March & Yearly 2001
Graphs follow the table summary!


Portsmouth Weather Records Service
 

Local Climatological Data
*Data Are Subject to Correction by PWRS

 Station:  PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA
Month:   MARCH   Year: 2001
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
49
37
43.0
-1
22.0
 
 
0.0
0
3.8
NE
PC
-BR
17
N
2
60
37
48.5
+1
16.5
 
0.03
0.0
0
2.0
WSW
PC
-SHRA BR
14
WSW
3
57
42
49.5
+3
15.5
 
T
0.0
0
1.0
NE
C
FROPA(AM) -SHRA(EVE)
13
NE
4
51
44
47.5
+1
17.5
 
0.34
0.0
0
4.3
NE
C
SHRA DZ BR
18
NE
5
46
36
41.0
-8
24.0
 
0.07
0.0
0
7.8
NW
PC
-RA -DZ BR -SHSN
27
NNW
6
39
27
33.0
-14
32.0
 
0.03
0.3
0.3
11.3
WNW
C
SHSN WINDY COLD
38
WNW
7
47
35
41.0
-6
24.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
6.8
N
PC
COLD
30
NNW
8
53
32
42.5
-5
22.5
 
 
0.0
0.0 
4.1
N
SU
-FROST
17
NE
9
51
38
44.5
-2
20.5
 
 
0.0
0.0
5.9
N
SU
FROPA
17
N
10
48
34
41.0
-6
24.0
  
 
0.0
0.0
6.0
N
SU
COOL
25
N
11
64
33
48.5
+1
16.5
 
 
0.0
0.0
6.8
SSW
SU
-FROST
26
SSW
12
62
42
52.0
+4
13.0
 
0.03
0.0
0.0
5.1
NE
PC
FROPA(AM) SHRA(PM)
17
NE
13
74
61
67.5
+17
 
2.5
0.31
0.0
0.0
8.5
WSW
PC
SHRA TS BR
32
WSW
14
66
48
57.0
+7
8.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
6.0
WSW
SU
FROPA
27
WSW
15
55
47
51.0
0
14.0
 
0.58
0.0
0.0
2.2
NE
C
SHRA BR
21
N
16
63
45
54.0
+5
11.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
3.6
N
PC
 
18
N
17
59
45
52.0
+1
13.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
3.1
W
PC
FROPA (LATE EVE)
18
NW
18
51
40
45.5
-4
19.5
 
 
0.0
0.0
6.9
N
SU
BREEZY COLDER
32
N
19
49
37
43.0
-6
22.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
7.1
NNE
SU
COOL
23
N
20
51
35
43.0
-5
22.0
 
0.15
0.0
0.0
7.7
NE
C
-RA BR WINDY
33
NE
21
64
51
57.5
+7
7.5
 
1.27
0.0
0.0
5.7
WSW
C
RA DZ 
SHRA WINDY
27
NE
22
61
44
52.5
+4
12.5
 
0.14
0.0
0.0
8.5
NNW
PC
SHRA -BR BREEZY
28
NW
23
63
40
51.5
+2
13.5
 
 
0.0
0.0
7.4
W
PC
 
30
W
24
72
40
56.0
+4
9.0
 
0.02
0.0
0.0
7.0
SSW
PC
SHRA FROPA
28
SSW
25
50
36
43.0
-8
22.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
6.0
NNE
PC
BREEZY COOL
20
NNE
26
45
34
39.5
-10
25.5
 
0.08
0.0
0.0
5.5
N
PC
-RA BR FROPA
21
N
27
43
30
36.5
-14
28.5
 
 
0.0
0.0
5.5
N
SU
BREEZY COLD
23
N
28
52
28
40.0
-13
25.0
 
 
0.0
0.0
3.4
SE
SU
-FROST
14
WSW
29
63
39
51.0
-4
14.0
 
0.50
0.0
0.0
5.0
SE
C
RA BR SHRA
20
S
30
68
52
60.0
+4
5.0
 
0.25
0.0
0.0
7.1
S
PC
BR SHRA FROPA
23
WSW
31
56
44
50.0
-4
15.0
 
0.53
0.0
0.0
5.8
NNE
PC
BR SHRA TSRA
17
NNE

 
Temperature Data
AVERAGE HIGH :  55.9º     DEPARTURE:     -3.4º
AVERAGE LOW :   39.8º     DEPARTURE:    +0.3º
MEAN:                     47.8º     DEPARTURE:     -1.6º

