MONTHLY SUMMARY: MAY 1999 UPDATED: 6/24/99 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...May Temperatures Close to the Norm... ...Precipitation Below Normal... ...Drought Makes Strong Return Over Western & Northern Sections... ...Coastal Trough Keeps Cities by the Ocean Cooler... UPPER CASE EXCERPTS You will notice the addition of station notes in upper case letters. These reflect direct excerpts from NWS station reports. Since these summaries are formatted for upper case, I have just copied highlights into our report and don't feel it's necessary to change to lower case. In the past, Internet sources have not readily posted climate summaries and I've had to use a commercial site/NWS home pages to scrounge for data, both requiring excessive time to navigate to get the data. However, my favorite text-based site (Ohio State) now posts the monthly summaries in its states gopher directories. Check the abundant data for each state at: gopher://twister.sbs.ohio-state.edu:70/1/other-states CENTREVILLE APRIL UPDATE FROM PAUL BASSETT Somehow Paul Bassett's (Centreville) April '99 summary didn't arrive via snail mail; however, he assures me he sent it. So, will update his late data within and update our Internet April 1999 Data and Notes subpages to reflect the additions. Paul also sends word that he inadvertently left-out snowfall totals for January '99 and the data sheet reflects the new seasonal total. I have included a pic of the hailstorm that struck his station on April 23rd with 3/4 inch hail covering the site. He reports that siding on his house facing the northwest and shingles were dimpled by the hail. His weather instruments survived ok! REQUEST FROM ERICA PAGE AND WRC-TV/NBC4 Here's an email from Wxnet4, with whom our Erica Page is affiliated and is preparing a newsletter. Perhaps you'd have time to compose a response and email it to her. Greetings Weather Watchers, We are in the process of putting together a newsletter and are looking for your weather experiences. Here are some questions to consider for your submissions: 1) What sparked your interest in weather? 2) Was it a particular storm event, etc? Please submit your stories to: Erica Page......(WRC-TV Weather Assistant and Fellow Weather Watcher). Email: Windie1970@aol.com *** We hope to have this ready by the end of this summer.*** Erica Also, our northern-most members- and I on occasion - participate in the station's Weather Watcher Observations. It's a lot of fun if you have time and patience with JAVA applications (required for data submission). They accept my data from Southern Virginia but don't know if the brass will stretch it to the Carolinas and Georgia. Won't hurt for you to ask the webmaster through email. Visit at: http://wxnet4.nbc4.com/cgi-bin/wxWatchObs NOTES FROM "AROUND THE LEAGUE"- Annandale - May was warm and very dry with rainfall some 2.93" below the norm. This was the driest May since 1986. The mean temp was 1.73 degrees above normal. The daily highs contributed most to the excess in temp as they were some 3.21 degrees above normal. The daily average temp range was 23.71 degrees which set a new 20-year record due to the high number of clear days. The month set a new record for the least sky cover for May. Only 5 days with measurable rainfall was a new 20-year record. The norm is 12 days. High pressure was the controlling weather feature noted on at least 15 days! - notes from Lowell Arlington - NWS WBC notes MAY 1999 WAS THE 8TH DRIEST MAY ON RECORD AND THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH OF BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THERE WERE ONLY 5 DAYS WITH ANY RAIN AT ALL. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN MAY WERE NEARLY ALL IN THE 70S AND 80S...WHILE ALL THE LOW TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 45 TO 65 DEGREES. THIS COUPLED WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE...MADE FOR A VERY PLEASANT SPRING MONTH IN WASHINGTON ON THE WEATHER FRONT. HOWEVER...THE DRY WEATHER DURING THE PRIME GROWING SEASON WAS ALREADY BEGINNING TO AFFECT THE LOCAL AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY. RAINFALL FOR THE YEAR REMAINS SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL...MAINLY THANKS TO A VERY WET JANUARY...BUT THAT SURPLUS WILL BE ERASED IN JUNE IF THE CURRENT WEATHER PATTERN PERSISTS. Bridgewater - Clayton sends these notes: May was a rather dry month in spite of several good rains. There were 23 days when the low humidity point was just 35% or lower. Many of these days it was around 25%. The average temperature for the month was 1.3 degrees above normal. Precipitation was 1.46 inches below normal. Patchy frost occurred on second and third days of the month. There were five thunderstorms. Two occurred on the same day. The severe drought last year, and the dry weather so far this year is causing a real problem in places where grass is sown and trees are planted. We moved into a new church last year, and a large area was planted in grass. Also the town of Bridgewater planted a lot of grass. Needless to say, the grass is not doing too well. Also, newly planted trees are struggling. New grass and trees take a lot of water. Because of the drought last year, I had to re-seed part of our backyard. The grass came up