March 1998
Text summary is followed by graphs!
WED, APR 01, 1998 7:15 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 March 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 61 +8 48 +14 54.5 +11 10.5 SSE17 1.5ESE PC BR
2 53 -3 46 +8 49.5 +3 15.5 0.01 N 14 1.2NNE PC BR
3 52 -2 39 +2 45.5 0 19.5 NNW26 5.1NW PC BREEZY VIRGA
4 52 -4 33 -4 42.5 -4 22.5 WNW21 2.3WNW PC
5 52 -7 35 -5 43.5 -6 21.5 T N 19 1.5NW PC -RW
6 56 0 34 -5 45.0 -2 20.0 0.01 SSE17 1.2ESE PC -RW
7 59 +2 45 +8 52.0 +5 13.0 0.06 ENE12 0.5NNE C BR SHRA FG
8 66 +10 50 +12 58.0 +11 7.0 0.93 SSE28 5.7SSE C BR FG+ RA SHRA
9 73 +18 54 +17 63.5 +17 1.5 0.76 SSE47 16.4SW PC BR SHRA +TSRA
FROPA
10 54 -3 34 -3 44.0 -3 21.0 NW 30 12.5NW PC BREEZY COLDER
11 39 -19 28 -8 33.5 -13 21.5 N 30 11.5N SU COLD BRISK
12 39 -18 25 -13 32.0 -16 33.0 NW 29 10.3N SU FROPA(AM) COLD
13 49 -12 29 -10 39.0 -11 26.0 W 18 5.1NNE SU
14 65 +5 34 -6 49.5 -1 15.5 WSW46 13.5SW SU BREEZY
15 50 -12 37 -3 43.5 -7 21.5 N 22 6.5N SU COLDER
16 45 -15 35 -3 40.0 -8 25.0 T ENE18 6.2ENE C -SHRA-SHSN
17 46 -15 40 +1 43.0 -7 22.0 0.20 ESE20 4.0ESE C -SHRA -SHIP -RA
18 70 +11 43 +2 56.5 +6 8.5 0.96 SW 19 4.5ESE PC F RA SHRA FROPA
19 64 +12 53 +12 58.5 +9 6.5 0.35 SW 23 5.5SW PC BR SHRA BR+
20 54 -5 48 +11 51.0 +3 14.0 0.16 ESE22 9.2ESE C SHRA(LATE EVE)
21 57 -4 41 +1 49.0 -2 16.0 0.46 SE 39 6.6N C SHRA(AM) FROPA BR
22 51 -9 39 +1 45.0 -4 20.0 NNW22 5.5NW C BREEZY COLDER
23 56 -4 39 +1 47.5 -2 17.5 ENE19 5.5ENE PC CHILLY
24 61 0 37 -4 49.0 -2 16.0 T NE 22 5.0NE PC -SHRA (LATE AFT)
25 56 -5 38 -2 47.0 -4 18.0 ENE23 7.9ENE PC -FR(AM)
26 76 +14 45 +3 60.5 +8 4.5 W 33 10.5WSW SU -GF(AM)
27 82 +17 59 +16 70.5 +17 5.5 W 32 15.2WSW SU WINDY WARM
28 81 +15 59 +13 69.5 +14 4.5 WSW34 14.8WSW-PC BREEZY WARM
29 86 +16 62 +16 74.0 +16 9.0 WSW27 12.7WSW SU WARM
30 88 +19 63 +14 75.5 +17 10.5 WSW28 11.0WSW SU WARM
31 84 +17 65 +19 74.5 +18 9.5 WSW25 14.3WSW SU BREEZY WARM
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SUMMARY OF MARCH 1998:
TEMPERATURE:
Monthly mean: High = 60.5 Low = 43.1 Mean = 51.8
Departure < Normal: High = + 0.6 Low = + 3.3 Mean = + 1.9
Degree Days: Heating = 448.0 Cooling = 28.5
Number of Days Using: Heating = 27 Cooling = 4
Days with maximum temperature >= 90: 0
Days with maximum temperature <= 32: 0
Days with minimum temperature <= 32: 3
Days with minimum temperature <= 0: 0
PRECIPITATION:
Total month = 3.90" Departure from Normal = - 0.45"
Normal month (to date) 4.35" or 90%
Average daily = 0.13"
Normal daily = 0.14"
Number of days with measurable precipitation = 10
Year-to-date = 17.25" Departure = + 5.20" or 143% of normal
Maximum for March = 10.96" in 1994 --> (Since
Minimum for March = 0.89" in 1986 --> (1977)
Number of days with 0.01" or more: 10 Snowfall
Number of days with 0.10" or more: 7 March total = 0.00
Number of days with 0.50" or more: 3 March max = 14.00" in
Number of days with 1.00" or more: 0 1980
DAILY EXTREMES: Low temperature = 25 on the 12th
High temperature = 88 on the 30th
Maximum daily precipitation = 0.96" on the 18th
Maximum 24-hour rainfall = 1.65" on the 8th-9th (8AM-8AM)
Maximum wind gust = SSE 47 mph on the 9th
Maximum barometric pressure = 30.664" on the 25th
Minimum barometric pressure = 29.417" on the 21st
NUMBER OF:
Days Cloudy: 7 Days with thunderstorms: 1
Days Partly Cloudy: 14 # of Thunderstorms: 1
Days Clear/Sunny: 10 Days with some type of snowfall: 1
Days with Fog/Ground Fog: 11
Days with Dense Fog: 2
Days with Frost: 2
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YEAR-TO-DATE: (through March 31st, 1998)
Temperatures Degree Days Precipitation
Mean maximum: 56.8 (+3.6) Heating: Aqueous: 17.25" (DEP +5.20") 143%
Mean minimum: 41.1 (+6.3) 1494.0 Maximum monthly: 7.60"/FEB.
Mean monthly: 49.0 (+5.0) Cooling: Minimum monthly: 3.90"/MAR.
50.5
Highest: 88, March 30
Snowfall: 0.00"
Lowest: 24, January 1 Maximum daily: 0.00"
Days with max temperature >= 90: 0 Maximum monthly: 0.00"
Days with max temperature <= 32: 0
Days with min temperature <= 32: 13 Days with some type of
Days with temperature <= 0: 0 snowfall: 2
Days with measurable
Number of: precipitation: 32 or 35.55%
Days using Heating: 82
Days using Cooling: 8 Days with thunderstorms: 3
Days Cloudy: 25 Number of thunderstorms: 3
Days Partly Cloudy: 44
Days Clear/Sunny: 21 Greatest 24-hour period
Days with fog/ground fog: 40 rainfall: 3.86"/FEB. 4th
Wind (Highest Gust): SE 53 miles per hour, January 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
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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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