WED, APRIL 30, 1997 10:30 PM DST ------------------------------------------------------------------- MONTHLY SUMMARY OF CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA - PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA Portsmouth Weather Records Service Portsmouth, Virginia 23702-2017 (3 miles south / West Cradock Section) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monthly summary of Local Climatological Data for Portsmouth, Virginia, West Cradock Section, during the month of April 1997. Time is EST/DST. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D HT DN LT DN MT DN HDD CDD PREC WD WS SC WXR TYPE/REMARKS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 59 -8 37 -6 48.0 -7 17.0 0.01 NNW53 PC SHSN (AM) WINDY 2 66 -2 42 -1 54.0 -2 11.0 NNW35 SU 3 70 +3 42 -3 56.0 0 9.0 WSW16 SU 4 80 +10 50 +2 65.0 +6 NNW18 SU 5 75 +7 54 +7 64.5 +7 0.5 ESE23 PC 6 81 +16 58 +13 69.5 +14 4.5 0.46 SSW23 PC WARM TSRA 7 79 +14 57 +13 68.0 +14 3.0 WNW26 PC BR FROPA 8 69 +3 50 +5 59.5 +4 5.5 W 22 SU 9 53 -12 39 -7 46.0 -9 19.0 N 30 PC FROPA 10 50 -16 33 -12 41.5 -14 23.5 N 26 SU BREEZY AM COLD 11 67 -2 37 -7 52.0 -5 13.0 SW 20 SU BREEZY AFT MILDER 12 67 -5 55 +9 61.0 +2 4.0 0.29 S 31 PC SHRA BR 13 74 +5 53 +3 63.5 +4 1.5 T NW 27 PC BR SHRA FROPA 14 54 -13 44 -5 49.0 -9 16.0 NNW24 SU BREEZY COOL 15 61 -8 39 -10 50.0 -9 15.0 N 21 SU CHILLY 16 71 +2 40 -9 55.5 -3 9.5 SSE24 SU 17 66 -4 46 -2 56.0 -3 9.0 0.09 NNW36 PC SHRA A FROPA 18 56 -13 40 -8 48.0 -10 17.0 NNW34 PC COOLER 19 64 -7 43 -5 53.5 -6 11.5 WNW28 PC 20 66 -5 40 -9 53.0 -7 12.0 N 17 SU 21 70 -2 45 -6 57.5 -4 7.5 0.11 SW 20 PC SHRA BR -DZ 22 53 -17 48 -1 50.5 -9 14.5 0.20 N 18 C -DZ BR SHRA 23 50 -20 45 -5 47.5 -12 17.5 0.38 NNE27 C SHRA BR -RA-DZ 24 61 -12 43 -7 52.0 -10 13.0 0.10 N 26 PC RA- DZ BR FROPA 25 68 -5 46 -4 57.0 -5 8.0 0.02 W 47 PC SHRA 26 67 -5 45 -6 56.0 -5 9.0 SE 15 PC PLEASANT -BR 27 65 -10 50 -2 57.5 -6 7.5 0.12 SSE24 C SHRA -DZ 28 70 -2 56 +3 63.0 0 2.0 0.61 S 26 C SHRA BR 29 61 -12 49 -2 55.0 -7 10.0 0.67 NNE23 PC SHRA BR FROPA 30 74 0 44 -7 59.0 -4 6.0 SE 19 SU BR ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SUMMARY OF APRIL 1997: TEMPERATURE: Monthly mean: High = 65.6 Low = 45.7 Mean = 55.6 Departure < Normal: High = - 3.9 Low = - 2.3 Mean = - 3.2 Degree Days: Heating = 289.0 Cooling = 7.5 Number of Days Using: Heating = 27 Cooling = 2 Days with maximum temperature >= 90: 0 Days with maximum temperature <= 32: 0 Days with minimum temperature <= 32: 0 Days with minimum temperature <= 0: 0 PRECIPITATION: Total month = 3.06" Departure < Normal = -0.39" Normal month (to date) 3.45" or 89% Average daily = 0.10" Normal daily = 0.11" Number of days with measurable precipitation = 12 Year-to-date = 11.95" Departure = - 3.30" or 78% of normal Maximum for March = 7.08" in 1991 --> (Since Minimum for March = 1.21" in 1985 --> 1977) Number of days with 0.01" or more: 12 Snowfall Number of days with 0.10" or more: 9 APRIL total = TRACE Number of days with 0.50" or more: 2 APRIL max = 1.10" Number of days with 1.00" or more: 0 in 1983 DAILY EXTREMES: Low temperature = 33 on the 10th High temperature = 81 on the 6th Maximum daily precipitation = 0.67" on the 29th Maximum 24-hour rainfall = 1.06" on the 28th & 29th (1100-1100 local time) Maximum wind gust = NNW 53 mph on the 1st Maximum barometric pressure = 30.379" on the 10th Minimum barometric pressure = 29.412" on the 24th NUMBER OF: Days Cloudy: 4 Days with thunderstorms: 1 Days Partly Cloudy: 15 # of Thunderstorms: 1 Days Clear/Sunny: 11 Days with some type of snowfall: 1 (1st) Days with Fog/Ground Fog: 11 Days with Dense Fog: 0 Days with Frost: 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------ YEAR-TO-DATE: (through April 30th, 1997) Temperatures Degree Days Precipitation Mean maximum: 57.7 (+0.6) Heating: Aqueous: 11.95" (DEP - 3.30") Mean minimum: 40.0 (+2.1) 1959.0 Maximum monthly: 3.17"/FEB.