TUE, APRIL 1, 1997 8:45 AM EST ------------------------------------------------------------------- MONTHLY SUMMARY OF CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA - PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA Portsmouth Weather Records Service Portsmouth, Virginia 23702-2017 (3 miles south / West Cradock Section) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monthly summary of Local Climatological Data for Portsmouth, Virginia, West Cradock Section, during the month of March 1997. Time is EST. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D HT DN LT DN MT DN HDD CDD PREC WD WS SC WXR TYPE/REMARKS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 73 +20 48 +14 60.5 +17 4.5 0.01 SW 22 C FG RW- 2 77 +21 63 +26 70.0 +23 5.0 SW 37 PC BR 3 66 +11 44 +7 55.0 +9 10.0 0.19 NNW26 C BR RA DZ FROPA 4 52 -4 44 +7 48.0 +1 17.0 T N/SE14 C BR DZ 5 65 +5 47 +6 56.0 +6 9.0 0.32 WNW30 PC BR DZ TSRA (PM) 6 59 +3 39 0 49.0 +1 16.0 0.08 WNW39 PC -RA BR FROPA 7 49 -8 34 -3 41.5 -5 23.5 N 19 PC COOL 8 63 +7 38 +1 50.5 +4 14.5 SW 27 PC FROPA (LATE EVE) 9 54 -1 38 +2 46.0 +1 19.0 NE 22 PC BREEZY COOL 10 61 +3 43 +6 52.0 +5 13.0 0.08 W 23 PC SHRA BR FROPA 11 70 +11 38 +2 54.0 +6 11.0 W 23 SU FROPA 12 51 -7 38 -1 44.5 -4 20.5 N 17 SU CHILLY 13 51 -11 35 -5 43.0 -8 22.0 ESE20 PC 14 64 +4 46 +6 55.0 +5 10.0 0.65 SSE32 PC SHRA BR 15 62 0 44 +4 53.0 +2 12.0 NNW26 PC FROPA 16 45 -14 36 -3 40.5 -8 24.5 NNW21 SU COLD 17 59 -3 32 -7 45.5 -5 19.5 SSW30 PC FR (AM) 18 62 +3 49 +8 55.5 +6 9.5 T ENE17 PC -SHRA 19 48 -10 43 +3 45.5 -4 19.5 0.85 NNE18 C RA BR 20 53 -6 42 +5 47.5 -1 17.5 T WSW16 PC BR -DZ 21 67 +6 42 +2 54.5 +4 10.5 SW 23 SU 22 76 +16 45 +7 60.5 +11 4.5 WNW31 PC BREEZY FROPA 23 51 -9 39 +1 45.0 -4 20.0 NNE21 PC COLDER 24 46 -15 36 -5 41.0 -10 24.0 NNE20 PC FR- 25 68 +7 35 -5 51.5 +1 13.5 S 32 PC 26 63 +2 49 +7 56.0 +4 9.0 0.37 S 35 PC SHRA BR FROPA 27 68 +4 38 -4 53.0 0 12.0 S 19 SU PLEASANT 28 72 +7 48 +3 60.0 +5 5.0 S 22 PC MILDER 29 81 +11 55 +10 68.0 +11 3.0 0.44 SW 56 PC FROPA TSRA+ A FROPA 30 75 +7 49 +1 62.0 +4 3.0 SSE18 PC PLEASANT 31 59 -7 37 -8 48.0 -8 17.0 0.18 NW 50 PC SHRA SHSN WINDY FROPA -------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF MARCH 1997: TEMPERATURE: Monthly mean: High = 61.6 Low = 42.4 Mean = 52.0 Departure < Normal: High = + 1.7 Low = + 2.8 Mean = + 2.2 Degree Days: Heating = 411.0 Cooling = 8.0 Number of Days Using: Heating = 29 Cooling = 2 Days with maximum temperature >= 90: 0 Days with maximum temperature <= 32: 0 Days with minimum temperature <= 32: 1 Days with minimum temperature <= 0: 0 PRECIPITATION: Total month = 3.17" Departure < Normal = -1.20" Normal month (to date) 4.37" or 73% Average daily = 0.10" Normal daily = 0.14" Number of days with measurable precipitation = 10 Year-to-date = 8.89" Departure = - 2.91" or 75% of normal Maximum for March = 10.96" in 1994 --> (Since Minimum for March = 0.89" in 1986 --> 1976) Number of days with 0.01" or more: 10 Snowfall Number of days with 0.10" or more: 7 March total = TRACE Number of days with 0.50" or more: 2 March max = 14.00" Number of days with 1.00" or more: 0 in 1980 DAILY EXTREMES: Low temperature = 32 on the 17th High temperature = 81 on the 29th Maximum daily precipitation = 0.85" on the 19th Maximum 24-hour rainfall = 0.85" on the 19th Maximum wind gust = SW 56 mph on the 29th Maximum barometric pressure = 30.625" on the 9th Minimum barometric pressure = 29.540" on the 22nd NUMBER OF: Days Cloudy: 4 Days with thunderstorms: 2 (5,29) Days Partly Cloudy: 21 # of Thunderstorms: 2 Days Clear/Sunny: 6 Days with some type of snowfall: 1 (31st) Days with Fog/Ground Fog: 10 Days with Dense Fog: 1 Days with Frost: 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------ YEAR-TO-DATE: (through March 31st, 1997) Temperatures Degree Days Precipitation Mean maximum: 55.1 (+2.1) Heating: Aqueous: 8.89" (DEP - 2.91") Mean minimum: 38.1 (+3.6) 1670.0 Maximum monthly: 3.17"/FEB.& MAR. Mean monthly: 46.6 (+2.9) Cooling: Minimum monthly: 2.55"/JAN. 14.5 Highest: 81, February 27, March 29 Snowfall: 0.10" Lowest: 13, January 19 Maximum daily: 0.10"/JAN.11 Days with max temperature >= 90: 0 Maximum monthly: 0.10"/JAN. Days with max temperature <= 32: 2 Seasonal total: 0.10" Days with min temperature <= 32: 21 Days with some type of Days with temperature <= 0: 0 snowfall: 6 Days with measurable Number of: precipitation: 31 or 34.4% Days using Heating: 87 Days using Cooling: 3 Days with thunderstorms: 4 Days Cloudy: 14 Number of thunderstorms: 4 Days Partly Cloudy: 56 Days Clear/Sunny: 20 Greatest 24-hour period Days with fog/ground fog: 37 rainfall: 0.92"/FEB. 14th Wind (Highest Gust): SW 56 miles per hour, March 29th Barometer: Highest 30.670" on February 17th Lowest: 29.466" on January 8th ------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------ PWRS DENOTATIONS: 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------ NOTES: All temperatures are in degrees fahrenheit. All precipita- tion measurements are in inches. All wind speeds are in miles per hour. ------------------------------------------------------------------