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

SUMMARY OF CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA 
NOVEMBER 2003

...BREEZY, MILDER THAN NORMAL FOR MOST AREAS...
...DRIER THAN NORMAL FOR SE VA, NC, AND SC...
...MOUNTAINS, WESTERN & NORTHERN VIRGINIA SEE ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL...

A most joyous holiday season to you all!

Headlines above and data below say it all. For most, a rather uneventful month was noted and, when considering the turbulent weather associated with Hurricane Isabel in September, a second month of fairly pleasant weather can only be appreciated that much more.

Pleasant temperatures continued from October into November 2003 with departures of averages between 3 and 4° in excess of the norm. In fact, for Norfolk (ORF) and Richmond (RIC), the fall of 2003 produced temps placing the period in the top ten warmest. Rainfall, as noted in the headlines, was below normal for much of the region but higher in northern and western Virginia as well as in our more mountainous areas like Tri-cities, Asheville, and Anderson. Several of our stations noted their wettest year ever by November's end while others were closing in on the 2nd wettest year in their databases. Updates on year-end precip will be posted in December 2003's summary.

As several of you noted, gusty winds on several days were noted throughout the region! Quite a few days with winds gusting between 20 and 40 mph with 50+ mph gusts noted at Annandale, Centreville, Arlington, Dulles, Lexington, New Market, Roanoke, Hampton, and Elizabeth City in the northern half of the region.

On the 6th of November, a severe weather front moved across Northern Virginia and Maryland leaving thousands without power. On the morning of the 19th, significant problems with flooding from heavy rains in Tazewell, Dickenson, Smyth, Scott and Russell Counties (Virginia) occurred and resulted in evacuations to community shelters. On this date, tornado warnings were issued for much of the state except Southwest Virginia.

In North Carolina, flooding was reported in Avery, Caldwell, and Watuaga Counties on the 20th.

For some sites on the immediate coastal plains, the entire month went by without a frost, well-behind the annual "first frost" date.

• Model Graphics Found these two links which might be of interest to you, if not already in your links list. The NCEP Model Graphics are quite extensive and can be found at http://wwwt.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/mmbpll/etapll/. You'll need high speed access for that one! Also, with a 4 panel spread for each forecast period, check out the University of Wisconsin's MRF Model subpage at http://www.aos.wisc.edu/weather/content/mrf_model/.
• The Spotter's Page From Bill Sammler, Warning Coordination Meterologist at NWS AKQ (Wakefield): "The latest edition of The Spotter's Page is available for download at the following link: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/akq/spotterinfo/spottervol82003.pdf." The report contains an excellent review of the effects of Hurricane Isabel on much of our region. Also, NWS AKQ makes a call to mariners for observations. More info is in the PDF file for download


• NEW NOAA Weather Radio Station NWS AKQ reports a new tower has been located in Bertie County, Windsor, NC at frequency 162.525 megahertz and will cover Northern Beaufort, Bertie, Chowan, eastern ½ Edgecombe, Gates, eastern ½ Halifax, Hertford, Martin, southeast ½ Northampton, Perquimans, and eastern ½ Pitt.
• 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 may be used for these purposes.