& MAR. Mean monthly: 48.9 (+1.4) Cooling: Minimum monthly: 2.55"/JAN. 22.0 Highest: 81, February 27, March 29, April 6 Snowfall: 0.10" Lowest: 13, January 19 Maximum daily: 0.10"/JAN.11 Days with max temperature >= 90: 0 Maximum monthly: 0.10"/JAN. Days with max temperature <= 32: 2 Seasonal total: 0.10" Days with min temperature <= 32: 21 Days with some type of Days with temperature <= 0: 0 snowfall: 7 Days with measurable Number of: precipitation: 43 or 35.8% Days using Heating: 114 Days using Cooling: 5 Days with thunderstorms: 5 Days Cloudy: 18 Number of thunderstorms: 5 Days Partly Cloudy: 71 Days Clear/Sunny: 31 Greatest 24-hour period Days with fog/ground fog: 48 rainfall: 1.06"/APR. 28-29th Wind (Highest Gust): SW 56 miles per hour, March 29th Barometer: Highest 30.670" on February 17th Lowest: 29.412" on April 24th ------------------------------------------------------------------ METAR DENOTATIONS: BC Patches BL Blowing BR Fog with visibilites > 5/8 but <=6 statute miles and below to 5/8 mile DU Dust (widespread) DS Duststorm DZ Drizzle FC Funnel Cloud FG Fog with visibility <= 5/8 statute miles FU Smoke FZDZ Freezing drizzle FZRA Freezing rain FZFG Freezing fog GR Hail GS Small hail HZ Haze IC Ice crystals PE Ice pellets PY Spray RA Rain SA Sand SS Sandstorm PO Sand or dust whirls SG Snow granules SH Shower SHRA Shower of rain SHSN Shower of snow SHPE Shower of ice pellets SHGR Shower with hail SHGS Shower with small hail SM Statute miles SN Snow SQ Squalls TC+ Tornado/waterspout TS Thunderstorm TSGR Thunderstorm with hail TSGS Thunderstorm with small hail TSPE Thunderstorm with ice pellets TSRA Thunderstorm with rain TSSN Thunderstorm with snow UP Unknown precipitation VA Volcanic ash VC Vicinity VV Used for obscurred sky METAR Qualifiers: (now placed in FRONT of code) - Light + Heavy DR Low drifting M Below (as in -x.x degrees) MI Shallow PR Partial ------------------------------------------------------------------ PWRS DENOTATIONS: SU/CL = Clear sky; PC = Partly cloudy sky; C = cloudy sky; NA, not available; NR, not recorded; TEMP, temperature; MAX, maximum; MIN, minimum; T, trace of precipitation; INOP, inoperative equipment; MPH, miles per hour; DN, departure from normal; DEP, departure; YR, year; NORM, normal; DST LTG, distant lightning; FROP or FROPA, frontal passage; AM morning; AFT afternoon hours; EVE evening hours; PM evening hours; E estimated; VBL, variable wind directions ------------------------------------------------------------------ COLUMN DENOTATIONS: D Date PREC Precipitation HT High Temperature WS Maximum Wind Speed (Gust) LT Low Temperature WD Direction of Maximum Wind Gust MT Mean Temperature HB High Barometer Reading (Inches) DN Departure from Normal LB Low Barometer Reading (Inches) SC Dominant Daily Sky Cover HDD Heating Degree Days WXR TYPES Observed Weather CDD Cooling Degree Days Conditions and Remarks ------------------------------------------------------------------ NOTES: All temperatures are in degrees fahrenheit. All precipita- tion measurements are in inches. All wind speeds are in miles per hour. ------------------------------------------------------------------