MONTHLY SUMMARY: SEPTEMBER 1997 UPDATED: 10/16/97 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I sit here in beautiful Lewisburg, WV this Saturday morning (10/4) working on ACON info to place on the web, some 300+ miles from home. Just amazing how this "portable" society allows for such convenience. Am attending a regional iris society meeting here this weekend with friends. Actually, I'm the "designated driver" and they're attending the meeting. Thus, I have plenty of time to relax away from home yet get our ACON files updated. A BIG WELCOME to a new member from Boston, VA (BOS)!!! Thomas Hensley joins us this month. Let's please try to get your data summaries in by the 8th of the new month! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES FROM "AROUND THE LEAGUE"- Arlington - NWS WBC reports that DCA experienced a tranquil, pleasant month with 25 of the 30 days having highs reaching only the 70's and 80's. This dry years continues with September having only 1.56" of rain. So far 8 of the 9 months have had below average rainfall. Temps waivered between being slightly above and below normal during the month. A cold front brought a clear transition to fall just one day before the astronomical start to autumn. Boston - Thomas Hensley noted that September was a wetter month at his station with three days of winds over 20 mph. Five days had winds ranging in the teens (mph). Cooler temps were recorded toward the end of the month. Bridgewater - There have been 12 thunderstorms so far this year. Last year at this time, there were 36. This year maybe a record for the lowest number of thunderstorms. Although the rainfall was near normal, the latter part of the month was quite dry. The old saying "When it rains it pours" certainly has been true for this past summer and early fall. It gets dry, and then heavy rains occur. This has been the pattern for a number of months this year. The rainfall for September was a little below normal, and the temperature was a little above normal. Precipitation for the year is about a half inch below normal. Centreville - The sage Paul ponders: "Remember the winters of 79-80, 82-83, 94-95? All at times when ENSO (El Nino) was rearing its head! Has the failure to release energy in the Atlantic (via hurricanes) caused an increase in Gulf Stream temps? Has the jet stream offered wider excursions than summer norms? "Sally, is the oil changed in that snow blower yet?" (Editor's note: Let's see if Paul's crystal ball [mixed with some comparative research] tells all! If 79-80 repeats itself here [POR], then we'll have near record snows. The greatest seasonal snowfall in this area occurred during the winter of 79-80 with over 42" here! Yet, 82-83 saw only 5 inches of snow. Say it ain't so Paul!!!!) Falls Church - Erica noted below average rainfall and temps for the month. Falls Church - Lowell reports that the month will be noted for its lack of rain with near average temps at his station (-0.2 degrees). The month saw the clearest skies since 1994. The 29.43" barometer on the 29th was the lowest in September since 1985 when it bottomed at 29.40". The month also was notable for its lack of t-storms. Fredericksburg - As usual, sayeth Ken, Labor Day appears to be Mother Nature's end of summer as the last 90 degree days occurred then and on the second. For the rest of the month, he mainly had cool mornings warming to confotably short-sleeve highs in the afternoon. Still less than normal precip noted! Hampton - Dave reports a cooler and drier September with no significant events except that the rainfall deficit continues, now at -12.00"! Herndon - A dry frontal passage noted by Robert at 7:30 PM on the 20th dropped temps 14 degrees in 30 minutes! Louisa - John reports that one of his sons discovered his barometer was "sticking." He now has more accurate readings to report. Mechanicsville - Glenn's site experienced some particularly noteworthy t-storms on the first at about 3:30 in the afternoon. Norfolk - NWS Wakefield reported the month of September was rather dry, the 26th driest September on record as a matter of fact. Temps were near normal (-0.1 degree). No records were set during the month. Newport News - Like Gary's short-and-sweet, "DRY!" Portsmouth - The mean temperature for September 97 was near normal (-0.2) while precip continued far below normal (-1.56) adding to the yearly deficit