STN  A      B    C      C1    D      E F     G    H I  J K L  M     N  O P Q R R1 S
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
AHB             45.7        74.2     20.3      0  0  6 0 39                     2400
ANN 60.1  42.5  51.39 +4.51 80     5 26   10   0  0  5 0 56 W    13  0 0 0 0  2 2400
BCB 59.9  35.4  47.7  +4.9  79   3,4 22   25   0  1 16 0 46 300° 13  0 0 0 0  1 2400 
BRI 61.6  39.2  50.4  +5.8  83     2 21   10   0  0  6 0             1 0 0 0  0 2400
CEN 62.8  43.3  53.1  +9    83     5 25   10   0  0  3 0 50 335° 13  1 0 0 0  2 2400
CHO 61.4  41.0  51.2  +2.3  82   1,5 22   10   0  0  5 0 41 180° 19  4 0 0 0  6 2400 
DAN 66.6  40.2  53.4        83   1,4 24   26   0  0  6 0                        2400 
CTR 70.4  39.5  53.4        80.9   1 28.2 10   0  0  5 0 30 W    13  1 0 0 0  0 2400 
DCA 61.6  44.6  53.1  +4.4  81   1,5 31   10   0  0  1 0 54 350° 13  1 0 0 0  1 2400 
IAD 60.7  39.3  50.0  +4.8  81   1,4 21   10   0  0  8 0 52 300° 13  1 0 0 0  5 2400 
FCH 60.2  40.3  50.3        85     3 28 9,29   0  0  4 0 45      13  1 0 0 0  0 2400 
HAM 64.6  44.6  54.6        81     5 29   26   0  0  2 0 50 WSW  19             2400
HER 59.6  41.3  50.5  +5.3  79     1 24.4 10   0  0  6 0 30+     13  1 0 0 0    2400
HRN 60.2  41.2  50.7  +5.5  81.0   4 22.1 10   0  0  6 0 38 WNW  13  1 0 0 0  1 2400 
LKU 62.4  38.7  50.6  +5.4  82.6   1 19   10   0  0  9 0 36 NW   13  0 0 0 0  0 2400 
LYH 62.9  39.8  51.3  +4.8  81     1 25   25   0  0  7 0 40 240° 19  0 0 0 0  4 2400 
LXI 58.2  37.7  48.4        78.8   5 22.6 30   0  0 10 0 50 WNW  13  0 0 0 0  3 2400
NEW 60.90 36.86 48.88       82   3,4 19   10   0  0 13 0 55 W    13  0 0 0 0  3 2400
NPN 66.8  44.5  55.6        82 3,5,6 30   26   0  0  2 0 42 S    19  1 0 0 0  2 2400 
NOR 66.6  46.1  56.3  +4.6  83   5,6 32   30   0  0  1 0             0 0 0 0  3 2400 
ORF 67.6  48.6  58.1  +5.8  85     6 32   20   0  0  1 0 49 260° 28  0 0 0 0  3 2400
FHC 65.7  49.5  57.6        82.8   6 33.8 30   0  0  0 0 42 230° 19             2400 
POR 67.7  46.4  57.1  +3.9  84     6 32   30   0  0  1 0 40 250° 13  1 0 0 0  1 2400
MEC 65    43    54          81     4 27   10   0  0  7 0             1 0 0 0  0 1700 
RIC 65.0  42.7  53.8   0.0  82   1,2 29 14,26  0  0  5 0 46 270° 13  0 0 0 0  5 2400 
RGL 61.06 43.27 52.17 +2.7  77.4   5 29.1 10   0  0  5 0 24 NW   13  1 0 0 0    2400
ROA 62.7  41.7  52.2  +4.9  82     5 28 26,25  0  0  5 0 55 180° 19  0 0 0 1  1 2400
ROK 64.1  39.4  51.8  +4.4  87     5 26 29,30  0  0  7 0 40 SW   13  0 0 0 0  1 2230 
AKQ 68.0  42.0  55.0        83   1,2 26   26   0  0  5 0                        2400 
WEE 60.7  43.2  51.9        83     2 28   14   0  0  5 0 40+NW   12  0 0 0 0 10 1630
WOO 62.1  43.1  53.0        83   4,5 28  9,30  0  0  6 0             1 0 0 1  3 0800 
WSH 58.9  41.5  50.2        80.6   1 26.2 10   0  0  8 0 25 NE   18  0 0 0 1  0 2400

STN  A      B    C      C1    D      E F    G     H I  J K L  M     N  O P Q R R1 S
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
AVL 64.1  38.7  51.4  +5.0  80     2 22   30   0  0 11 0 46 330° 13  0 0 0 0  1 2400
CLT 68.5  42.8  55.6  +3.3  83     2 28 26,30  0  0  6 0 45 200° 28  0 0 0 0  2 2400
ECG 68.8  46.7  57.8  +3.7  84     5 31   30   0  0  1 0 53 250° 28  0 0 0 0 10 2400
FAY 71.9  47.2  59.5        86     5 30   30   0  0  2 0 45 250° 19  0 0 0 0  6 2400
GSO 66.2  42.5  54.3  +5.1  81   1,2 27 26,30  0  0  5 0 48 240° 19  0 0 0 0  1 2400
HKY 65.3  42.1  53.7  +3.8  82     2 24   30   0  0  6 0 37 310° 13  0 0 0 0  4 2400
HSE             62.2  +4.8
LBT 71.2  45.9  58.5  +5.8  85     5 29   30   0  0  3 0 45 310° 13  1 0 0 0  8 2400
RAL 69.3  42.2  55.8        83   2,5 28   30   0  0  5 0 36      28  0 0 0 0  1 2400
RDU 69.0  44.0  56.5  +5.5  85     5 27   30   0  0  4 0 40 290° 13  0 0 0 0  3 2400
ROX 67.5  44.5  56.0        84     1 28   10   0  0  6 0 45 W    13  1 0 0 0  1 2100
ILM 71.5  48.1  59.8  +3.3  84     4 31   30   0  0  1 0 44 280° 19  0 0 0 0  6 2400
                                                         44 260° 28

