Portsmouth Weather Records Service
 

Local Climatological Data
*Data Are Subject to Correction by PWRS

 Station:  PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA
Month:   DECEMBER Year: 2002
Latitude: 36° 81' N    Longitude: 76° 33' W
Station Elevation: 20 FT 
Standard Time: EASTERN STANDARD TIME

 
Temperature
Degree Days
Precipitation
 Wind
 Sky
Weather
Date
Max
Min
Mean
Dep
HDD
CDD
Total
Snow
Depth
Avg
Dir
GUST
  
Types
1
43
30
36.5
-12
28.5
 
 
 
 
6.7
W
295° 27
SU
COLD BREEZY
2
49
28
38.5
-10
26.5
 
 
 
 
3.2
SW
220° 22
PC
BREEZY
3
47
28
37.5
-10
27.5
 
 
 
 
6.4
N
360° 27
SU
FROPA COLD
BREEZY
4
36
26
31.0
-17
34.0
 
0.14
TRACE
TRACE
2.6
N
360° 14
C
-SN PL
FZRA GLAZE
5
44
32
38
-9
27.0
 
1.74
TRACE
TRACE
4.8
WNW
360° 23
C
PL FZRA GLAZE RA BR DZ BREEZY WARMFROPA COLDFROPA
6
40
28
34
-14
31.0
 
 
 
 
4.6
N
360° 24
SU
COLD BREEZY FROST EVE
7
43
25
34
-12
31.0
 
 
 
 
2.0
SSW
220° 16
SU
+FROST AM COLD
8
52
31
41.5
-5
23.5
 
 
 
 
3.3
SSW
360° 18
SU
FROST AM FROPA EVE
9
44
34
39.0
-7
26.0
 
 
 
 
7.1
NNE
22.5° 22
SU
FROPA BREEZY COLD
10
41
35
38.0
-7
27.0
 
0.25
 
 
5.7
N
360° 17
C
COLD DAMP RA BR DZ
11
43
37
40
-4
25.0
 
0.17
 
 
6.5
N
245° 23
C
RA BR FG DZ COLD DAMP
12
48
38
43
-1
22.0
 
 
 
 
3.0
WSW
245° 15
PC
 
13
59
36
47.5
+1
17.5
 
0.80
 
 
3.0
NNE
200° 21
C
RA BR WARMFROPA
14
56
42
49
+3
16.0
 
 
 
 
9.6
WSW
245° 29
PC
WINDY COLDER
15
53
33
43
-3
22.0
 
 
 
 
 3.0
W
295° 17
SU
 
16
55
38
46.5
+2
18.5
 
 
 
 
5.9
N
270° 24
SU
FROPA BREEZY COLDER
17
41
31
36
-8
29
 
 
 
 
3.0
N
360° 16
PC
COLD
18
48
36
42
-1
23
 
 
 
 
2.7
NE
045° 15
SU
 
19
65
38
51.5
+9
13.5
 
TRACE
 
 
3.4
S
180° 19
PC
MILDER
20
65
47
56.0
+13
9.0
 
0.41
 
 
9.2
S
200° 32
PC
WINDY SHRA BR FROPA
21
55
40
47.5
+5
17.5
 
 
 
 
7.5
SSW
245° 32
SU
WINDY COLDER
22
60
39
49.5
+8
15.5
 
 
 
 
5.6
SSW
245° 25
SU
MILDER AFT BREEZY
23
56
42
49.0
+5
16.0
 
 
 
 
5.6
W
245° 22
SU
FROPA COOLER BREEZY
24
49
42
45.5
+1
19.5
 
0.97
 
 
3.4
NNE
045° 21
C
RA CHILLY DAMP BR
25
47
36
41.5
+1
23.5
 
0.10
 
 
9.6
SSW
245° 28
PC
-RA BR DAMP WINDY FROPA
26
45
32
38.5
0
26.5
 
 
 
 
6.3
W
320° 30
SU
WINDY COLD
27
44
29
36.5
-2
28.5
 
 
 
 
1.0
N
360° 14
SU
FROST (AM) FROPA
28
47
28
37.5
-5
27.5
 
 
 
 
 1.8
SSW
245° 15
SU
+FROST (AM)
29
51
35
43
+1
22.0
 
 
 
 
2.0
WSW
360° 16
SU
CHILLY
30
57
32
44.5
+4
20.5
 
 
 
 
1.8
SE
140° 12
SU
BR FROST
31
65
47
56.0
+14
9.0
 
TRACE
 
 
1.7
S
200° 15
PC
BR -SHRA MILDER

 
Temperature Data
AVERAGE HIGH :  49.9º     DEPARTURE:        -  2.9º
AVERAGE LOW :  34.7º     DEPARTURE:        -  1.0º
MEAN:                42.3º     DEPARTURE:        -  1.9º