nicely, and looked great for awhile. Now, it's begging for a good drink of water. The forecasts are not encouraging! Centreville - Nice storm on the 8th with driving rain and hail but was no match for the April 23rd storm. By the way, Paul says that hailstorm necessitated the addition of a new roof at his home. The month saw only half the normal rainfall. Dulles - NWS WBC reported that the heating degree days continued to run well below the seasonal normal. The cooling degree days demand was also some 20 below normal. Monyly rainfall was just .14" below normal while the yearly rainfall was slightly above (+.63") the norm. The month's average temp was 6/10 degree in excess of the norm. Falls Church - Erica reports May's temps were slightly above average while rainfall was below the norm. The lack of rainfall has become noteworthy as the ground in her yard shows cracks and the grass is barely growing. She adds, "We need rain!!" Fredericksburg - Another very dry month with only 0.55" of rain. Cool mornings and warm days were the rule. The water situation is becoming critical in Spotsylvania County, due as much to lack of planning as to lack of rainfall. - notes from Ken Hampton - Dave reports that May saw no records broken or tied. The month began on a cool and damp note, turning very summerlike by the end, yet the month was not humid. Rainfall was deficient, some -1.71". Lawns and plants were beginning to show some stress. Month's significant event was the severe thunderstorms on the 24th that produced a wind gust to 56 MPH with some damage throughout the area. Herndon - Russ Topping reports: "May was extremely dry. We had only 3 days of rain over .1", which was brought by thunderstorms and had little chance to soak into the baking Virginia clay in this region. By the end of the month, we had severe drought conditions." Herndon - Bob Beall noted trees again are affecting his wind speeds as he recorded only a 17 MPH gust. (I experience the same problem here in late spring and summer although still have a good fetch at the 30' height. Use of 72' anemometer location was discontinued because I'm tired [and getting too weighty] of climbing the pine tree to service instruments!) Bob also notes his barograph and thermograph pens are "acting badly!" (Editor's note: Reminds me that this is a good time to service my instruments!!) New Market - Joyce notes the month was fairly normal in temperature and just a little down in precip. Norfolk - NWS AKQ (Wakefield) reported Norfolk Airport's average monthly temperature was 0.4 degree above normal. Precip was 0.04" above normal. The year-to-date rainfall is 1.18" below the norm. The average wind speed here was 10.6 MPH. Portsmouth - The month was just above the norm in temperatures (0.3 degree) while precip was 82% (-0.70") of normal. Meanwhile, the average wind speed was 5.2 MPH from the north-northeast. More new STATION records were set here and are as follows (database since 1976): Date Value Established 1 56 tied min high temp 2 54 new min high temp 3 58 new min high temp 8 69 new max low temp 14 NNE 28 new max wind gust 15 59 new min high temp Just as in April, May saw many station records continue to be broken or tied. And this trend continues into June. The unusual, station record setting/tying is the result of the trough of low pressure persistent along or offshore of the SE US coast through mid June. While temps have been cooler at the Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina coasts, precip continues at or below normal here. Year-to-date rainfall was some 4.61" below normal at month's end. Richmond - The mean temp was 0.5 degree below normal while precip was 1.09" below normal. The average wind speed was 7.9 MPH. - from NWS Wakefield (AKQ) Mechanicsville - Strong thunderstorms moved through the area on the 23rd at 1200 hours. Strong lightning and downpours- During the afternoon of the 24th, more strong thunderstorms moved through the area with damage to houses and trees due to frontal line winds. Power was knocked out in some areas. - notes from Glenn Roanoke - The month's temps were 0.2 degree below normal while rainfall was 1.77" deficient. The month as a whole was very dry and most rainfall occurred in two rain events. Not much rainfall fell during the 2nd half of the month. - Notes from Wendell Stafford - Danny notes: Only 2 days with measurable rainfall, drought underway (only slightly above average year-to-date); Below normal temps despite end-of-month heat wave (92, 95, and 93 degrees on May 29, 30, 31); Smoky, stenchy haze from New Jersey fire blanketed area on May 1. Again, Danny's relocated web page takes on a new address at: http://all.at/weather Vienna - May's average temperature, so saith Robert, was 6/10 degree above the norm. May rainfall was 1.8" below the norm. YTD precip is running 0.63" ahead of normal. Cool morning lows at the beginning of the month; very warm highs at the end of the month. No records were tied or broken. Woodstock - Lauck reports the month was warm (9th warmest in 14 years) and dry (4th driest in 14 years). Asheville - The average monthly temperature was 1.1 degrees below normal and the precip total was 1.90" below normal. Monthly average wind speed was 5.1 mph. Brevard - Bob's notes: "May set a record for lack of rain, 