The winds of March

Howled today, but not like a lion---more like the last breath of our old friend winter, soon to depart. Wind gusts rose into the 30s for the first of March, and it is deliciously cool! We'll see how the rest of the month goes!

On a more ominous note, the drought seems to be continuing again. We had decent rains up to February 10th, but almost none since. Dry, dry dry! It was like this last year too, with decent winter rains and then horribly dry---our driest year on record by more than 2" (record goes back to 1948). In fact, we are now drier than we were last year at this time. Rainfall to date is 5.40". Last year was 6.29" this date. Normal is 7.49" to date. The upcoming pattern looks 'droughty' to me. I hope it doesn't last. Our last year of above normal rainfall was 2005--since then we have been more than 55" below normal. It's really quite scary.

Date...................actual..............normal................departure...................notes

March 1.............52.7 / 69.6.......48.6 / 66.1...........+3.8..........................0.02" rain
March 2.............50.0 / 63.5.......48.9 / 66.2............-0.8
March 3.............52.3 / 66.0.......49.1 / 66.4...........+1.4..........................0.01" rain
March 4.............56.3 / 68.2.......49.2 / 66.6...........+4.3..........................0.01" rain
March 5.............57.0 / 69.8.......49.4 / 66.8...........+5.3
March 6.............50.2 / 73.6.......49.5 / 67.0...........+3.6..........................0.01" rain
March 7.............40.3 / 57.0.......49.6 / 67.2...........-9.7
March 8.............52.9 / 66.0.......49.8 / 67.3...........+0.9
March 9.............56.3 / 69.6.......49.9 / 67.4...........+4.3..........................0.62" rain......last day of mid winter.
March 10...........46.2 / 63.9.......50.1 / 67.6...........-3.8...........................0.05" rain......first day of late winter
March 11...........39.9 / 61.0.......50.4 / 67.8...........-8.6
March 12...........38.7 / 66.6.......50.7 / 67.9...........-6.6
March 13...........46.8 / 72.0.......50.9 / 68.1...........-0.1
March 14...........50.4 / 72.5.......51.1 / 68.3...........+1.7
March 15...........50.2 / 71.6.......51.5 / 68.5...........+0.9
March 16...........56.8 / 78.1.......51.8 / 68.8...........+7.1
March 17...........50.2 / 70.5.......52.1 / 69.0...........-0.2
March 18...........54.0 / 81.3.......52.3 / 69.1...........+6.9
March 19...........56.7 / 83.5.......52.6 / 69.3...........+9.1
March 20...........61.3 / 73.9.......52.7 / 69.5...........+6.5
March 21...........56.7 / 74.1.......52.9 / 69.7...........+4.1
March 22...........58.5 / 87.1.......53.0 / 69.8..........+11.4...last day of late winter....new record high 90
March 23...........60.1 / 85.5.......53.2 / 70.0..........+11.2...first day of early spring...new record high 88
March 24...........63.9 / 85.8.......53.3 / 70.2..........+13.1...new record high 88
March 25...........49.6 / 72.0.......53.6 / 70.4............-1.2.....36.2°F drop from afternoon high 3/24 to morning low 3/25
March 26...........52.9 / 73.9.......53.9 / 70.6...........+1.1
March 27...........59.7 / 86.5.......54.1 / 70.8.........+10.6.........................0.04" rain
March 28...........52.3 / 63.3.......54.2 / 70.9...........-4.7..........................0.15" rain
March 29...........50.2 / 60.4.......54.4 / 71.1...........-7.4..........................0.04" rain
March 30...........60.1 / 68.9.......54.6 / 71.2..........+1.6..........................0.78" rain....29.63" (1003.2 mb)
March 31...........56.7 / 67.3.......54.9 / 71.4...........-1.6..........................0.78" rain....29.56" (1000.8 mb)

The 90 on March 22 tied the record for March, and is only the second time it has hit 90 here in March. The

Record high March 22 90, old record 85 in 1997. The other 90 was on March 12, 1967.
Record high March 23 88, old record 87 in 1995
Record high March 24 88, old record 87 in 1975
Record high March 27 88, old record 78 in 1949


Temperature drops of 35°F or more from previous afternoon high to morning low are very rare--couple times a year or sometimes none at all. Since I started my weather diary and got my equipment in 2003, I have never recorded a 40°F drop. All have occurred from November through April. The biggest temperature fall was 39.7°F on Dec 21-22, 2008.

We have never had temperatures rise 32°F or more from a morning low. The biggest temperature rise from a morning low was 31.7°F on April 17, 2007.