STN  A      B    C      C1    D      E F    G     H I  J K L  M     N  O P Q R R1 S
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AND 68.3  43.4  55.8  +3.8  83     2 25    25  0  0  5 0 48 250° 18  1 0 0 0  3 2400
CAE 72.2  45.5  58.8  +4.1  85     5 27    30  0  0  3 0 38 260° 28  0 0 0 0  5 2400
CHS 74.3  49.8  62.1  +4.1  87   5,6 30    30  0  0  1 0 39 200° 19  0 0 0 0  6 2400
CRE 70.1  48.7  59.4  +4.8  82     3 30    30  0  0  1 0 47 210° 19  0 0 0 0  6 2400
FLO 71.5  46.2  58.8  +3.4  83     3 27    30  0  0  3 0 44 250° 19  2 0 0 0  7 2400
GSP 67.5  44.5  56.0  +4.9  81   2,6 28    29  0  0  4 0 36 150° 28  0 0 0 0  5 2400
OGB 72.4  45.9  59.2        85     5 25    30  0  0  3 0 41 250° 19  1 0 0 0  7 2400

STN  A      B    C      C1    D      E F    G    H  I  J K L  M     N  O P Q R R1 Sl
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRI 62.8  38.4  50.6  +5.1  81   3,4  21   30  0  0 10 0 36 230° 12  1 0 0 0  3 2400
DAV 50.7  33.8  42.3        72     4  17 9,14, 0  2 13 0             1 0 0 1  7 1900
                                       25,29,30

STN  T      T1     U       V      V1   W X   Y      Z  1  2 3    4    5      6       7        S 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AHB  4.98                            7 1        0.0          0.0  0.0  30.62     29.390    2400
ANN  5.28  +1.63 1.99 19 1.99    19  7 2 60.65  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.71   9 29.39  28 2400
BCB  3.87  +0.91 1.18 19 1.18    19 11 2 50.51  0.2 28   2 0 0.2  0.2                      2400
BRI  3.28  +0.33 1.31 19 1.09    19  7 1 50.87  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.61     29.77     0515/1600
CEN  5.74        1.71  5 2.36   5-6  9 2 61.81  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.74  19 29.44  28 2400
CHO  4.92  +1.18 1.29 19 1.87   5-6  9 2 56.59  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.71   9 29.41  28 2400
DAN  1.87        0.64 19            10 0        0.0          0.0  0.0  30.68   9 29.46  19 2400
CTR  2.39        1.08  6 1.08     6  6 1 48.28  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.65   9 29.39  28 2400
DCA  4.23  +1.20 1.47 19             7 1 56.51  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.76   9 29.41  28 2400
IAD  5.20  +1.89 1.93 19 1.93    19  7 2 60.02  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.75   9 29.42  28 2400
FCH  3.60        0.87 19 1.26   5-6  8 0 49.00  0.0          0.0  0.0                      2400
HAM  3.14        1.84 19 1.84    19      66.41  0.0          0.0  0.0                      2400
HER  5.92  +2.61 2.25  5 2.25     5 10 2 61.84  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.80   9 29.34  19 2400
HRN  5.02  +1.71 2.08 19 2.08    19  8 1 68.57  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.573  9 29.425 28 2400
LKU  6.89  +3.07 2.57  6 2.57    26 12 2 65.28  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.71  19 29.40  28 2400
LYH  3.63  +0.45 1.54  6 1.57   5-6 10 1 55.60  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.71   9 29.47  28 2400
LXI  7.14        1.74 19 2.11   5-6 14 4 58.47  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.66   9 29.48  19 2400
NEW  3.30        1.20 19            10 1 43.62  0.0          0.0  0.0                      1700
NPN  3.66        2.04 19 2.05 19-20  6 2 62.59  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.63   9 29.40  28 2400
NOR  2.64  -0.60 1.59 19 1.86 19-20  6 1 62.79  0.0          0.0  0.0                      2400
ORF  2.45  -0.53 1.51 19 1.68 19-20  8 1 58.95  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.64   9 29.42  28 2400
FHC  2.39        1.83 19 2.08 19-20  5 1 64.44  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.629  9 29.448 28 2400
POR  2.15  -1.09 1.60 19 1.69 19-20  7 1 59.72  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.635  9 29.470 28 2400
MEC  5.19        2.76  6 3.22   6-7 10 1 71.92  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.45   9 29.61  24 1700
RIC  3.39  +0.33 1.52 19 1.52    19  9 2 59.01  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.73   9 29.45  28 2400
RGL  4.53  +1.47 1.34  6 2.28   5-6  8 2        0.0          0.0  0.0  30.71   9 29.41  28 2400
ROA  4.14  +0.93 1.28  6 1.64   5-6  9 0 55.44    T (PL)       T    T  30.69   9 29.47  19 2400
ROK  3.23  -0.94 1.06 19 1.32 18-19  9 2 57.69  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.66   9 29.55  19 2400
AKQ  2.99        1.34 19 1.44 19-20  5 1 61.55  0.0          0.0  0.0                      2400
WEE  3.01        1.43 18 1.43    18  5 1 59.81  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.60  10 29.46  29 2130
WOO  3.92                1.34 19-20 11 1 46.50  0.0          0.0  0.0 *31.60  18*30.30  13 0800
                                                                                        19 
                                                    *barometer not calibrated / note range only
WSH  4.33        1.76 19 0.78 18-19  9 1 55.96    T 13         T    T  30.68   9 29.44  28 2400