1.90 inches compared with a ten year average of 3.64". The year to date rainfall also has set a new low, 22.33" compared to an average of 29.35". The farmers in the area are very concerned that their crops, particularly apples, will be hurt. Temperature-wise, the mean for the month, 62.7 deg. F, is the second lowest for the ten years commencing with 1990, the low, 60.2 deg. was set in 1994. The average high, 76.5 deg., was just 0.5 deg. below avg., while the average low, 48.9, is three degrees below the ten year average." Charlotte - NWS GSP reported the monthly average temp was 1.5 degrees below normal while total precip was 2.32" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.8 MPH. Greensboro - The average temp for the month was 0.2 degrees above normal while precip was 3.02" below normal. NO RECORD HIGH OR LOW TEMPERATURES WERE SET OR TIED THIS MONTH. MAY WAS MORE THAN 75 PERCENT DRIER THAN NORMAL. THE MONTH BEGAN NEAR NORMAL FOR PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR, BY THE END OF THE MONTH YEARLY RAINFALL WAS 2.85 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. NORMALLY MAY IS THE SECOND WETTEST MONTH OF THE YEAR, BEHIND JULY. - from NWS RDU Raleigh - Bob reports that May was a very dry month with the least amount of rainfall since he relocated to the Raleigh area. The month was also the driest of any since 1997!! Fortunately, temps were below the long-term average. Correction: Bob's correct URL for his Internet site is: (misprinted last summary) http://www.qsl.net/kf4mmm Raleigh - The average temp for the month was 0.2 degree below normal while rainfall was 3.34" below normal. The official monthly summary added: NO RECORD HIGH OR LOW TEMPERATURES WERE SET OR TIED THIS MONTH. MAY WAS MORE THAN 85 PERCENT DRIER THAN NORMAL. IT WAS THE SECOND DRIEST MONTH IN HISTORY FOR THE RALEIGH AREA. THE DRIEST WAS 1926, 0.35 OF AN INCH FELL THAT YEAR. MAY IS NORMALLY THE THIRD WETTEST MONTH OF THE YEAR BEHIND JULY AND AUGUST. Roxboro - Merriell says that "although May was a rollercoaster of temperatures, the month was a bit warmer than normal and was exceptionally dry. Only about 1/3 of normal rainfall was received. Pea-size hail fell from a severe thunderstorm on the 13th. A trace amount recorded and no damage was reported." Wilmington - Excerpts from NWS ILM's summary: ...A VERY WET MAY IN THE PORT CITY... A STALLED LOW PRESSURE CENTER OFF THE CAROLINA COAST PRODUCED RECORD RAINS TO BEGIN THE MONTH OF MAY. THE 24-HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL OF 5.02 INCHES ON THE 1ST WAS THE HIGHEST DAILY TOTAL EVER MEASURED IN WILMINGTON IN THE MONTH OF MAY... BREAKING THE OLD MARK OF 4.34 INCHES ON MAY 21ST 1963 (THE PREVIOUS MAY 1ST RECORD WAS 2.17 INCHES IN 1885). THIS WAS ALSO AS MUCH RAIN AS WHAT FELL DURING ALL OF APRIL. ANOTHER RECORD FELL ON THE 14TH WHEN A THUNDERSTORM DROPPED 2.22 INCHES (OLD RECORD 1.50/1966). THE MONTHLY TOTAL WAS 8.16 INCHES WHICH WAS 3.73 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. WHEN COMBINED WITH THE RAINFALLS OF MARCH AND APRIL IT WAS THE 5TH WETTEST CLIMATOLOGICAL SPRING (MARCH THROUGH MAY) ON RECORD WITH A TOTAL OF 16.25 INCHES. TEMPERATURES WERE NEAR NORMAL IN MAY. THE MONTHLY AVERAGE OF 70.5 DEGREES WAS 0.4 DEGREE ABOVE NORMAL. A NEW RECORD LOW HIGH WAS SET ON THE 1ST WHEN THE TEMP ONLY REACHED 54 DEGREES (WAS 63/1886). THE LOW OF 73 DEGREES ON THE 24TH SET A NEW RECORD WARM LOW FOR THE DATE (WAS 72/1944). THE PORT CITY RECEIVED 77 PERCENT OF POSSIBLE SUNSHINE /NORMAL IS 67 PERCENT/. THE AVERAGE WIND SPEED WAS 8.7 MPH. Columbia - The average temperature for the month was 1.2 degrees below normal while rainfall was 2.65" below normal. - from NWS CAE Charleston - Charleston's temperatures ran nearly 2.4 degrees below normal while precip was slightly below norm, -0.06". The average wind speed at CHS was 8.0 MPH. Records: May 1st--Record low max ("mini max") at CHS airport 55 degrees (previous 67 in 1963) and also at downtown 56 degrees (previous 67 in 1963); on the same date at Beaufort 55 degrees (previous 69 in 1937). Good sea breeze frontal thunderstorms across coastal Charleston and Beaufort counties on the 12th accounted for max precip for the month. Some locales received up to 6 inches just west of Charleston during these storms. Otherwise, high pressure dominated, and it continues dry (though deceptive on the departure from norm for May). --Eleanor Greenville-Spartanburg - NWS GSP noted the average monthly temp was 0.4 degree below normal while rainfall was 3.05" below normal. Ruby - May was quite warm and dry. More sun than clouds evident! (notes from Franklin) Tri-cities - NWS Knoxville, TN reports that the Tri-cities/Bristol area recorded monthly average temps 0.1 degree below normal with precipitation some 1.46" below normal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATED MEMBERS' E-MAIL ADDRESSES: 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 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 garleonard@aol.com LKU Joe Bowers jmbiii@mnsinc.com CHS Eleanor Vallier-Talbot Eleanor.Vallier-Talbot@noaa.gov evaltal@wpmedia.com HAM Dave Kessell tccdkessel@yahoo.com VNA Robert Boott boottr@vrinet.com CHW Dave Lesher wxdave@boo.net -----------------------------------------------------------------------------