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... Please check and recheck your data entries!!! March 1997 must have set a record as many of your data forms just didn't justify. Some of you need to recheck your entries as there were a record number of errors! Again - yet unheeded by several of you - please use the most recent data request form I include in the mailing as the it is adjusted monthly for various weather data. (I'm still smiling, but must insist on your using the most recent data form!) Roy Britt's (RMD Richmond) e-mail address is added below. Does anybody know where to find the monthly summary for Roanoke Airport (ROA) on the Internet? That product has been dropped from my monthly summary server, WeatherBrief. Don't think they adjusted when the NWS moved to Blacksburg (RNK). Help!!!! Has anyone heard from or seen Billy Brown of Charlotte? No reports nor notes from him now in three months!! THIS JUST IN AS I TYPE!!! FYI, Grandfather Mountain in northwest North Carolina set a new record wind speed on Friday, April 18th, 1997, with a 196 mph (170 knot) wind gust at 5:15 PM!! The previous record wind speed was 175 mph on February 24th, 1995. (Also noted that Beach Mountain in the same area of the state had 1/2 inch of snow this morning, 4/19/97!) Bill ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES FROM "AROUND THE LEAGUE"- Arlington - From NWS WBC Sterling: "After our third warmest February ever in the Washington area, March returned to a more typical performance." The monthly mean temp was 1.5 degrees above normal and only two days hit freezing. March 17th was the last time DCA hit freeting this year. March 28th is the average last day of freezing or below temps. If DCA does not hit 32 degrees again, this would be the earliest final freeze since 1980 when it occurred on the 13th of March. Also, it would be the third earliest in 30 years. Bridgewater - Notes from Clayton: "The average temperature for March was 3.5 degrees above normal, and the precipitation was 1.4 inches above normal. In my nearly 50 years of observing weather here in the Shenandoah Valley, I don't believe I've ever seen a March as windy as this one. The last snow this winter season occurred on February 14th. If no more snow falls, this will be the earliest for the last snow since 1977, when the last snow was on January 24th. My cutoff date for any measurable snow in April 15th. With the present weather pattern, the chance for a measurable snow occuring this April is rather slim." Centreville - Paul's site had many extremes. Snowfall one was quarter the norm while the mean temps were 4 degrees above the norm. The month was one-third more moist and there were 12 days with wind gusts over 30 mph! Six other days had gusts over 25 mph. Falls Church - Lowell reports March was a warm and windy month with above average precip and temps. A 53 mph wind gust on March 6th, the second highest wind ever recorded at this station setting a new record for March (the previous record being 50 mph on 3-23-80). March's 27 degree min temp on the 16-17th was the record highest minimum for the month while the 40 degree low max was the highest low max temp on record since 1985 (also 40). Falls Church - The monthly mean temp was normal at 47 degrees. Erica noted a March with above average rainfall and below average snowfall. Fredericksburg - Ken reports the outstanding event occurred (as it did at many of our stations, including in Portsmouth!) on the last day of the month. "Following several days of above normal warmth, a low pressure system moved to our north trailing a cold front. When the low moved offshore, it strengthened. There was strong steady wind all day on the 31st, with gusts to around 50 mph. Some wind-driven snow flurries in the evening with wind chills in the teens after the temperature had reached just 80 degrees just 2 days earlier!" Hampton - March saw above normal (+4.0) temps with only slightly below normal precip. (notes from Dave Kessel) Herndon - Robert Beall noted a brief thundershower on the 29th provided only one-tenth inch precip but dropped temps about 20 degrees in one-half hour (recording sensor exposed to elements) Mechanicsville - Glenn Martin observed strong gusty winds on the 31st and April 1st as a nor'easter formed off the coast. A small amount of tree damage as small branches were broken off. Max wind gust was 48 mph. Norfolk - From NWS AKQ... the mean temp was +2.8 while the precip was -0.49. Portsmouth - Like most other spots, the 31st was quite interesting with flurries flying just before midnight and winds gusting to 50 mph from the northwest. However, the peak monthly gust was SW 56 mph in an isolated, small, heavy, hail producing thunderstorm that passed right over my site on the 29th. Hail ranged from marble to quarter size and rainfall totaled 0.44" in a 20 minute period. The gust in that storm was the second highest since the 70 mph gust during the March 13, 1993 blizzard! No local damage noted. The precip was 73% of the normal while the mean temp was 2.2 degrees above normal. Yearly precip is running 75% of the norm. Richmond - According to Roy Britt (see his newly posted e-mail address below), snow flurries flew on the 31st and were accompanied by strong winds. Richmond - From NWS AKQ... the mean temp was +1.6 degrees while the precip was -0.65. Roanoke - "A real ho-hum month," says Wendell of March's weather. Rainfall was 0.62" below average while the mean temp was 3.1 degrees above normal. No snow or sleet, not even a trace! Woodstock - A "pretty average March," noted Lauck. The month was a little warmer and wetter than usual with an early spring. Asheville - The mean monthly temp for March was +4.1 degrees while the precip was +0.85" (from NWS GSP) Brevard - Bob Keehn remarked that the month was moderate regarding temperature while dry conditions prevailed. Says Bob, "Not a remarkable month, but pleasant!" Charlotte - According to NWS GSP, "March began with temperatures much above normal. Through the month there were 12 days with an average temp that was at least 10 degrees above the normal temp. There were only 3 days with below normal temps, the 16th, 17th, and 31st. Greensboro - According to NWS RDU, Greensboro saw average temps some 4.2 degrees above normal while precip was also above the norm (+0.34"). Henderson - In looking ahead, George noted that last summer was cool. "You just watch this one make up for it!" says he! (Be careful George! I predicted a colder, snowier than normal winter past! What a bust!!) Raleigh - Bob noted a very uneventful March that was the fourth consecutive month with above normal temps! Raleigh - A daily record high temp was set on the 1st with a daily record high min temp set on the 2nd. (source: NWS RDU) Roxboro - Merriell listed his event of the month as the strong winds on the 31st. March came in like a lamb but went out like a lion! The last day of the month had a wind gust to 40+ mph. Some trees weakened by Hurricane Fran were blown down resulting in downed powerlines. Above normal temps for both mins and maxes. Rainfall was about a quarter inch shy of the normal. Columbia - A very warm month here with the mean temp +6.3 degrees!!!! While it was warm, the month was dry, some 3.63 inches below normal! Yearly rainfall is some 3.06" below normal!! Greenville-Spartanburg - NWS GSP reports that the mean temp was +5.5 degrees while the total precip was 2.72" below normal. Ruby - Franklin noted that March was seemingly drier than others he's seen. Temps were higher, also. Wilmington - For the 2nd month in a row, ILM saw temps well-above normal. The average temp was +4.7 degrees. March was also a dry month (-1.33") The month was extremely sunny with 78% of total sunshine! The last day of the month saw an average wind speed of 21.9 mph; this was the highest one-day average since Hurricane Fran passed through the area. (notes from NWS ILM) Tri-cities - The Bristol area saw temps 3.4 degrees above normal, while the precip total was 2.22" above norm! (source NWS TRI) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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@whro.org 71470.1535@compuserve.com RAL Bob Woodson woods@pipeline.com CEN Paul Bassett III pbassett@nmaa.org WSH David Yowell deyowell@mnsinc.com FCH Erica Page erica@erols.com RMD Roy Britt rbritt@erols.com -----------------------------------------------------------------------------