HIGHEST: 74º on 13th
LOWEST:  27º on 6th

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

Heating Degree Days
TOTAL THIS MONTH: 535.0 from 30 days
SEASONAL TOTAL:   3371.0

Cooling Degree Days
TOTAL THIS MONTH: 2.5 from 1 day
SEASONAL TOTAL:   2.5

NUMBER OF:

09 - Days Cloudy
15 - Days Partly Cloudy
07 - Days Clear or Sunny

12 - Days with Fog/Ground Fog
00 - Days with Dense Fog

02 - Days with Frost

02 - Days with Thunderstorms
02 - Thunderstorms

02 - Days with some type of Snowfall

 Precipitation Data
TOTAL FOR THE MONTH:  4.33"
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL: +0.12" or 103%
GREATEST DAILY: 1.27" on the 21st
GREATEST IN 24-HR PERIOD: 1.27" on the 21st
AVERAGE DAILY: 0.14"
NORMAL DAILY:   0.14"
# DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION:  15
YEAR-TO-DATE: 8.04"  DEPARTURE: -3.54" or 69% of the norm

MAXIMUM FOR MARCH: 10.96" in 1994 --> (since
MINIMUM FOR MARCH:   0.89" in 1986 -->  1977)

Snowfall, Ice Pellets
TOTAL FOR THE MONTH: 0.3"
GREATEST IN 24 HOURS: 0.3" on the 6th
GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND: 0.3" on the 6th
MARCH MAX = 14.0" in 1980

Number of Days:
WITH 0.01" OR MORE PRECIP: 15
WITH 0.10" OR MORE PRECIP: 9
WITH 0.50" OR MORE PRECIP: 4
WITH 1.00" OR MORE PRECIP: 1

Pressure Data
HIGHEST SEA-LEVEL:  30.410" on the 19th
LOWEST SEA-LEVEL:   29.474" on the 6th

Wind
PEAK WIND GUST: 38 mph from the WNW on the 6th
AVERAGE SPEED: 5.70 mph from a dominant N direction

 
  • MARCH RECORDS:
  • 6th - Daily minimum maximum temperature  39o (previous 43o in 1982)
  • 6th - Daily snowfall 0.3"
  • 21st - Daily precipitation record - 1.27" (previous 1.02" in 1989)
  • 26th - Daily minimum maximum temperature  45o (previous 47o in 1999)
  • 28th - Daily minimum temperature tie 28o (previous 1982)
    		•

    YEAR-TO-DATE 2001 through 3/31
    [next update 5/1/2001]

    Temperature Data
    AVERAGE HIGH : 52.6º   DEPARTURE: -0.6º
    AVERAGE LOW :  36.3º   DEPARTURE: +1.4º
    MEAN:                    44.5º  DEPARTURE:  +0.4º

    HIGHEST: 74º on 13th of March
    LOWEST:  22º on 4th of January

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

    Heating Degree Days
    TOTAL:  1851.0

    Cooling Degree Days
    TOTAL:   2.5

    NUMBER OF:

    019 - Days Cloudy
    045 - Days Partly Cloudy
    026 - Days Clear or Sunny

    034 - Days with Fog/Ground Fog
    002 - Days with Dense Fog

    10 - Days with Frost

    02 - Days with Thunderstorms
    02 - Thunderstorms

    05 - Days with some type of Snowfall

    		 Precipitation Data
    TOTAL: 4.33"
    DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL:   -3.54" or 69%
    GREATEST DAILY: 0.1.27" on the 21st of March
    GREATEST IN 24-HR PERIOD: 1.27" on the 21st of March
    AVERAGE DAILY: 0.09"
    NORMAL DAILY: 0.13"
    # DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION:  34 or 37.78%

    MAXIMUM:  4.33" in March
    MINIMUM:   1.51" in January

    Snowfall, Ice Pellets
    TOTAL: 0.6" 
    GREATEST IN 24 HOURS: 0.3" on February 22nd & March 6th
    GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND: 0.3" on February 22nd & March 6th

    Number of Days:

    WITH 0.01" OR MORE PRECIP: 34
    WITH 0.10" OR MORE PRECIP: 19
    WITH 0.50" OR MORE PRECIP: 7
    WITH 1.00" OR MORE PRECIP: 1

    Pressure Data
    HIGHEST SEA-LEVEL: 30.660" on February 11th
    LOWEST SEA-LEVEL:  29.474" on March 6th

     
    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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