December & Year 1998
Graphs follow the text summary!
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FRI, JAN 1, 1999 9:30 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 1998.
Time is EST.
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D HT DN LT DN MT DN HDD CDD PREC WD WS WAS SC WXR TYPE/REMARKS
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1 73 +14 49 +8 61.0 +11 4.0 W 21 N5.6 SU PLEASANT
2 70 +11 42 +3 56.0 +7 9.0 SSW17 SSW3.2 SU PLEASANT
3 71 +13 50 +11 60.5 +12 4.5 WSW18 WSW4.5 SU PLEASANT
4 77 +19 54 +15 65.5 +17 0.5 W 15 W3.6 -PC PLEASANT
5*74 +18 54 +16 64.0 +17 1.0 T SSW16 SSW3.9 PC -SHRA TIE OF STATION
MAX TEMP
6*79 +21 *62 +25 70.5 +23 5.5 WSW23 SW6.7 SU WARM NEW MAX HIGH
AND MAX MIN TEMPS
7*79 +23 *65 +28 72.0 +26 7.0 SW 28 SW8.3 PC WARM NEW MAX HIGH
AND MAX MIN TEMPS
8*78 +22 *61 +25 69.5 +24 4.5 .01 SSW20 SSW6.2 PC SHRA NEW MAX HIGH
AND MAX MIN TEMPS
9 62 +7 46 +9 54.0 +8 11.0 .76 N 29 N8.4 PC SHRA BR FROPA COLDER
10 54 0 37 +2 45.5 +1 19.5 NE 13 NNW1.4 SU -BR -FROST
11 54 +3 44 +8 49.0 +6 16.0 N 21 N5.1 C COOL FROPA
12 55 +3 47 +10 51.0 +7 14.0 .03 NE 13 NE3.5 C -RA BR
13 53 -1 46 +9 49.5 +4 15.5 *1.81 N 24 N7.1 C RA BR DZ FROPA
NEW STATION DAILY PRECIP MAX
14 47 -5 41 +6 44.0 0 21.0 N 29 N10.0 PC COLDER
15 52 -3 39 +2 45.5 0 19.5 NE 18 NNE5.3 PC CHILLY
16 52 0 40 +4 46.0 +2 19.0 .18 N 29 SSW5.6 PC -RA -BR
17 52 0 39 +4 45.5 +2 19.5 .06 N 19 SSW5.9 PC SHRA BR FROPA
18 47 -4 35 +1 41.0 -2 24.0 N 22 N5.0 PC CHILLY
19 62 +11 38 +5 50.0 +8 15.0 .13 SSW18 SSW4.8 PC -RA BR
20 62 +12 *56 +21 59.0 +17 6.0 T NNE12 ESE2.1 C +FG MILD NEW STATION
MAX LOW TEMP RECORD
21 62 +12 *54 +19 58.0 +16 7.0 SSW15 S4.4 PC +FG MILD NEW STATION
MAX LOW TEMP RECORD
22 70 +20 38 +5 54.0 +13 11.0 T W 27 N10.1 PC -SHRA FROPA
23 39 -15 32 -4 35.5 -9 29.5 * .50 N 24 NNE7.8 C BREEZY COLD RA BR
NEW STATION DAILY PRECIP MAX
24 39 -16 31 -5 35.0 -10 30.0 1.00 N 25 N4.9 C RA FZRA IP BR SN
0.1" ACCUMULATION
25 38 -12 32 0 35.0 -6 30.0 N 22 N4.5 PC -BR COLD
26 41 -6 30 -1 35.5 -3 29.5 N 18 N4.5 PC -BR
27 51 +5 28 -5 39.5 0 25.5 SE 14 SE2.3 -PC +FROST BR
28 46 -6 43 +7 44.5 +1 20.5 .51 N 16 N4.6 C RA DZ BR +FG
29 48 -3 41 +6 44.5 +1 20.5 .03 W 19 WNW5.0 C -SHRA DZ +FG
30 43 -6 29 -4 36.0 -5 29.0 .14 NNW29 N7.8 PC RA BR FROPA -SN SNSH
31 37 -14 26 -8 31.5 -11 33.5 T SSW14 NNW1.6 PC -SN FROPA
TRACE ACCUMULATION
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SUMMARY OF DECEMBER 1998:
TEMPERATURE:
Monthly mean: High = 57.0 Low = 42.9 Mean = 49.9
Departure < Normal: High = + 4.1 Low = + 7.3 Mean = + 5.6
Degree Days: Heating = 484.5 Cooling = 17.5
Num er of Days Using: Heating = 27 Cooling = 4
Days with maximum temperature >= 90: 0
Days with maximum temperature <= 32: 0
Days with minimum temperature <= 32: 7
Days with minimum temperature <= 0: 0
PRECIPITATION:
Total month = 5.15" Departure from Normal = +2.12"
Normal month (to date) = 3.03" or 170%
Average daily = 0.17"
Normal daily = 0.10"
Number of days with measurable precipitation = 12
Year-to-date = 50.01" Departure = + 3.25" or 107% 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: 12 Snowfall
Number of days with 0.10" or more: 8 December total = 0.10"
Number of days with 0.50" or more: 5 December max = 1.70" in
Number of days with 1.00" or more: 2 1993
DAILY EXTREMES: Low temperature = 26 on the 31st
High temperature = 79 on the 6th, 7th
Maximum daily precipitation = 1.81" on the 13th
Maximum 24-hour rainfall = 1.84" on the 13th and 14th
Maximum barometric pressure = 30.558" on the 20th (adjusted)
Minimum barometric pressure = 29.511" on the 30th (adjusted)
Frozen precip = 0.10" on the 24th
WIND:
Maximum wind gust = N 29 MPH on the 9th
N 29 MPH on the 14th
N 29 MPH on the 16th
N 29 MPH on the 30th
Average wind speed = N 4.6 MPH
NUMBER OF:
Days Cloudy: 8 Days with thunderstorms: 0
Days Partly Cloudy: 18 # of Thunderstorms: 0
Days Clear/Sunny: 5 Days with some type of snowfall: 3
Days with Fog/Ground Fog: 17
Days with Dense Fog: 4
Days with Frost: 2
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YEAR-TO-DATE: (through December 31st, 1998)
Temperatures Degree Days Precipitation
Mean maximum: 71.4 (+1.8) Heating: Aqueous: 50.01" (DEP +3.24") 107%
Mean minimum: 54.6 (+3.5) 2657.0 Maximum monthly: 7.60"/FEB.
Mean monthly: 63.0 (+2.7) Cooling: Minimum monthly: 1.84"/NOV.
1942.5
Highest: 99, July 22
Snowfall: 0.10"
Lowest: 24, January 1 Maximum daily: 0.10" (Dec. 24)
Days with max temperature >= 90: 41 Maximum monthly: 0.10" (December)
Days with max temperature <= 32: 0
Days with min temperature <= 32: 20 Days with some type of
Days with temperature <= 0: 0 snowfall: 5
Days with measurable
Number of: precipitation: 119 or 32.60%
Days using Heating: 192
Days using Cooling: 172 Days with thunderstorms: 27
Days Cloudy: 58 Number of thunderstorms: 30
Days Partly Cloudy: 222
Days Clear/Sunny: 85 Greatest 24-hour period
Days with fog/ground fog: 162 rainfall: 3.86"/FEB. 4th
Wind (Highest Gust): NNE 63 miles per hour, August 27th
Barometer: Highest 30.667" on January 1st
Lowest: 29.198" on February 4th
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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
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
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
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; *New/tied record
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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 WAS Average Wind Speed & Dominant
Direction
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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