December & Yearly 2000

Graphs follow the table summary!


Portsmouth Weather Records Service
 

Local Climatological Data
*Data Are Subject to Correction by PWRS

Station:  PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA
Month:   DECEMBER   Year: 2000
Latitude: 36° 81' N    Longitude: 76° 33' W
Station Elevation: 20 FT 
Standard Time: EASTERN STANDARD TIME

 
  Temperature Degree Days Precipitation  Wind       Sky Weather Peak Wind 
Date Max Min Mn Dep HDD CDD Total Snow Depth Avg Dir Type Types Speed Dir
1
48
31
39.5
-9
25.5
 
 
0.0
0
1.8
N
-PC
FROST (AM) 
14
NE
2
44
35
39.5
-9
25.5
 
 
0.0
0
6.7
NNE
PC
FROPA (AM)
20
N
3
38
31
34.5
-13
30.5
 
0.21
1.0
1.0
11.1
N
C
SHSN SN RA BR
34
N
4
43
28
35.5
-13
29.5
 
 
0.0 
T
5.5
N
SU
 
20
N
5
50
26
38.0
-9
27.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
4.8
WSW
SU
-FROST(AM)
22
WSW
6
40
33
36.5
-11
28.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
4.1
N
PC
COLD
16
N
7
55
31
43.0
-3
22.0
 
T
0.0
0.0
5.2
W
PC
--SHSN (AM)
27
W
8
61
33
47.0
+1
18.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
5.0
NE
SU
FROPA (EVE)
19
WSW
9
45
37
41.0
-5
24.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
5.4
NE
SU
COLDER
22
NNE
10
49
39
44.0
-1
21.0
 
0.33
0.0
0.0
4.4
N
C
RA BR +FG DAMP
14
N
11
52
40
46.0
+3
19.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
2.3
N
PC
BR
16
S
12
58
36
47.0
+3
18.0
 
T
0.0
0.0
10.0
N
PC
BR SHRA FROPA
31
WSW
13
49
32
40.5
-5
24.5
 
 
0.0
0.0
6.4
NE
PC
 
24
N
14
63
44
53.5
+9
11.5
 
0.30
0.0
0.0
6.6
WSW
C
SHRA BR 
FROPA +FG
20
W
15
45
39
42.0
-4
23.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
6.4
NNE
PC
COLDER
17
NNE
16
63
42
52.5
+8
12.5
 
0.24
0.0
0.0
4.5
N
C
SHRA BR +FG
15
N
17
69
35
52.0
+8
13.0
 
0.21
0.0
0.0
14.3
S
PC
BR SHRA 
WINDY FROPA
49
SW
18
45
30
37.5
-5
27.5
 
 
0.0
0.0
4.3
SW
SU
COLDER
23
SW
19
50
34
42.0
0
23.0
 
0.01
0.0
0.0
3.6
E
PC
-SHRA-SHSN FROPA
23
SW
20
36
27
31.5
-11
33.5
 
T
0.0
0.0
5.9
NW
PC
-SHSN -FROST
22
W
21
42
23
32.5
-10
32.5
 
T
0.0
0.0
4.0
SW
PC
FROST -SHRA
13
SSE
22
44
27
35.5
-6
29.5
 
T
0.0
0.0
8.0
SW
PC
-SHRA FROPA
27
WSW
23
30
20
25.0
-19
40.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
5.8
NW
SU
VERY COLD
25
NNW
24
44
20
32.0
-12
33.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
3.5
SW
PC
-FROST
17
SW
25
36
23
29.5
-11
35.5
 
 
0.0
0.0
8.9
N
SU
FROPA WINDY
VERY COLD
28
NNW
26
32
20
26.0
-12
39.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
5.6
N
-PC
COLD DRY
18
N
27
41
26
33.5
-5
31.5
 
0.01
0.25
0.25
2.9
W
PC
-SN BR 
17
28
33
29
31.0
-12
34.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
7.2
N
PC
FROPA
25
N
29
33
25
29.0
-13
36.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
5.3
WNW
PC
 
19
N
30
36
26
31.0
-10
34.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
7.3
WNW
PC
FROPA
24
W
31
38
22
30.0
-12
35.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
8.7
WSW
SU
BREEZY COLD
25
W

 
Temperature Data
AVERAGE HIGH :  45.5º     DEPARTURE:    -7.2º
AVERAGE LOW :   30.5º     DEPARTURE:    -5.0º
MEAN:                     38.0º     DEPARTURE:    -6.1º

HIGHEST: 69º on 17th
LOWEST:  20º on 23rd, 24th, & 26th

Number of Days:
00 - MAX 100º OR ABOVE
02 - MAX 32º OR BELOW
00 - MAX 90º OR ABOVE
19 - MIN 32º OR BELOW
00 - MIN 0º OR BELOW

Heating Degree Days
TOTAL THIS MONTH: 837.0 from 31 days
SEASONAL TOTAL:   1520.0

Cooling Degree Days
TOTAL THIS MONTH: 0.0 from 0 days
SEASONAL TOTAL:   1522.5

NUMBER OF:

