MONTHLY SUMMARY: NOVEMBER 1999 UPDATED: 12/16/99 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...NOVEMBER '99 WARMER AND DRIER THAN NORMAL... GLARING ERROR Nobody has mentioned it on his/her data form, but there was a serious error on my part in last month's summary. Hurricane Irene DID NOT COME ASHORE in North Carolina as stated. The storm turned ENE and moved parallel to the coast on its trekk to sea. I read the ACON report out of Maryland/DC and noticed Gary Gallaher's mention of that. Upon checking this out, 'twas true! SNOWFALL MEASUREMENTS For a good refresher on effective snowfall measurement, reread member Lowell Koontz' article "Measuring Snowfalls" at: http://www.pilot.infi.net/~bsmoot/koontz.htm PLANNINGWEATHER.COM Former NWS Wakefield meteorologist David Tolleris, now residing in Richmond, has begun planningweather.com David notes "PlanningWeather.com is the Net's premiere site for Risk Assessment Weather forecasts. I provide the most detailed and accurate weather forecasts out to 10 Days for business and organizations that operate weather sensitive endeavors." With great interest I read his winter forecast 1999-2000. His prognostications are not only interesting but appear sound in reasoning and backed by quite a bit of historical "digging and comparing." Check it out at: http://www.planningweather.com NOTES FROM "AROUND THE LEAGUE"- Annandale - According to Lowell, November was very warm with below average rain. There were many clear days. The average monthly temp was 5.26 deg. above normal. The month was the warmest since 1985. 11 days had temps >= 65 deg. The average max temp of 60.07 was the highest since '85 with the average minimum the highest since the same year. The average ground temperature at 1 foot was the warmest on record for November since 1986. Rainfall ran 1.57" below normal. The barometer reached 30.55" on the 30th and was the highest for the month since November 1996 when it reached 30.81". The 29.31" reading on the 2nd was the lowest for the month since 1994 when it reached 29.27". High pressure dominated the weather for 18 days, the most for a November since 1993 when 18 days were also noted. Arlington - NWS WBC reported:...RECORDS...ON THE 10TH...THE HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR THE DAY WAS TIED WHEN THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 76 DEGREES. THIS TIED THE RECORD SET IN 1975. ON THE 26TH...1.52 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. THIS BROKE THE RAINFALL RECORD FOR THE DAY WHICH PREVIOUSLY WAS 1.04 INCHES SET IN 1940. NOVEMBER WAS NEARLY RAIN FREE THIS YEAR. ONLY THREE DAYS HAD MEASURABLE RAIN IN WASHINGTON. THE NOTABLE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE HOWEVER OCCURRED DURING THE 26TH WHEN A WARM FRONT PUSHING NORTH THROUGH MOIST AIR PRODUCED A DELUGE OF AN INCH AND A HALF OF RAIN. THIS WAS ENOUGH TO CREATE HOLIDAY WEEKEND TRAVEL PROBLEMS WHEN SEVERAL POOR DRAINAGE AREAS ON AREA ROADS TURNED INTO LAKES. THIS ONE DAY RAIN PRODUCED ALL BUT THREE TENTHS OF OUR ENTIRE MONTHLY RAINFALL. TEMPERATURES WERE WELL ABOVE NORMAL THIS MONTH. OUR FINAL AUTUMN MONTH WAS OVER THREE DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. THAT WAS ENOUGH TO LOG AS OUR SIXTH WARMEST NOVEMBER SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1871. THE TOP SIX: 1979 - 4.6 DEGREES WARMER THAN AVERAGE 1975 - 4.6 1985 - 4.5 1931 - 4.2 1994 - 3.5 **** 1999 - 3.3 **** AMAZINGLY...NEARLY HALF THE MONTH HAD HIGH TEMPERATURES AT LEAST 65 DEGREES...WITH EIGHT DAYS HITTING 70 OR HIGHER. WARM AIR DOMINATED THE MONTH WITH ONLY BRIEF COLD SNAPS. THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE OF THE MONTH CAME JUST AS IT ENDED AT MIDNIGHT ON THE 30TH...31 DEGREES. The month's average temp was 3.3 deg. above the norm while monthly precip was 1.3" below normal. Year-to-date rainfall was running 2.23" above normal. Blacksburg - From NWS BCB: THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER KICKED OFF AS A CONTINUATION OF THE LAST DAYS OF OCTOBER...WARM. THE WARMEST DAY FOR NOVEMBER 1999 OCCURRED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WERE 75 DEGREES AT BLACKSBURG...76 DEGREES AT ROANOKE & 77 DEGREES WAS RECORDED AT LYNCHBURG. BUT THIS TRANQUIL PERIOD CAME TO HALT IN A HURRY. ON THE 2ND DAY OF THE MONTH A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED FROM TEXAS THROUGH THE GULF STATES THEN NORTHEAST TO CENTRAL VIRGINIA. DURING THE MORNING HOURS FLOODING WAS OCCURRING ALONG THE SOUTH FORK OF THE NEW RIVER IN WATAUGA COUNTY, NEAR BOONE NC. BY THE LUNCH HOUR DEPUTY SHERIFFS IN GRAYSON COUNTY VIRGINIA REPORTED DIME SIZE HAIL AT ELK CREEK AROUND 1210 PM. THUNDERSTORMS SPAWNED DAMAGING WINDS AS LARGE TREES WERE BLOWN OVER NEAR MAX MEADOWS IN WYTHE COUNTY VIRGINIA AT 100 PM. THE STORMS CONTINUED RACING NORTHEAST AND INTO THE NEW RIVER VALLEY AS DIME SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT DUBLIN IN PULASKI COUNTY AT 117 PM. THE STORMS WEAKENED SOMEWHAT BUT STILL RETAINED ENOUGH PUNCH TO BLOW A TREE DOWN ACROSS HIGHTOP ROAD IN BLACKSBURG AROUND 140 PM...AND IN PEARIBURG A TREE WAS DOWN ACROSS ROUTE 658. THE STORMS CONTINUED TOWARD THE ROANOKE VALLEY BY MID AFTERNOON BUT SHED THEIR PENCHANT FOR DAMAGE TO BENIFICIAL RAINS AS ROANOKE REPORTED 1.31 INCHES OF RAIN FOR NOVEMBER 2ND. THE COLD FRONT PASSED THROUGH THE REGION LATE IN THE DAY. THIS SET UP QUITE A CHANGE IN TEMPERTURES AS THE DAWN BROKE ON THE MORNING OF THE 3RD READINGS HAD FALLEN INTO THE UPPER 20S ACROSS THE NEW RIVER VALLEY SOUTH INTO THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE...WHILE TEMPERATURES WERE COLD IN THE 30'S ACROSS THE ROANOKE VALLEY AND POINTS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE ENOUGH WIND WAS STIRRING AROUND TO KEEP TEMPERATURE A LITTLE HIGHER FOR THOSE AREAS. FROM SUMMER TO WINTER DESCRIBES THE THIRD DAY OF THE MONTH, AS SNOW WAS REPORTED ACROSS THE REGION. A NICE 2 INCH AMOUNT WAS REPORTED AROUND BATH COUNTY AT MOUNTAIN GROVE...WITH 1 INCH BEING MEASURED AT TROUTDALE IN GRAYSON COUNTY. THE 4TH THROUGH THE 9TH SAW THE RETURN OF WARM WEATHER WITH DELIGHTFUL LOW HUMIDITIES. THE 10TH THROUGH THE 13TH WAS DRY BUT TEMPERATURES STARTED TO YO YO FROM HIGHS IN THE 70'S WITH THE NEXT DAY IN THE 50'S AND SO ON. THE 14TH WAS NOTABLE AS THE ONLY RECORD TEMPERATURE WAS SET IN THE REGION. AT LYNCHBURG A HIGH OF 79 DEGREES ERASED THE OLD MARK 78 WHICH OCCURRED IN 1993. THAT DAY IT WAS RATHER WARM WITH HIGHS OF 77 AND 71 AT ROANOKE AND BLACKSBURG. AS HUNTING SEASON WAS STARTING TO GET IN FULL GEAR...TEMPERATURES WERE ON THE WARMSIDE, NOT PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR A HUNT. HOWEVER, A DRY COLD FRONT MADE AN APPEARANCE AND COOLED THINGS DOWN A BIT AS DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES THE 15TH THROUGH THE 17TH STRUGGLED TO GET INTO THE 50S. ON THE 17TH AND 18TH OF THE MONTH THE REGION WAS GRACED BY CLEAR NIGHT SKIES...JUST PERFECT FOR A "METEOR STORM". THE LEONEID METEOR SHOWER WAS ANTICIPATED WITH MUCH EXCITEMENT. HOWEVER THE STORM NEVER DID REACH EXPECTATIONS AS IT WAS REPORTED FROM THE NIGHT SHIFT HERE AT BLACKSBURG AND MY OBSERVATIONS AT BUFFALO RIDGE IN PATRICK COUNTY. IT WAS AGREED FROM THE STAFF AND WORD ON THE STREET THAT IT WAS A COMPLETE DUD OF "A STORM". BETWEEN THE 20TH AND 25TH CLOUDY SKIES WERE THE WORD AS