I'd like to see a 40 degree swing someday.

March 27 record high broken by 10 degrees! Our records were officially started on August 12, 1948, so we don't have as long a record as major cities and we do break records by wide margins sometimes. But it's been a while since I saw a record taken out by 10 degrees here.


I think at the end of the year 80s will win for highs, and 70s for lows. We will see!

Highs

40s.........4
50s.........20
60s.........31
70s.........26
80s.........8
90s.........1

Lows

20s.........4
30s.........15
40s.........24
50s.........35
60s.........12

Freezes.......6

February 2011

February weather diary. February is a transition month here, but still wintry by our standards. Days are cooler than you might thing in south GA, being moderated by the cool ocean. Freezes are half as frequent as in January, however. And by late in the month, even afternoon temperatures start to rise enough to notice.




Date......................actual................normal................departure...................notes

February 1.............50.2 / 57.9.......43.2 / 60.7...........+2.2
February 2.............56.1 / 72.0.......43.3 / 60.8...........+12.0..........................0.21" rain
February 3.............43.2 / 57.2.......43.4 / 61.0...........-2.0.............................0.14" rain
February 4.............41.9 / 48.4.......43.6 / 61.1...........-7.2
February 5.............46.4 / 64.4.......43.8 / 61.3...........+2.8............................0.05" rain
February 6.............45.7 / 56.3.......44.1 / 61.5...........-1.8.............................0.04" rain
February 7.............48.6 / 52.0.......44.3 / 61.6...........-2.6.............................1.25" rain
February 8.............37.9 / 54.1.......44.5 / 61.7...........-7.1
February 9.............34.5 / 55.2.......44.6 / 61.9...........-8.4
February 10...........41.4 / 50.0.......44.8 / 62.1...........-7.9.............................1.06" rain
February 11...........36.7 / 52.3.......44.9 / 62.3...........-8.9
February 12...........32.0 / 58.5.......45.0 / 62.4...........-8.4
February 13...........34.5 / 60.8.......45.2 / 62.5...........-6.2
February 14...........39.7 / 68.4.......45.4 / 62.6...........+0.0
February 15...........42.4 / 59.5.......45.4 / 62.8...........-3.1
February 16...........50.9 / 64.9.......45.6 / 63.0...........+3.6
February 17...........52.9 / 66.7.......45.7 / 63.1...........+5.4
February 18...........54.7 / 74.5.......45.8 / 63.3..........+10.0
February 19...........53.1 / 70.7.......45.9 / 63.4...........+7.2
February 20...........50.9 / 66.0.......46.2 / 63.7...........+3.5
February 21...........58.5 / 77.7.......46.5 / 64.0..........+12.8.........New official record high of 82
February 22...........61.0 / 77.7.......46.7 / 64.3..........+13.8.........Tied official record high of 81
February 23...........52.0 / 66.0.......47.0 / 64.5...........+3.2
February 24...........48.7 / 69.3.......47.3 / 64.7...........+3.0
February 25...........59.5 / 74.1.......47.5 / 65.0..........+10.5.............................0.02" rain
February 26...........54.9 / 67.8.......47.7 / 65.1...........+4.9
February 27...........53.8 / 73.9.......47.9 / 65.3...........+7.2
February 28...........58.5 / 77.0.......48.2 / 65.6..........+10.8

I think at the end of the year 80s will win for highs, and 70s for lows. We will see!



40s.........4
50s.........19
60s.........22
70s.........12
80s.........2

Lows

20s.........4
30s.........14
40s.........22
50s.........16
60s.........3

Freezes.......6

January and a few 2010 highlights (entry updated daily)

I'm going to write a daily summary of the month, as it progresses.  Also put in a few highlights from 2010.

I've kept a weather station at home since November 22, 2003, and keep a weather journal on paper.  The format will resemble what I keep in my notebook.

2010 set some records at my house.  We set a new record for cold twice, the old record being 22.6 on Feb 4, 2009.
22.5 on January 10th, and 21.7 on December 14th.  We also set a record for the coldest high at my personal weather station, 35.4 on Janurary 9, 2010.  Exactly 6 months before we set our final record for cold we also set a new record for heat, 98.4 on June 14th.  The old record being 96.6 on August 4, 2006.

We also set a new low pressure record, 29.43" / 996.8 mb on March 2, 2010.

