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Our region's extreme run


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January-October 2012 averaged 64.6 degrees at DCA, breaking the 2010 first ten warmest months record by 1.4 degrees. Further, the most recent 12 months, November 2011 to October 2012, broke the five-month-old twelve consecutive warmest months record of 61.8 set during June 2011 to May 2012 by 0.2 degrees, averaging 62.0 degrees.

With November now finalized at a below normal 46.6 degrees at DCA, the January-November 2012 average is 63.0, breaking the 2010 first eleven warmest months record by 1.0 degree. To break the annual average warmest record of 60.19 degrees set in 1991 requires a December DCA average temperature of 29.5 degrees or higher. Based on forecasts, that looks to be a sure thing, although as recently as 1989 the December DCA average was only 27.9. The all-time coldest December average temperature in DC is 27.1 in 1876.

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  • 1 month later...

With November now finalized at a below normal 46.6 degrees at DCA, the January-November 2012 average is 63.0, breaking the 2010 first eleven warmest months record by 1.0 degree. To break the annual average warmest record of 60.19 degrees set in 1991 requires a December DCA average temperature of 29.5 degrees or higher. Based on forecasts, that looks to be a sure thing, although as recently as 1989 the December DCA average was only 27.9. The all-time coldest December average temperature in DC is 27.1 in 1876.

December was nearly as warm as November at DCA, at 45.3 degrees. That made it the sixth warmest December in DC (warmest was 45.6 in both 1889 and 1984), and the 1.3 degree decline from November was the seventh smallest (smallest was 0.1 decline in 1923 from 45.1 in November to 45.0 in December). Needless to say, the annual average warmest record of 60.19 degrees in 1991 was shattered, at 61.49 degrees in 2012.

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December was nearly as warm as November at DCA, at 45.3 degrees. That made it the sixth warmest December in DC (warmest was 45.6 in both 1889 and 1984), and the 1.3 degree decline from November was the seventh smallest (smallest was 0.1 decline in 1923 from 45.1 in November to 45.0 in December). Needless to say, the annual average warmest record of 60.19 degrees in 1991 was shattered, at 61.49 degrees in 2012.

Incredible.

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Needless to say, the annual average warmest record of 60.19 degrees in 1991 was shattered, at 61.49 degrees in 2012.

Interesting Capital Weather Gang article about how unrepresentative of the DC area DCA's minimum temperature are -- http://www.washingto...weather_latest. Nonetheless, when apples to apples comparisons are made for DCA, average temperatures there have been generally increasing since National Airport became the official DC measuring station in 1945, and minimum temperatures have been increasing faster than maximums. For example, 2012's average minimum of 52.9 F beat 1991's average minimum of 51.2 F by 1.7 degrees, whereas 2012's average maximum of 70.2 F beat 1991's average maximum of 69.4 F by only 0.8 degrees. Prior to National Airport becoming the official DC measuring station, the warmest year on record in DC was 1921, with an average minimum of 48.6 F and an average maximum of 67.5 F. So, relative to that year, 2012's average minimum was 4.3 degrees warmer and 2012's average maximum was 2.7 degrees warmer. Does anyone care to speculate on what those increases would be if the official measuring station had not changed in 1945?

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The whole DCA argument is played out. People who don't understand it love to harp about it. No single point station tells you much more than the weather at that location. The best is the guy who says he did an analysis that Dulles is a better match for DC weather.

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In Mt Pleasant I had two 1+ year gaps since the 97-99 gap

 

2/11-12/06 to 2/13-14/07 and 1/17/08 to 1/27/09

 

yeah i didn't look past the top 5 (well, 6) really since that was 'easy' given the seasons with no 2" events. the markers are somewhat subjective of course.. 1.9 at DCA on 1/27 could have easily cut that stretch a bit.

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We're having a drought of precip. Since Sandy, we are about 3 inches in the hole. January looks increasingly warm and dry. The dreaded Pacific zonal firehose.

 

It's not really "since Sandy" as much as it's been dry fora long time other than Sandy.

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Depressing.

 

You just made the big-time, with the DC snow drought featured on the Weather Channel.  Of course, they managed to transpose a digit, claiming it's now 780 days, rather than 708.  And they didn't credit your research, the way Ian did in his Capital Weather Gang story.  But, if Al Roker picks up the story tomorrow morning, can fame and fortune be far behind?

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You just made the big-time, with the DC snow drought featured on the Weather Channel.  Of course, they managed to transpose a digit, claiming it's now 780 days, rather than 708.  And they didn't credit your research, the way Ian did in his Capital Weather Gang story.  But, if Al Roker picks up the story tomorrow morning, can fame and fortune be far behind?