EASTERLY WINDS TRANSPORTED MOISTURE IN OUR PIEDMONT AND MOUNTAIN REGIONS. SOME RAIN WAS REPORTED WITH THIS SYSTEM...WITH OVER AN INCH IN LYNCHBURG DURING THIS PERIOD. LESSER AMOUNTS WERE REPORTED FROM THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS AND WESTWARD. A WEAK FRONT WAS LAYING ACROSS THE REGION ON THE 24TH. THIS SET UP THE NEXT SYSTEM MOVING NORTHEAST FROM THE GULF STATES. THE MODELS INDICATED TWO DIRECTIONS, THE FIRST UP THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE APPALACHIANS. THE SECOND ONE BROUGHT THE LOW ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE. BY THANKSGIVING MORNING THE FIRST SENARIO WON OUT AS THE LOW PASSED TO OUR WEST. HOWEVER, RAIN IT DID ACROSS THE REGION. RAIN WAS HEAVY AT TIMES DURING THE MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY THE 26TH. THE COLD FRONT TRANSITED THE REGION NEAR SUNSET WHICH PROVIDED A NICE DISPLAY TO HOKIE FANS DEPARTING THROUGHT THE TURNSTILES, AFTER THE VICTORY OVER BOSTON COLLEGE AT LANE STADIUM. THE SETING SUN BROKE THROUGH THE CLEARING SKIES TO THE WEST WHICH PROVIDED A NICE LOOKING RAINBOW. THE RAINBOWS WERE ALSO OBSERVED TO THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS FLOYD COUNTY AND AT MY HOUSE IN PATRICK COUNTY. BY THE 28TH OF THE MONTH THE OFFICE WAS ABUZZ ON THE NEXT SYSTEM...A BIG CHUNCK OF CANADIAN AIR WAS POISED TO BE SWEPT SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE MID ATLANTIC STATES AND BRING REAL WINTER TYPE TEMPERATURES. SURE ENOUGH BY LATE IN THE DAY ON THE 29TH A COLD FRONT CAME ON THROUGH THE REGION ON STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS. SNOW FLAKES HAD MADE AN APPEARANCE IN THE NEW RIVER VALLEY AND THE ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS AROUND 830 PM. MORE INTENSE BUT SHORT LIVED SNOW SHOWERS OCCURRED DURING THE EARLY MORNING OF THE 30TH...BUT NO ACCUMULATIONS WERE NOTED. BUT AS THE FIRST DECEMBER DAWN OF 1999 WAS UPON US. A COLD WAKEUP WAS IN STORE WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 20'S AND WIND CHILL FACTORS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AS WE CLOSED OUT NOVEMBER 1999. The month's mean temp was 5.4 deg. above normal while precip was 1.51" below the norm. Bridgewater - Clayton reports: "The total rainfall for the month was 2.11 inches which was .84 inches below normal. The total for the year of 32.84 inches is 2.66 inches below normal. The average temperature was 5.4 degrees above normal.The coldest day of the month occurred on the 30th with an average temperature of 32.5 degrees. Quite a few snow flurries fell on this day. The month was quite boring with nothing much happening in the way of big storms." Centerville - Florida was great when Paul visited between the 20th and 30th. Closer to home, the average daily temps for the month was 8 deg. above the 45 deg. norm with average lows 9.5 deg. above normal. There was only one cooling degree days on the 24th. Precip was 65% of the normal. He adds it certainly was a shock coming in to Dulles at 37 deg. after leaving Orlando two hours earlier with temps in the lower 70s! Dulles - The mean temp here was 4.6 deg. above normal while precip was 1.58" below normal. Yearly precip was running 4.01" above the norm. (NWS WBC) Falls Church - Erica sends wishes for "Happy Holidays!" November 1999 was a warm and dry month. Her biggest rainfall occurred on November 26 when she recorded 1.52" from a storm in Falls Church. Fredericksburg - Like the rest of us, Ken noted a warmer than average November. Hampton - Dave notes: "A mild and ry November. There were no significant events. Scattered frost did occur on the 4th and 18th; however, temps did not fall to freezing the entire month. An extended period of drizzle and fog occurred from thge 21st to the 25th. New records highs... 