totalling 13.00"! Fortunately, there were no long runs without rainfall which has made the drought more bearable. At least every week or slightly beyond, some rainfall punctuated the dry conditions helping plants survive. Thus, it is safe to say this drought has not had any long spells (say 14 days+) without moisture. Rather, it's the result of prolongated shortages since January 1st. A wind gust to 46 MPH was recorded on the 30th as a reenforcing shot of drier, cooler air moved in behind the massive low which moved north from Florida. Richmond - Roy Britt sends his data while on vacation in beautiful Vermont. He says the weather is great and the leaves are really puttin' on a show! Richmond - (from NWS AKQ) Temps here were slightly above normal with the monthly average some +0.2 degrees. Precip over central VA, like Southeastern VA, was very low, some 2.5" BELOW the norm. Roanoke - In addition to receiving his August report some 10 days after I sent it (what's goin' on with USPS?!?@?#$????), Wendell also noted that the Roanoke area received some pretty good rains in September, only 0.29" below the norm of 4.2". Temps turned-out exactly normal at 67.6 degrees. Stafford - Danny Jessee reported that thunder occurred on the same two days when dense fog was noted. (Editor's note: Give a little lift and sunlight to that moisture and voila!!) Woodstock - Lauck reports normal September temps and precip although dry until the end of the month. Asheville - Temps here according to NWS GSP were about normal at 66.1 deg, or -0.1 deg from normal. Meanwhile, precip was 1.02" above normal. Brevard - With the exception of rainfall and snowfall, this summary is based upon 8 days of observation, days 9 through 15 and day 22. Since I was away from my station the last two days of August and the first five days in October, my rainfall measurements have been apportioned by month according to local newspaper-reported daily data. What rain we didn't have in August fell in September. (from Bob Keehn) Charlotte - NWS GSP reports that temps here were +0.9 degree from normal while precip was near normal at -0.11" Greensboro - NWS RDU reports that temps in the Triad region were near normal (-0.8 deg.) while precip was just above normal at +0.36" Henderson - George reports to us that the month was "so-so!" He writes that he's still wishing he were back in Cape Hatteras! Raleigh - Temps were near normal (-0.1 deg.) and precip was just 0.12" below the norm. Raleigh - September was a pretty quiet month in Bob's turf! This month saw the 6th consecutive with below normal temps! Roxboro - Merriell Jay reports that September was warm and dry with beneficial rains on the 9th through the 11th, on the 15th, on 24th and the 25th, and again on the 28th. Both precip and temps averaged above normal with a few cool nights and heavy dews during the early morning hours. Wilmington - The NWS here reported that after four consecutive months of below normal rainfall, September saw a surplus of the wet stuff with 8.94"! This was nearly (+3.9) 4 inches above normal. Despite some daily deluges, no precip records were broken or tied. It was another cool month here with average temps some 1.5 degrees below normal. The middle of the month saw 3 consecutive days of record low temps. 53 was noted on the 4th, 49 degrees on the 5th, and 53 again on the 6th. The record low of 57 on the 7th was tied. Columbia - CAE was near normal on temps (+0.6) while precip was above normal (+0.88") but the year is still far below normal, some -6.37"! Greenville-Spartanburg - NWS GSP reports its area saw temps some 0.8 degree below normal while precip was near 3/4" below normal (-0.70"). Ruby - Franklin noted that "all-in-all September was about an average month in his area." Tri-cities - The NWS at Knoxville notes a cool September in the Bristol area with average monthly temps some 2 degrees below normal. Precip was about normal at -0.24". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATED MEMBERS' E-MAIL ADDRESSES: (posted by permission) 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 deyowell@mnsinc.com FCH Erica Page erica@erols.com RMD Roy Britt rbritt@erols.com NEW Joyce Winfree joywood@shentel.net FRB Ken McKneely k7m@fls.infi.net STF Danny Jessee tornado@tidalwave.net BOS Thomas Hensley thomas@summit.net -----------------------------------------------------------------------------