A very important record was broken for the year.  We had an annual rainfall of 24.27" this year, which was the driest official year since records began in 1948.  The previous record was 26.65" set in 1990.   But we are getting rain tonight, so I am optimistic :)

A full report of the weather extremes (and there were many) is here http://www.srh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=jax&storyid=61683%source=0

Each of the last 4 years also had below normal rainfall, 2006, 2007 and 2008 all being more than a foot below normal. 

The records I keep

Record high....... June 14, 2010...................................98.4
Highest low........July 9, 2005......................................80.4
Lowest high.......January 9, 2010.................................35.4
Lowest low.........December 14, 2010...........................21.7
Highest waves (buoy 41008).....February 27, 2005........13.8 feet
Lowest waves...(same buoy)....many dates..................0.7 feet
Highest pressure......January 3, 2008..........................30.75" / 1041.2 mb
Lowest pressure.......March 2, 2010............................29.43" / 996.8 mb
Highest wind..............May 21, 2008............................47 mph sustained, gust 66 mph
Heaviest rain..............October 4, 2005........................6.78"
................................October 5, 2005........................7.94" {Tropical storm Tammy}

Altamaha River
Highest stage / greatest flow.........April 11, 2009.....................14.58 feet / 96,500 cfs
Lowest state / lowest flow.............October 8 & 9, 2007............0.90 feet / 1,340 cfs

Tidal departure

April 15, 2007......................-3.50 feet
August 22, 2008..................+4.01 feet {Tropical storm Fay}


Date......................actual................normal................departure...................notes

January 1.............51.8 / 65.5.......43.6 / 60.4...........+6.6........................0.04" rain
January 2.............48.9 / 69.6.......43.6 / 60.4...........+7.2........................0.18" rain
January 3.............35.6 / 51.6.......43.6 / 60.4...........-8.4
January 4.............41.0 / 59.4.......43.6 / 60.3...........-1.7
January 5.............43.2 / 53.2.......43.5 / 60.3...........-3.8.........................0.29" rain
January 6.............41.2 / 57.9.......43.4 / 60.3...........-2.3...............29.68" / 1005.2 mb
January 7.............36.7 / 59.0.......43.4 / 60.3...........-4.0...............29.57" / 1001.2 mb
January 8.............39.7 / 56.8.......43.3 / 60.1...........-3.4...............29.59" / 1001.8 mb
January 9.............31.5 / 44.6.......43.2 / 60.2...........-13.6
January 10...........39.2 / 51.6.......43.3 / 60.3...........-6.4.........................0.82" rain
January 11...........35.4 / 43.3......43.3 / 60.3............-12.4
January 12...........28.4 / 44.6......43.2 / 60.3............-15.2
January 13...........24.3 / 42.3......43.0 / 60.2............-18.3............30.52" / 1033.3 mb
January 14...........25.3 / 47.7......42.9 / 60.2............-14.5
January 15...........28.8 / 52.2......42.7 / 60.2............-10.9
January 16...........34.9 / 55.2......42.6 / 60.1............-6.3
January 17...........41.9 / 53.4......42.6 / 60.1............-3.7.........................0.17" rain
January 18...........47.8 / 61.5......42.5 / 60.1............+3.3...coldest av daily temp
January 19...........44.2 / 59.9......42.5 / 60.1............+0.7...coldest av temp..0.05" rain
January 20...........39.6 / 59.9......42.6 / 60.3............-1.7
January 21...........46.6 / 51.8......42.7 / 60.2............-2.2.........................0.01" rain
January 22...........34.3 / 49.8......42.6 / 60.1............-9.3
January 23...........28.6 / 50.2......42.6 / 60.1............-11.9
January 24...........33.6 / 53.4......42.7 / 60.2
January 25...........47.7 / 59.9......42.7 / 60.3.............+2.3.......................2.29" rain
January 26...........42.1 / 58.3......42.7 / 60.2.............-1.2
January 27...........34.3 / 54.0......42.7 / 60.2.............-7.3
January 28...........38.5 / 63.0......42.7 / 60.3.............-0.7
January 29...........41.5 / 61.5......42.8 / 60.4.............-0.1
January 30...........45.9 / 68.4......42.9 / 60.5.............+5.4
January 31...........51.6 / 62.1......43.0 / 60.6.............+5.0.......................0.02" rain

I will also be keeping a record of highs and lows from our official KSSI site.  I suspect at the end of the year, the 80s will win for highs, and 70s will win for lows.   We will see!


Highs

40s.........4
50s.........11
60s.........14
70s.........2

Lows

20s.........4
30s.........9
40s.........15
50s.........3

Freezes.......6