78 on the 10th and 75 on the 22nd." Herndon - November was warm and dry, reports Russ, with temperatures averaging 4.6 degrees above normal and rainfall 2.2" below normal. Lynchburg - NWS BCB reports: The mean temp was 3.4 deg. above normal and total precip was 0.84" below normal. 1 record was set for the month with a new record high temp on the 14th at 79 deg. The old record was 78 deg. in 1993. New Market - Joyce reports: "We are 4.0 deg warmer than normal for the month while the precip total was 1.5" below average. We are still in drought conditions around here!" Newport News - Gary Leonard noted the needed drier weather. Norfolk - NWS AKQ reported Norfolk Airport's average monthly temperature was 2.9 degrees above normal. Precip was 1.44" below normal. Portsmouth - A far more tranquil month as autumn ended. The month was drier... as a matter of fact it was the driest month of the year and the 2nd driest November after the 1.18" which fell in 1993 (records since 1976). The month was a warmer than normal one with a departure of 3.6 deg. Four station records were set: Date Value Established 23 58 tie of max minimum temperature 24 57 tie of max minimum temperature 25 59 new max minimum temperature 26 59 new max minimum temperature Year-to-date mean temp was 1.1 deg above normal. Total precip in the rainiest year ever at this site through November was 74.60", or an unbelievable 29.59" IN EXCESS OF THE NORMAL (166%). The month usually has at least one day with temps 32 deg. or below. November '99 had none! Richmond - The mean temp was 3.3 degrees above normal while precip was 2.16" below normal. The average wind speed was 6.6 MPH. - from NWS Wakefield (AKQ) Mechanicsville - Glenn reports thunderstorms on the 11th at 7 AM LT and again at 4:30 PM on the 20th produced downpours. Roanoke - Wendell experienced his second warmest November on record, 5.0 deg. above the normal of 47.4. Rainfall was 1.32" below the normal. There was no snow at all! Roanoke - NWS BCB reports: The mean temperature was 5.3 deg. above the norm while precip ran 1.09" below normal. Vienna - Robert sends these notes: "November temperatures were 5.3 deg above normal. This is a record for my 14-year database. November precip was was 1.47" below normal. Eight days had highs >= 70 deg. The season's first freezing temps occurred on the 4th. Temps <=32 were noted on 6 days. A 23-day period without measurable rain occurred from the 3rd through the 25th. This is unusual for November in this area. The month ended on a cold, windy note with a high temp of only 40 deg on the 30th." Woodstock - Lauck says November '99 was the warmest November in 14 years!! The month was dry too!! Asheville - The average monthly temperature was 3.8 degrees above normal and the precip was 0.28" below normal for the second straight month. Monthly average wind speed was 6.8 mph. - NWS GSP Brevard - Bob's remarks: November, 1999, was the third warmest November since my recording of the weather commenced in 1990. Using a standardized 30-day month, November heating required 484 degree days compared with 619 DD for the latest five years and 570 DD for all ten Novembers. No cooling DD were required; only November 1990 required cooling, two DD. I standardized degree days heating and cooling using: 30DD = ((ObsDD / TempObsnCount) * 30). Precipitation in November 1999, 4.73", was higher than the average forthe latest five years, 3.87", but similar to the ten year average, 4.80". Cumulative rainfall to the end of November 1999, 47.45", is still well