ACON - VA/NC/SC The Atlantic Coast Observer Network Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina Summary of Climatological Data for November 1996 ______________________________________________________________________________ MONTHLY SUMMARY: NOVEMBER 1996 UPDATED: 12/11/96 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season's Greetings! Please use the most recent monthly data form I include in the mailing as the it is adjusted monthly for various weather data. For instance, this past month's form changed the "past" from "past season's total snowfall" to " season's total" to reflect the first snowfall totals from you for the new season. Thus, some of you didn't do a total for the new, current season. I was nevertheless able to tell from your monthly totals what the seasonal totals were. Really don't have a lot to add in this section as your comments below and data cover about everything! It's time to condition/calibrate your weather instruments as we await a snowy winter (don't be fooled by the current warmth!!!) and the start of another calendar year! May the holiday season bring you many blessings! Happy New Year, too! Bill ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES FROM "AROUND THE LEAGUE"- Arlington - NWS Sterling notes: "Washington's mini ice-age continues with November 5.7 degrees below normal [temps]." The unusually long period of cold weather continues with every month since Nov. '95 near or well- below normal, EXCEPT for June '96! Only one brief warm spell during November'96 (5th-8th). On the 14th, temps never rose out of the 30's and 3/10ths inch of snow was measured. Bridgewater - The first measurable snowfall occurred on the 14th. It really wasn't much of a snow, but by stretching the measurment a bit, I came up with a half inch. (report from Clayton Towers) The greatest excitement in this past month's weather occurred when an unexpected snowstorm dumped 4 inches of snow in many places in the Shenandoah Valley. Early forecasts didn't mention snow, but partly cloudy skies. Everybody got fooled on this one. This was not a wide-spread storm. Areas south and east of Bridgewater got rain, while places north of here didn't get much of anything. Snow was all over the bushes and trees. It presented a beautiful sight while it lasted. Total precipitation for the year keeps piling up. Already, we have had 54.95 inches which is a record for a year, with still a month to go. This is about 20 inches above normal. Unbelievable! The average temperature for the month was 3.7 degrees below normal. There were 19 days with when the overnite low temperatures were below freezing. On the 29th, the low temperature was 18 degrees. The next morning, it was raining. It is interesting what a little bit of south wind will do. Charlottesville - Welcome home John Stewart who returned to Wahoo territory on October 18th! John noted the coldest November here in over 20 years, 1 degree colder that Nov. 1976. Precip. was normal. Most noteworthy event was the cold frontal squall line just after noon on the 8th. Within 1/2 hour, the temp dropped from the 70's to the 50's. Severe thunderstorm developed to our east. Falls Church - According to Lowell Koontz, November was cold but had average precipitation. The mean temp was 4.93 degrees below norm. Only Nov. 1995 here was colder during the last 17 years. The 22 degree temp on the 28th was the lowest Nov. temp since 1991. 2.68" of rain was the greatest for a November calendar day in those 17 years of record. The 30.81" barometric reading on the 16th established a new max barometric reading for the month of Novmeber. The 0.9" snow on the 14th made the 4th November in 17 years with measurable snow. Falls Church - Erica Page noted that the month was a wetter than average one. We were 0.81" above normal for the month with a below average month temperature-wise. The average max temp was 7.1 degrees below the normal while the average min temp was 6.9 degrees below the norm. Fredericksburg - Much of the snowfall which fell on the 21st (2 inches estimated) melt as it fell, with no accumulation on the ground. However, on surfaces exposed to the air (such as Ken McKneely's trampoline and deck) above and beneath, between 2 and 3 inches of snow accumulated. Hampton - Dave Kessel noted a very chilly November! The most noteworthy "stats" are the 13 days with minimum temps <=32 degrees. Also, several nights had temps in the low to mid 20's, something quite unusual for November. This