December 1997
Text summary is followed by graphs!
THU, JAN 01, 1998 10:15 AM EST
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MONTHLY SUMMARY OF CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA - PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA
Portsmouth Weather Records Service
Portsmouth, Virginia 23702-2017
(3 miles south / West Cradock Section)
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Monthly summary of Local Climatological Data for Portsmouth,
Virginia, West Cradock Section, during the month of December 1997.
Time is EST.
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D HT DN LT DN MT DN HDD CDD PREC WD WS SC WXR TYPE/REMARKS
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1 54 -4 41 0 47.5 -2 17.5 0.12 NNW33 PC BR DZ -RA
2 54 -5 33 -6 43.5 -5 21.5 N 19 SU -FROST(AM)
3 56 -1 32 -6 44.0 -3 21.0 T SW 15 -PC FR(AM)BR FU SHRA
4 65 +8 49 +10 57.0 +9 8.0 0.06 SW 21 PC SHRA BR FROPA
5 53 -2 37 0 45.0 -1 20.0 T NNW28 PC BR -SHRA FROPA(EVE)
6 40 -17 30 -6 35.0 -12 30.0 N 26 PC BREEZY COLD
7 46 -8 27 -9 36.5 -9 28.5 N 24 SU BREEZY COLD
8 47 -8 27 -8 37.0 -8 28.0 WNW14 PC FROST(AM)-BR-FU
9 49 -6 37 +1 43.0 -2 22.0 0.03 SSE06 C -RA BR -DZ FROPA(PM)
10 52 -2 43 +8 47.5 +3 17.5 0.34 NNW22 C -RA BR DZ FROPA(PM)
11 49 -2 45 +10 47.0 +4 18.0 NW 16 C BR DAMP COOL
12 48 -3 40 +4 44.0 0 21.0 N 17 PC BR
13 47 -7 32 -5 39.5 -6 25.5 W 14 PC FR -BR -FU
14 43 -9 38 +3 40.5 -3 24.5 ENE21 -PC COLD -FROST
15 48 -7 32 -4 40.0 -6 25.0 ENE19 SU -FROST
16 57 +5 30 -6 43.5 0 21.5 E 11 SU +FROST (AM)
17 56 +4 34 -1 45.0 +2 20.0 NE 20 SU -FROST (AM)
18 48 -4 34 0 41.0 -2 24.0 ENE21 SU COOL
19 63 +12 33 0 48.0 +6 17.0 W 22 SU -FROST (AM)
20 64 +15 37 +3 50.5 +9 14.5 N 29 -PC FROPA (EVE)
21 50 0 40 +6 45.0 +3 20.0 ENE24 PC BREEZY COLDER
22 56 +7 41 +9 48.5 +8 16.5 0.55 ESE18 C RA BR DZ
23 59 +4 41 +5 50.0 +5 15.0 W 21 PC FROPA -BR
24 58 +3 42 +6 50.0 +4 15.0 0.24 S 30 C WARMFROPA -RA BR
25 64 +13 45 +13 54.5 +13 10.5 0.06 WNW27 PC BR -SHRA FROPA
26 57 +10 40 +9 48.5 +9 16.5 W 12 SU +BR(AM)
27 47 +2 33 0 40.0 +1 25.0 0.51 ENE27 C RA BR PE -SN FROPA
TRACE OF SNOW
28 42 -10 30 -6 36.0 -8 29.0 N 30 SU WINDY(AM) FR(PM) COLD
29 48 -3 29 -6 38.5 -5 26.5 0.28 E 28 PC FROST(AM) RA FROPA DZ
30 46 -3 36 +3 41.0 0 24.0 WNW33 PC WINDY
31 44 -7 30 -4 37.0 -6 28.0 T N 27 PC FROPA BREEZY-SHSN(EVE)
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SUMMARY OF DECEMBER 1997:
TEMPERATURE:
Monthly mean: High = 51.9 Low = 36.1 Mean = 44.0
Departure < Normal: High = -0.9 Low = +0.8 Mean = 0.0
Degree Days: Heating = 651.0 Cooling = 0.0
Number of Days Using: Heating = 31 Cooling = 0
Days with maximum temperature >= 90: 0
Days with maximum temperature <= 32: 0
Days with minimum temperature <= 32: 10
Days with minimum temperature <= 0: 0
PRECIPITATION:
Total month = 2.19" Departure from Normal = - 0.75"
Normal month (to date) 2.94" or 75%
Average daily = 0.07"
Normal daily = 0.09"
Number of days with measurable precipitation = 9
Year-to-date = 34.94" Departure = - 11.67" or 75% of normal
Maximum for December = 5.73" in 1983 --> (Since
Minimum for December = 0.76" in 1988 --> 1976)
Number of days with 0.01" or more: 9 Snowfall
Number of days with 0.10" or more: 6 December total = TRACE
Number of days with 0.50" or more: 2 December max = 1.7" in
Number of days with 1.00" or more: 0 1993
DAILY EXTREMES: Low temperature = 27 on the 7th & 8th
High temperature = 65 on the 4th
Maximum daily precipitation = 0.55" on the 22nd
Maximum 24-hour rainfall = 0.55" on the 22nd
Maximum wind gust = NNW 33 mph on the 1st
WNW 33 mph on the 30th
Maximum barometric pressure = 30.450" on the 21st
Minimum barometric pressure = 29.290" on the 29th
NUMBER OF:
Days Cloudy: 5 Days with thunderstorms: 0
Days Partly Cloudy: 17 # of Thunderstorms: 0
Days Clear/Sunny: 9 Days with some type of snowfall: 2
Days with Fog/Ground Fog: 15
Days with Dense Fog: 1
Days with Frost: 11
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YEAR-TO-DATE: (through December 31st, 1997)
Temperatures Degree Days Precipitation
Mean maximum: 68.9 (-0.6) Heating: Aqueous: 34.94" (DEP -11.67") 75%
Mean minimum: 51.1 (+0.2) 3337.0 Maximum monthly: 5.17"/JUL.
Mean monthly: 60.0 (-0.2) Cooling: Minimum monthly: 1.12"/JUN.
1504.0
Highest: 100, June 26th
Snowfall: 0.10"
Lowest: 13, January 19 Maximum daily: 0.10"/JAN.11
Days with max temperature >= 90: 34 Maximum monthly: 0.10"/JAN.
Days with max temperature <= 32: 2
Days with min temperature <= 32: 35 Days with some type of
Days with temperature <= 0: 0 snowfall: 9
Days with measurable
Number of: precipitation: 113 or 30.96%
Days using Heating: 223
Days using Cooling: 139 Days with thunderstorms: 25
Days Cloudy: 50 Number of thunderstorms: 25
Days Partly Cloudy: 218
Days Clear/Sunny: 97 Greatest 24-hour period
Days with fog/ground fog: 149 rainfall: 1.94"/JUL. 24th
Wind (Highest Gust): SW 56 miles per hour, March 29th
N 56 miles per hour, July 24th
Barometer: Highest 30.670" on February 17th
Lowest: 29.290" on December 30th
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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
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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; TS, tropical storm
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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
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NOTES: All temperatures are in degrees fahrenheit. All precipita-
tion measurements are in inches. All wind speeds are in miles per
hour.
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