STN  T     U       V      V1   W X   Y     Z   1  2 3  4     5       6       7        S
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AVL  3.89  +0.07 1.70 19 2.24 18-19  8 1          T            T    T  30.56   9 29.53  19 2400
CLT  0.84  -2.52 0.54 19 0.55 18-19  6 0 57.23  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.60   9 29.53  19 2400
ECG  1.55  -1.38 1.32 19 1.40 19-20  7 1 42.45  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.61   9 29.48  28 2400
FAY  1.34        1.05 19 1.05    19  4 1 52.46  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.58   9 29.51  19 2400
GSO  1.64  -1.32 0.90 19 0.90 18-19  9 0 59.58  0.0          0.0  0.0                      2400
HKY  3.28  -0.36 1.27 19 1.67 18-19 10 1        0.0          0.0  0.0  30.59   9 29.50  19 2400
HSE  3.31  -0.64                                                                           2400
LBT  1.38  -1.31 1.06 19 1.06    19  6 1 54.82  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.58   9 29.56  19 2400
RAL  2.36                1.09 18-19  8 0 45.44  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.63   9 28.48  19 1900
RDU  1.81  -1.16 0.96 19 0.96    19  5 0 46.31  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.65   9 29.47  19 2400
ROX  2.86        1.03 19 1.03    19  8 1 64.73  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.63   9 29.49  28 2100
ILM  1.95  -1.31 1.49 19 1.49    19  8 1 58.69  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.53   9 29.59  19 2400

STN  T      T1     U       V      V1   W X   Y     Z   1  2 3  4     5       6       7        S
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
AND  3.77  +0.09 1.19 19 1.90 18-19  9 1        0.0          0.0  0.0  30.55   9 29.57  19 2400
CAE  1.22  -1.66 0.64 19 0.64    19  6 0 54.34  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.55   9 29.57  19 2400
CHS  0.82  -1.84 0.51 19 0.51    19  3 1 49.77  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.46   9 29.61  19 2400
CRE  1.58  -1.39 1.33 19 1.33    19  6 1 62.40  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.51   9 29.60  19 2400
FLO  1.45  -1.14 0.83 19 0.83    19  5 0 33.96  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.55   9 29.53  19 2400
GSP  3.64  -0.15 1.47 19 2.00 18-19 10 1 60.48  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.56   9 29.53  19 2400
OGB  0.80        0.60 19 0.60    19  4 0 53.25  0.0          0.0  0.0  30.52   9 29.60  19 2400

STN  T      T1     U       V      V1   W X   Y     Z   1  2 3  4     5       6       7        S
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRI  6.74  +3.66 2.27 19 3.18 18-19 13 2 62.45  0.0           0.0  0.0                      2400
DAV  6.98        2.37 12            14 2 68.35  8.2 29   9 1 10.8 12.6                      1900

Virginia:

Ashburn - Gary reports at his website: " The average wind speed was 1.8 mph.

Annandale - Lowell reports: " November was much warmer than average with a monthly mean temperature of 51.3° a +4.5° departure; only three Novembers in the last 23-years have been warmer. November was again above average in rainfall for the month with a +1.63" departure. In the last 24-years only seven Novembers have been wetter. Only seven days had measurable rain. In the last 24-years only five Novembers have had fewer days of measurable rain. The record is 3 days in 1981. The 5.28" of rain for November was the wettest since 1997. The 1.99" on the 19th was the most in a calendar day in November since November 1997. November had two 23-year precipitation records for the date on the 6th and 19th. There has not been a more intense rainfall than the 1.06" in a one hour period on the 19th since November 1993 when 1.24" fell in one hour. The 2003 year's total precipitation is now 60.65"; +2.30" above the 23-year precipitation record total for the year. We have also had 147 days with equal to or greater than .01" precipitation this year the old record was 136 days in 1992. Dulles has already broken their precipitation record total for the year and Washington has already had the most precipitation for the year since the year 1889. The HIGHEST minimum temperature (warmest night) for November was 66° on the 5th. This was a +10° departure and a new 23 year HIGH minimum temperature record for the month; the old record was only 62° in 1991. In the last 23-years to find a minimum temperature record this high one needs to look back to October 22, 1984 when 68° was recorded. The maximum temperature for November was 80° which was a +7.3° departure and the highest maximum for November since 1993 when it was also 80°. Only November of 1982 has had a higher maximum for the month which was 82° and is the current record. The 80° maximum temperature on the 5th was also the second latest 80° day ever recorded in the fall. The record is 11-15-1993 when it was 80°. The 35° temperature range of November 21st tied the 23-year record for the greatest temperature range in the month of November; the old record was set in 1984. The maximum wind gust of 56 mph from the west occurred on the 13th at 1156 associated with a low pressure passing to our north. This was the highest wind ever recorded here in the last 23 years in the month of November. The highest barometer was 30.71" on the 9th which was the highest barometer recorded in November since 1996. (The record is 30.81"). Only four Novembers in the last 43 years have been higher. Observations before 1977 used for comparison were recorded in Rockingham County VA. There were 11 daily records set in November. November DAILY Records Tied or Broken- (23-Years of records): 2 daily HIGH maximum temperature records: 4, 5; 4 daily HIGH minimum temperature records: 4, 5, 6, 19; 1 daily LOW minimum: 10; 1 daily HIGH range temperature record: 21; 1 daily LOW range temperature record: 6; 2 daily HIGH precipitation records: 6, 19. The minimum wind chill of 22.6° was recorded on the 14th. FALL RECORDS-- SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER--- Total 2003 seasonal precipitation 18.01" - Average is 11.32" / The second wettest (23-Years of Data) - Maximum is 18.82" in 1995 - Minimum is 4.45" / Total 2003 seasonal mean temp. 57.8° - Average is 56.87" - Departure +0.9° (23-Years of Data) - Maximum is 61.54° - Minimum is 54.24°. " [ + + ] 