04 - Days Cloudy
19 - Days Partly Cloudy
08 - Days Clear or Sunny

08 - Days with Fog/Ground Fog
03 - Days with Dense Fog

05 - Days with Frost

00 - Days with Thunderstorms
00 - Thunderstorms

04 - Days with some type of Snowfall

Precipitation Data
TOTAL FOR THE MONTH:  1.31"
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL: -1.60" or 45%
GREATEST DAILY: 0.33" on the 10th
GREATEST IN 24-HR PERIOD: 0.45" on the 16th-17th
AVERAGE DAILY: 0.04"
NORMAL DAILY:   0.09"
# DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION:  7
YEAR-TO-DATE: 48.61"  DEPARTURE: +0.59" or 101% of the norm

MAXIMUM FOR DECEMBER:   5.73" in 1983 --> (since
MINIMUM FOR DECEMBER:    0.76" in 1988 -->  1976)

Snowfall, Ice Pellets
TOTAL FOR THE MONTH: 1.3"
GREATEST IN 24 HOURS: 1.00" on the 3rd
GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND: 1.00" on the 3rd

DECEMBER MAX = 1.70" in 1993

Number of Days:
WITH 0.01" OR MORE PRECIP: 7
WITH 0.10" OR MORE PRECIP: 5
WITH 0.50" OR MORE PRECIP: 0
WITH 1.00" OR MORE PRECIP: 0

Pressure Data
HIGHEST SEA-LEVEL:  30.640" on the 13th & 26th
LOWEST SEA-LEVEL:   29.459" on the 17th

Wind
PEAK WIND GUST: 49 mph from the SW  on the 17th
AVERAGE SPEED: 5.80 mph from a dominant N direction


 
 
  • DECEMBER 2000 RECORDS - The month was the 2nd coldest in the database (behind 34.7oin 1989), the 4th driest, and the 2nd snowiest (behind 1.7" in 1993).
  • Daily records:
  • 3rd - Daily snowfall: 1.00" 
  • 5th - 26o- Minimum temperature record (previously 27o in 1976)
  • 6th - 40o- Tie of minimum maximum temperature (previously 40o in 1997)
  • 16th - 0.24" - Daily precip record (previously  0.20" in 1976)
  • 17th -  69o- Maximum temperature record (previously 68oin 1977)
  • 17th - 49 MPH - New daily wind gust (previously 31 mph in 1991)
  • 17th - 0.21" - Daily precip record (previously 0.07" in 1994)
  • 28th - 33o- Minimum maximum temperature (previously 35oin 1977)
  • 29th - 33o- Tie of minimum maximum temperature (also in 1993)
  • YEAR-TO-DATE 2000

    Temperature Data
    AVERAGE HIGH : 68.1º   DEPARTURE: -1.4º
    AVERAGE LOW :  51.3º   DEPARTURE: +0.2º
    MEAN:                    59.7º  DEPARTURE:  -0.6º

    HIGHEST: 95º on 13th of May
    LOWEST:  12º on 28th of January

    Number of Days:
    00 - MAX 100º OR ABOVE
    08 - MAX 32º OR BELOW
    28 - MAX 90º OR ABOVE
    50 - MIN 32º OR BELOW
    00 - MIN 0º OR BELOW

    Heating Degree Days
    TOTAL:  3472.5

    Cooling Degree Days
    TOTAL:   1547.5

    NUMBER OF:

    052 - Days Cloudy
    216 - Days Partly Cloudy
    098 - Days Clear or Sunny

    123 - Days with Fog/Ground Fog
    028 - Days with Dense Fog

    09 - Days with Frost

    36 - Days with Thunderstorms
    38 - Thunderstorms

    14 - Days with some type of Snowfall

    Precipitation Data
    TOTAL: 48.61"
    DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL:   +0.59" or 101%
    GREATEST DAILY: 2.21" on July 24th
    GREATEST IN 24-HR PERIOD: 2.52" on the 4-5th of September
    AVERAGE DAILY: 0.13"
    NORMAL DAILY: 0.13"
    # DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION:  121 or 33.06%

    MAXIMUM:  11.11" in August
    MINIMUM:   0.02" in October (driest month ever in database)

    Snowfall, Ice Pellets
    TOTAL: 8.0"
    GREATEST IN 24 HOURS: 4.0" on January 25th
    GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND: 4.0" on January 25th

    Number of Days:

    WITH 0.01" OR MORE PRECIP: 121
    WITH 0.10" OR MORE PRECIP: 78
    WITH 0.50" OR MORE PRECIP: 33
    WITH 1.00" OR MORE PRECIP: 14

    Pressure Data
    HIGHEST SEA-LEVEL: 30.758" on the January 15th
    LOWEST SEA-LEVEL:  29.232" on the January 25th


     
    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, inoper- ative 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; TS, tropical storm;

    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
    FC+  Tornado/waterspout
    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 
    PL   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
    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
    V V   Used for obscurred sky

    METAR Qualifiers: (now placed in FRONT of code)

    -  Light      + Heavy      DR Low drifting     M  Below ( -x.x degrees)
                                           MI Shallow     PR Partial


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