below, 63.42" and 62.68", for the most recent five and ten years respectively. Looks like Brevard is going to be about 15.5" short on rainfall this year. Next year, I am planning to take my Wx observations at 1600 hours EST instead of 2100 hours as "getting around" is becomming progressively more difficult. My recordings for all of the 1990 - 1999 interval will be 2100 hours EST. Charlotte - NWS GSP reported the monthly average temp was 2.1 deg. above normal while total precip was 1.74" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.0 MPH. Raleigh - Bob noted the month as being a quiet one with above normal temps and below normal rainfall. However, rainfall for the year is 17.22" above normal. For the 2nd month in a row, no thunder was observed. Raleigh - NWS RDU reported: A record high temp was tied on the 14th with 81 deg. and again on the 22nd with a high of 75 deg. The average monthly temp was 3.2 degrees above normal while total precip was 1.78" below the normal. Roxboro - Merriell reports: November was warmer and drier than normal with lots of bright sunny days! A beautiful fall month! Wilmington - Excerpts from NWS ILM's summary:...WARMTH RETURNS TO THE PORT CITY IN NOVEMBER...NOVEMBER IN WILMINGTON TURNED OUT ON THE WARM SIDE. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 60.2 DEGREES WHICH WAS 3.2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. IT ALSO TIED FOR THE 6TH WARMEST NOVEMBER IN PORT CITY HISTORY. THE AVERAGE HIGH AND LOW TEMPS WERE 71.5 AND 48.8 DEGREES RESPECTIVELY. THE HIGH TEMP FOR THE MONTH WAS 80 DEGREES WHICH OCCURRED ON 3 DAYS: THE 1ST... THE 10TH AND THE 26TH (WHICH BROKE THE OLD DAILY RECORD OF 79 DEGREES IN 1973). THE LOW WAS 33 DEGREES ON THE 18TH. A RECORD WARM LOW WAS TIED ON THE 26TH WHEN THE TEMP ONLY DROPPED TO 66 DEGREES (WAS SET IN 1895). IT WAS A NEAR NORMAL MONTH RAINWISE IN THE PORT CITY. THE TOTAL OF 3.58 INCHES WAS ONLY 0.47 INCH ABOVE NORMAL. THERE WERE NO PRECIPITATION RECORDS SET OR TIED IN NOVEMBER. THE TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE CLIMATOLOGICAL FALL (SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER) WAS 30.80 INCHES WHICH WAS THE 2ND MOST EVER FOR AN AUTUMN. THE WETTEST OCCURRED IN 1877 WHEN 31.72 INCHES FELL. Columbia - The average temperature for the month was 1.8 degrees above normal while rainfall was 2.15" below normal. Rainfall for the year is running 17.77" below normal. - from NWS CAE Charleston - Eleanor notes that no records were tied or set in Charleston, Beaufort or Savannah during November. A rather mundane month weather wise, with high pressure dominating for the most part. She also notes mean temp were 1.4 deg. above normal while precip was 0.79" below the norm! The average wind speed was 6.7 MPH. Year-to-date precip is running 4.51" below normal. Greenville-Spartanburg - NWS GSP noted the average monthly temp was 4.8 degrees above normal while rainfall was 0.98" below normal. The average wind speed was 5.9 MPH. Ruby - The month was fairly dry and cool reports Franklin. Not much rain but not too dry. Temps were above average also. Tri-cities - NWS Knoxville/Tri-cities reports that the Tri-cities/Bristol area recorded monthly average temps 2.4 degrees below normal with precipitation 0.35" above normal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATED MEMBERS' E-MAIL ADDRESSES: BRE Bob Keehn Bob_Keehn@citcom.net BRI Clayton Towers Ctowers@rica.net POR Bill Trotter pwrs@pilot.infi.net 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 danny@tidalwave.net (while at UVA) 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 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------