Arlington - NWS WBC reports: " ON THE 5TH...A RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 81° TIED THE RECORD OF 81 SET IN 1975. ON THE 19TH...1.47" OF RAIN BROKE THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE DAY OF 1.42 SET IN 1972. WASHINGTON HAD ITS FIRST DIP BELOW FREEZING BRIEFLY ON THE MORNING OF THE 10TH. THAT WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME BELOW FREEZING SO FAR THIS SEASON THROUGH NOVEMBER. THIS AIDED BY A VERY WARM NOVEMBER THAT FEATURED MORE DAYS IN THE 80S THAN DAYS BELOW FREEZING. NOVEMBER 2003 ENDED UP TIED FOR THE SEVENTH WARMEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD IN WASHINGTON. A FULL QUARTER OF THE MONTH HAD DAYTIME TEMPERATURES OF 70 OR WARMER. THE WARMEST TWO DAYS REACHED 81 DEGREES. THAT FEAT AFTER NOT REACHING THE 80S ALL DURING OCTOBER. IT ALSO WAS YET ANOTHER WET MONTH IN A EXCEEDINGLY WET YEAR. SO FAR 2003 IS RUNNING SECOND TO 1889 FOR THE WETTEST YEAR EVER RECORDED IN WASHINGTON. THROUGH NOVEMBER 30TH FOR ALL YEARS: 1889 61.14 INCHES, 2003 56.51 INCHES, 1878 55.15 INCHES. THE RECORD FOR THE MOST PRECIPITATION IN A CALENDAR YEAR WAS 1889 WITH 61.33"... ONLY 4.82" FROM WHERE WE WERE AT THE END OF NOVEMBER AND WELL WITHIN REACH. ONE WEATHER EVENT OF NOTE WAS A STRONG MID MONTH WINDSTORM. A STRONG GREAT PLAINS ANTICYCLONE PUSHING AGAINST AN AREA OF DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE OVER THE CANADIAN MARITIMES CREATED DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE DAY OF THE 13TH. A PEAK WIND GUST OF 41 MILES AN HOUR WAS RECORDED AT REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT. The monthly precipitation was 1.20" above normal while the average temperature was 4.3° above normal. " [ + + ] 

Blacksburg - NWS Blacksburg reports the monthly mean temp was a whopping 4.9° above normal while rainfall was 0.91" above normal. The average wind speed was 5.3 MPH. [ + + ] 

Bridgewater - " The temperature for the month was 5.8° above normal and the rainfall was .33" above normal. There were snow flurries on the 11th, the first of the season. The wind was very strong on the 11th. There was some damage in this area, but not nearly as much as in some other places. The precipitation for the year is now 50.09", which is 15.09" above normal for this time of the year. What a contrast from last year! " - report from Clayton [ + + ] 

Centreville - " Just as I was preparing for tuning up the snow blower, November lays a heat wave on me dashing any hope from last month of another ice age to arrive soon. Nineteen days were above the 57.3° average daytime high; eight came in at 70° or above with 83° being tops for the month on November 5th. The overall monthly average temperature was 53.1°; slightly over 9° warmer than the 43.9° normal. Nightly temperatures exceeded the average monthly low of 33.3° by an even 10.0°. The hottest low temperature was 68° on November 5th; the coldest low was 25° on the 10th. So, OK, the snow blower goes back in the garage, and the palms go back out on the deck again. As far as precipitation goes for November, no snow yet but it sure did rain a lot a couple of times during the month. Our greatest amount came during five hours on the evening of November 5th when 1.71" fell. Sure seems like November 5th was a busy day! The following morning a slow steady rainfall netted another 0.65" for a 24 hour total of 2.36". This amount represented over 40% of our monthly total. Two weeks later the rain gauge got another workout with 1.69" in just seven hours. With these two events, 4.05" accumulated for nearly 71% of the 5.74" monthly total. This amount exceeds a previous record set in 1993 of 4.61". Happy holidays everyone!!! (Editor's note 12/15/03: Paul didn't have long to wait to get the snowblower going, did he?) " - notes from Paul [ + + ] 