is probably a trend I am certain will continue through the winter. Herndon - Bob Beall asks, "How do we assess Acon stamp status?" From Bill: As all of you know, I'm far behind in that category. But, during the winter break from school, I plan to update the stamp balance for all members and mail it with December's report. Newport News - Gary Leonard notes a month when temps averaged 6.3 degrees below normal and precip was slightly below normal at -0.23". Norfolk - NWS Wakefield (AKQ) noted that ORF's monthly mean temp was 6.1 degrees below normal while precip was near normal. Portsmouth - What a cold month here with the mean temperature some 6.9 degrees BELOW normal and ten days with low temps 32 degrees or below! Mechanicsville - Strong thunderstorms moved through the aea around 3 PM on the 8th with strong winds and sharp lightning. Rain mixed with some wet snow came throught the area on the 21st around 7 PM. Thunderstorms with heavy rains and strong winds moved through again on the 26th around 5 AM. (report from G. A. Martin) Richmond - According to NWS Wakefield, RIC was 6.5 degrees below the normal temp for the month. Roanoke - Wendell Prillaman noted that November was wet and cold. Monthly mean temp of 41.3 degrees was the scond coldest on record here. November of 1976 was 0.1 degree colder. Precip was 5.41", 1.24" above average. Only a trace of snow fell. Washington (VA) - According to David Yowell, the month continued the string of mostly below average months at this location that started in November 1995. Although the average temperature for the month was not quite as cold as last year 3 times the temperature reached 20 or below which was below the previous November low. Also the yearly precipitation has now reached a staggering 70.16 inches almost 3 times the amount I recorded in 1991. Woodstock - The highest barometric reading of 30.95" was recorded during November 15-16. It is the highest reading in the past 11 years. Monthly precip was normal but the year was still running far ahead (11") at report time and was some 4" above the previous high in 1990. Very cold temps noted, the second coldest November in 11 years. Brevard - Bob Keehn's recovering from some minor surgery. Hope he's feeling better and back-up running around again! Charlotte - NWS in Greenville-Spartanburg noted that November was the coldest month this year (so far) with the coldest weather concentrated in the first 16 days of the month. Hard freezes on the 3rd and 4th brought the growing season to an end. Passing cold fronts gave CLT most of its noteworthy weather during the month with a line of thunderstorms and heavy rain passing through on the morning of the 8th. Dense fog on the morning of the 19th. Henderson - November in Henderson, NC saw temps some 6.7 degrees below normal! (report from George Stevenson) Raleigh - Bob Woodson recorded his 3rd consecutive month of above normal precip. A trace of sleet was recorded on the 14th. The monthly mean temp was 7.1 degrees below normal. Raleigh - At RDU, a morning low of 28 degrees on the 3rd tied the old record low for the day. Precip was 1.33 inches above normal while temps were 5.5 degrees below normal. Roxboro - Merriell Jay note that Novmeber was cooler and drier than normal with winter-like temps for about 2/3 of the month! Wilmington - November '96 was an extremely cool month, according to NWS ILM. The monthly mean of 51.0 degrees was 6 degrees below the norm. The month was quite dry with 1.22 inches, 1.89 inches below the norm. The first freeze of the season occcurred on the morning of the 4th when the temp reached 32 degrees, nearly two weeks early. This years growing season lasted 225 days, 18 days less than the norm. Ruby - November, says Franklin Hancock, was around average in this area. About the most spectacular event was the fall foliage display. It was late here this year and was beautiful! Tri-cities - Temps, says NWS TRI, were some 5.8 degrees below normal while precip was 2.34" above the norm. Greenville-Spartanburg - Temps were 5.2 degrees below normal and rainfall was 0.86 inch above normal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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@pen.k12.va.us 71470.1535@compuserve.com wtrotter@whro.org RAL Bob Woodson woods@pipeline.com CEN Paul Bassett III pbassett@nmaa.org WSH David Yowell runamok@juno.com FCH Erica Page erica@erols.com -----------------------------------------------------------------------------