HIGHEST: 65° on the 19th, 20th, 21st
LOWEST: 25° on the 7th

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

Heating Degree Days
TOTAL THIS MONTH:  704.0 from 31 days
SEASONAL TOTAL: 1241.5

Cooling Degree Days
TOTAL THIS MONTH:  0.0 from 0 days
SEASONAL TOTAL: 1966.5

NUMBER OF:

06 - Days Cloudy
18 - Days Partly Cloudy
17 - Days Clear or Sunny

09 - Days with Fog/Ground Fog
01 - Days with Dense Fog

06 - Days with Frost

00 - Days with Thunderstorms
00 - Thunderstorms

01 - Days with some type of Snowfall

 Precipitation Data
TOTAL FOR THE MONTH:   4.58"
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL:    + 1.64" or 164%
GREATEST DAILY: 1.74" on the 5th
GREATEST IN 24-HR PERIOD: 1.88" on the 4th-5th
AVERAGE DAILY: 0.15"
NORMAL DAILY:   0.09"
# DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION:  8 or 25.81%

MAXIMUM FOR DECEMBER:  5.73" in 1983 -->  (since
MINIMUM FOR  DECEMBER:  0.76" in 1988 -->  1976)
NORMAL FOR  DECEMBER: 2.87" (1976-2001)

Snowfall, Ice Pellets
TOTAL FOR THE MONTH: TRACE"
GREATEST IN 24 HOURS: TRACE" on the 4th & 5th
GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND: TRACE" on the 4th & 5th
DECEMBER MAX = 1.7" in 1993

Number of Days:
WITH 0.01" OR MORE PRECIP: 8
WITH 0.10" OR MORE PRECIP: 8
WITH 0.50" OR MORE PRECIP: 3
WITH 1.00" OR MORE PRECIP: 1

Pressure Data
HIGHEST SEA-LEVEL:  30.615" on the 9th
LOWEST SEA-LEVEL:  29.334" on the 25th

Wind
PEAK WIND GUST: 32 mph from 220° on the 20th & from 245° on the 21st
AVERAGE SPEED:   4.56 mph from an average direction of 233°

 
  • DECEMBER STATION RECORDS: 
  • 4th - Temperature - Minimum Maximum 36° [previously 39° in 1989]
  • 5th - Precipitation - Daily 1.74" [previously 0.85" in 1978]
  • 6th - Temperature - Minimum Maximum TIED 40° [previously in 1997]
    		•

    YEAR-TO-DATE 2002 through 12/31/02

    Temperature Data
    AVERAGE HIGH :  71.0º   DEPARTURE:   +1.4º
    AVERAGE LOW :  53.3º   DEPARTURE:   +2.0º
    MEAN:                62.1º   DEPARTURE:   +1.7º

    HIGHEST: 100° on the 24th of August
    LOWEST: 23º on 5th of January & the 5th of March

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

    Heating Degree Days
    TOTAL:  3017.0

    Cooling Degree Days
    TOTAL:  1966.5

    NUMBER OF:

    050 - Days Cloudy
    214-  Days Partly Cloudy
    101 - Days Clear or Sunny

    150 - Days with Fog/Ground Fog
    005 - Days with Dense Fog

    20 - Days with Frost

    35 - Days with Thunderstorms
    48 - Thunderstorms

    05 - Days with some type of Snowfall

    		 Precipitation Data
    TOTAL:  51.55"
    DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL:   + 4.00" or 108%
    GREATEST DAILY: 3.85" on the 11th of October
    GREATEST IN 24-HR PERIOD: 3.85" on the 11 of October
    AVERAGE DAILY: 0.14"
    NORMAL DAILY: 0.13"
    # DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION:  116 or 31.78%

    MAXIMUM:  6.87" in October
    MINIMUM:   1.63" in February

    Snowfall, Ice Pellets
    TOTAL: 9.2"
    GREATEST IN 24 HOURS: 9.0" on January 2nd - 3rd
    GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND: 9.0" on January 3rd

    Number of Days:

    WITH 0.01" OR MORE PRECIP: 116
    WITH 0.10" OR MORE PRECIP: 83
    WITH 0.50" OR MORE PRECIP: 35
    WITH 1.00" OR MORE PRECIP: 13

    Pressure Data
    HIGHEST SEA-LEVEL: 30.615" on December 9th
    LOWEST SEA-LEVEL:  29.334" on December 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