Charlottesville - The monthly average temperature was 3.3° above normal while rainfall was 2.52" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.6 mph. - from NWS WBC [ + - ] 

Chesterfield - - " Many days with gusty winds. " - Albert reports 

Danville - The average station sea-level pressure was 30.11"  

Dulles - The mean temp was 4.8° above normal. The monthly rainfall was 1.89" above normal. Average wind speed, 6.5 mph. - from NWS WBC [ + + ] 

Falls Church - " November 2003 was a bit of a rollercoaster ride with periods of warmth followed by strong cold fronts and brief cold snaps. The front on the 13th brought very strong winds and I clocked a gust of 45 mph. This month continued the wetter than average pattern but only slightly. I'd like to wish all the ACON Weather Observers a very happy and healthy holiday season!!!!! " - report from Erica [ + M ] 

Hampton - Dave reports: "Record rainfall continues to add up with over 66"! " 

Herndon - Russ notes:" November was much warmer and wetter than average. The monthly temperature was 5.5° above average and precipitation was 1.71" above average. We had fog on the 23rd and a thunderstorm on the 5th. The record high temperature of 81° was tied on the 4th and we broke the record with a high of 80.2° on the 5th. Record daily rainfall of 21.08" fell on the 19th. " - [ + + ] 

Herndon - Bob reports: " My average MAX temp was 3.1° above the Dulles "normal" and the average MIN was 7.5 above. Winds are tree affected. Dulles is about 4 miles WSW and its normal is the 1971-2000 average. Daily precip: 5th: 2.25, 6th: 0.33, 7th: 0.02, 11th: T, 12th: 0.48, 13th: 0.02, 15th: 0.01, 16th: 0.01, 19th: 1.80, 24th: 0.27, 28th: 0.73. " - [ + M ] 

Lexington - " Mean max for the month was exactly normal (58.2°) while mean min was 4° above normal. No snowfall was recorded which is 0.60" below normal. A few extreme notes from WREL: This was the wettest November since WREL has kept stats (1996). The highest SLP ever recorded at this wx station (also dating back to 1996) was 30.66" on November 9. Our highest wind speed of the year (50 MPH) was recorded on November 13. A very interesting month! WREL also set a new annual precipitation record for our wx station this month! WREL has a new Virginia temperature map online featuring NWS stations and several reliable Personal Weather Stations. This map updates every 10 minutes and gives a great temperaure display for Virginia. Place your curson over any temperature display and the local conditions "pop-up". I've found this map to be a great tool for CAD events as well as following FROPA. Here's the address: http://www.wrel.com/mesomap.htm. - report from Scott at WREL-AM Radio [ +/- + ] 

Louisa - Temps average 5.4° above normal while rainfall was 3.07" above normal. - report from Joe [ + + ] 

Lynchburg - Rainfall for the month was 0.45" above normal while the mean temp was 4.8° above normal. The average wind speed was 4.7 MPH. The average sea level pressure was 30.12". - from NWS Blacksburg [ + + ] 

New Market - " We are a couple degrees cooler than normal for the month and about ½ inch short of average precip. " - [ - - ]

Norfolk - NWS AKQ noted the average temperature in Norfolk was a whopping 5.8° above normal. The month's rainfall was 0.53" below normal. The average wind speed was 8.7 mph. The average relative humidity 65% and the average sky cover was 40%. - [ + - ]

Norfolk - The Fred Heutte Center, in Historic Ghent, noted a mean barometer reading of 30.107". The mean relative humidity was 75%. The average wind speed was 5 mph from a dominant WNW direction. 

Portsmouth - November saw temps which averaged 3.9° above normal and rainfall that ran 1.09" below normal (or 66%). The wind speed average (4.1 mph) was not noteworthy but the month did see quite a few wind gusts in excess of 30 mph. In fact, 5 days saw gusts above 30 mph while 10 days had gusts above 25 mph. More than half the days (16) had fog but only 1 with dense fog. The average sky cover was 34.5% and the average relative humidity was 72%. A large number of station records were noted during November and include: 4TH - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM 80° [PREVIOUS 79° 1982]; 5TH - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM 83° [PREVIOUS 78° 1990]; 5TH - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM MINIMUM 69° [PREVIOUS 64° 1977]; 6TH - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM 84° [PREVIOUS 79° 1994]; 6TH - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM MINIMUM TIED 65° [PREVIOUS 1977]; 12TH - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM 79° [PREVIOUS 75° 1985]; 12TH - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM MINIMUM 61° [PREVIOUS 60° 1985]; 13TH - WIND - MAXIMUM GUST 40 MPH [PREVIOUS 30 MPH 1988]; 14TH - WIND - MAXIMUM GUST 32 MPH [PREVIOUS 30 MPH 1999]; 19TH - TEMPERATURE - MAXIMUM 77° [PREVIOUS 75° 1979]; 19TH - WIND - MAXIMUM GUST 34 MPH [PREVIOUS 28 MPH 1995]; 19TH - RAINFALL - 1.60" [PREVIOUS 0.82" 1984]. Whew!! For the year-to-date, the temperature average was 0.4° below normal while rainfall is running 14.45" above normal (132%). At the end of November, 2003 is currently the 3rd wettest year in the database behind 1999 and 1979. - [ + - ] 

Richmond - NWS AKQ reported the mean temp at RIC was normal. Rainfall was 0.33" above normal. The average wind speed was 7.4 mph. The average relative humidity was 73% while the average sky cover was 40%. [ +/- + ] 

Ruther Glen - Danny notes: "November got off to a warm start here, and temperatures for the most part stayed above normal throughout the month. Old man winter must be waiting until December to make an appearance! Rain events of over 1 inch occurred twice during the month- on the 6th and 19th - helping to make precip during November above normal as well. It's great to be back and contributing to ACON again!" - [ + + ] 

Roanoke - Wendell sends these notes:" November was much warmer than normal by 4.4°. Rainfall was 0.94" below normal. A lot of wind was the highlight of the month. " - [ + - ] 

Roanoke - NWS Blacksburg reports that the Roanoke airport monthly mean temp was 4.9° above normal. Rainfall was 0.93" above normal. The average wind speed was 6.6 mph. The average sea-level pressure was 30.12"." [ + + ] 

Woodstock - " Warm (4th of 18 years) and wet (5 of 18). Snow spits on the 14th and 30th, a little sleet on the 24th. " - notes from Lauck [ + + ] 

North Carolina:

Asheville - from NWS GSP: The monthly mean temp was 5.0° above and the rainfall was 0.07" above normal. The average wind speed was 6.9 mph. [ + + ] 

Charlotte - NWS GSP reports the mean temp here was 1.7° below normal and precip was 6.63" above normal. The average wind speed was 3.9 mph. - [ - + ] 

Elizabeth City - The Elizabeth City Coast Guard Station [ECG] reported an average wind speed of 8.5 mph. The mean temp was 3.7° above normal while rainfall was 1.38" below normal. The average relative humidity was 74% and the average sky cover was 40%. - from NWS AKQ [ + - ] 

Fayetteville - NWS RDU reports the average wind speed was 6.3 mph. The average sky cover was 40%.

Cape Hatteras - " The average temperature in November 2003 was 62.2°. This was 4.8° warmer than the 1895-2003 average, the 5th warmest November on record (1895-2003). 3.31" of precipitation fell in November. This was 0.64" less than the 1895-2003 average, the 52nd driest such month on record (1895-2003)." - from NCDC [ + - ] 

Fayetteville - " The average relative humidity and sky cover were 66% and 30% respectively. - from NWS RAH  

Greensboro - NWS RDU notes a mean temp here that was 5.1° above normal. Rainfall was 1.32" below normal. The average wind speed was 7.0 mph. The monthly sky cover average was 30%. The average relative humidity was 67%. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 74° ON THE 22ND TIED THE RECORD SET IN 1979 AND 1931. THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 65° ON THE 5TH SET THE RECORD FOR THE HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 64 DEGREES SET IN 1977. NOVEMBER 2003 WAS THE THIRD WARMEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD FOR THE PIEDMONT TRIAD INTL AIRPORT (RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1928). A NEW RECORD OF 59.58" OF RAIN HAS BEEN SET THIS MONTH FOR THE YEAR-TO-DATE RAINFALL AT THE PIEDMONT TRIAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE OLD RECORD WAS 56.51" IN 1975. THIS ALSO SET A NEW RECORD FOR THE GREENSBORO AREA. THE OLD RECORD WAS 57.95" OF RAIN SET IN 1901. - [ + - ] 

Hickory - The average wind speed was 3.9 mph. The average monthly temperature was 3.8° above normal while rainfall was 0.36" below normal - from NWS GSP [ + - ] 

Lumberton - The average wind speed was 5.9 mph. The average monthly temperature was 5.8° above normal while rainfall was 1.31" below normal - from NWS ILM [ + - ] 

Raleigh - NWS RDU reports the average daily temperatures were a whopping 5.5° above normal while precipitation was 1.16" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.9 mph. The average sky cover was 50%. The average relative humidity was 68%. Lots of records here in November 2003: THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 85° ON THE 5TH SET THE RECORD HIGH FOR THE DATE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 82 SET IN 1948. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 83° ON THE 6TH SET THE RECORD HIGH FOR THE DATE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 81 SET IN 1961. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 80° ON THE 12TH SET THE RECORD HIGH FOR THE DATE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 79 SET IN 1989. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 78° ON THE 21ST SET THE RECORD HIGH FOR THE DATE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 76 SET IN 1953. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 76° ON THE 22ND SET THE RECORD HIGH FOR THE DATE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 75 SET IN 1999 AND 1983. THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 65° ON THE 6TH SET THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR THE DATE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 60 SET IN 1994 AND 1986. THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 61° ON THE 7TH SET THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM FOR THE DATE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 56 SET IN 1986. NOVEMBER 2003 WAS THE SECOND WARMEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD FOR THE RDU AIRPORT (RECORDS DATE BACK TO 1944). " - [ + - ] 

Raleigh - Bob reports: " November was a very mild month. There were 7 days on which the max temperature equaled or exceeded 80°! There were at least three record high temperatures recorded at the NWS office in Raleigh. Rainfall was below normal and no thunderstorms were observed during the month. Quite windy on the 28th with a peak gust of 36 mph recorded at 5:06 pm . " - [ + - ] 

Roxboro - Merriell notes : " November was warmer and drier than normal. The month was also windy from time to time as frontal systems passed through the area. producing strong gusty winds. " - [ + - ] 

Wilmington - From NWS ILM: The average temp was 3.3° above normal while rainfall was 1.31" below normal. The average wind speed was 7.0 mph. A record high temperature was tied on the 5th (83°) previously set in 1977. Record high temperature was set on the 6th with 83°, surpassing the previous record high set in 1994. Another record high temperature was set on the 7th with 73°, surpassing the previous record high set in 1994. - [ + - ] 

South Carolina:

Anderson - NWS GSP reports the monthly mean temp was 3.8° above normal. Rainfall was 0.09" above normal. The average wind speed was 4.9 mph. - [ + + ] 

Charleston - NWS CHS reports the monthly mean temp was 4.1° above normal. Rainfall was 1.84" below normal. The average wind speed was 7.1 mph. - [ + - ] 

Columbia - NWS CAE reports that the mean temp here was 4.1° above normal. Rainfall was a 1.66" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.4 mph. - [ + - ] 

Florence - The mean temp here was 3.4° above normal while rainfall totals were 1.14" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.8 mph. - from NWS ILM [ + - ] 

Greenville-Spartanburg - The monthly mean temperature was 4.9° above normal while rainfall was 0.15" below normal. The average wind speed was 6.2 mph. - from NWS GSP [ + - ] 

North Myrtle Beach - The mean temp was 4.8° above normal while rainfall was 1.39" below normal. The average wind speed was 6.0 mph. A record high temp was set on the 3rd (82°) with the previous record set in 1955. A record high temp was tied on the 4th (80°) with the record first set in 1950. A record high temp was set on the 5th (80°) with the previous record set in 1988. A record high temp was set on the 6th (80°) with the previous record wet in 1990. And on the 14th, the record low temp was tied (33°) with the previous record set in 1956. " - data from NWS ILM [ + - ] 

Orangeburg - NWS CAE reports the average wind speed here was 4.5 mph.

Nearby Cities:

Tri-Cities - Tri-Cities received 6.74 inches of precipitation during November, which was 3.66" above normal. It was the wettest November on record at Tri-Cities. Measurable precipitation occurred on 13 days, with two of those days having more than an inch. The heaviest rain fell on the 19th when 2.27" was recorded. The previous wettest November at Tri-Cities was back in 1948, when 5.90" fell. The average monthly temperature at Tri-Cities was 50.6°, which was 5.1° above normal. It ranked as the 7th warmest November on record at Tri-Cities. Record highs were tied on the 2nd and 3rd, when highs reached 80° and 81°, respectively. A record high was broken on the 4th when the high reached 81°, exceeding the previous record of 78° set in 1974. The warmest November at Tri-Cities was back in 1985, when the average temperature was 55.3°. Tri-Cities received 13.58" of precipitation this fall, which was 5.12" above normal. It was the 2nd wettest fall on record at Tri-Cities. Despite a relatively dry October, the much above normal rainfall received in September and November resulted in the excess. The wettest fall at Tri-Cities was back in 1972, when 14.51" fell. The average seasonal temp at Tri-Cities was 57.4°, which was 1.7° above normal. It tied with 1942 as the 28th warmest fall on record at Tri-Cities. Three record highs were tied or broken, all in November. The warmest fall at Tri-Cities was back in 1985, when the average temperature was 60.9°. - from NWS MRX [ + + ]