 

When was this? Wonder if they'll show it again.

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You just made the big-time, with the DC snow drought featured on the Weather Channel. Of course, they managed to transpose a digit, claiming it's now 780 days, rather than 708. And they didn't credit your research, the way Ian did in his Capital Weather Gang story. But, if Al Roker picks up the story tomorrow morning, can fame and fortune be far behind?

Awesome. Except they didn't do the research. :(

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You just made the big-time, with the DC snow drought featured on the Weather Channel.  Of course, they managed to transpose a digit, claiming it's now 780 days, rather than 708.  And they didn't credit your research, the way Ian did in his Capital Weather Gang story.  But, if Al Roker picks up the story tomorrow morning, can fame and fortune be far behind?

 

That's funny.  Honestly, I was just venting about not seeing snow and somebody in the thread asked about the snowless drought.  I did the initial stat gathering, but Ian deserves most of the credit for the nice writeup and figures.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Research is a ****ty profession sometimes. Everyone just steals like it's no big deal.

Research is the act of taking data and observations that others have previously recorded. Who is stealing from who?

Quite like standing on someone's shoulders, and proclaiming "I'm up here by my own effort"

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One thing of note: NCDC revised the BWI July 2012 average from 81.4 to 81.5 degrees. This means that July 2012 is now tied for 2nd hottest, not tied for 5th as originally stated. So the last 3 Julys at BWI are now ranked as tied for 2nd, 1st, and tied for 2nd, respectively.

 

Incredible... this is probably the most impressive of all the heat records to me. I can't wait to see what July 2013 looks like.

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January 2013 at DCA averaged 40.3 degrees, making it the 22nd warmest January in DC, compared with 40.7 last year (17th warmest). The December-January average was 42.8 degrees, making those first two months of the meteorological winter the 6th warmest, just behind last year's 42.9 for those two months (5th warmest).

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  • 4 weeks later...

January 2013 at DCA averaged 40.3 degrees, making it the 22nd warmest January in DC, compared with 40.7 last year (17th warmest). The December-January average was 42.8 degrees, making those first two months of the meteorological winter the 6th warmest, just behind last year's 42.9 for those two months (5th warmest).

February 2013 appears to be finalized at 38.3 at DCA, making it 0.7 degrees below the 1981-2010 normal, and tied for the 56th warmest all-time. Quite a change from last February's 44.3, and enough to bring down the average 2012-13 meteorological winter temperature to 41.3, the 13th warmest. Last year's average meteorological winter temperature of 43.3 was the third warmest all-time, but DCA still managed to record half an inch more snow during December 2011 to February 2012 than during the last three months. Contrary to what you may think, however, the snow total of 3.5 inches during the last two meteorological winters does not break the all-time record. That honor still belongs to 1997-98 and 1998-99, which saw a total of only 3.0 inches of snow. Further, the meteorological winters of 1930-31 and 1931-32 also saw a total of only 3.5 inches of snow. However, March 1999 saw 8.7 inches of snow and March 1932 saw 4.0 inches. The two-year seasonal record minimum amount of snow in DC is actually 1996-97 and 1997-98, which saw 6.8 inches of snow. So, DCA must receive at least 3.3 inches of snow during the rest of this season to avoid the last two seasons setting the all-time record for snow futility.
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The two-year seasonal record minimum amount of snow in DC is actually 1996-97 and 1997-98, which saw 6.8 inches of snow. So, DCA must receive at least 3.3 inches of snow during the rest of this season to avoid the last two seasons setting the all-time record for snow futility.

That period overall was wetter and colder than the last two seasons. Another nail in the bogus "wet/warm cold/dry" cliche.

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That period overall was wetter and colder than the last two seasons. Another nail in the bogus "wet/warm cold/dry" cliche.

Much wetter, but only slightly colder. The two consecutive meteorological winters 1996-97 and 1997-98 at DCA averaged 42.0 degrees and 11.45 inches of precipitation. The two most recent meteorological winters there averaged 42.3 degrees and 8.32 inches of precipitation.
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February 2013 appears to be finalized at 38.3 at DCA, making it 0.7 degrees below the 1981-2010 normal, and tied for the 56th warmest all-time. Quite a change from last February's 44.3, and enough to bring down the average 2012-13 meteorological winter temperature to 41.3, the 13th warmest. Last year's average meteorological winter temperature of 43.3 was the third warmest all-time, but DCA still managed to record half an inch more snow during December 2011 to February 2012 than during the last three months. Contrary to what you may think, however, the snow total of 3.5 inches during the last two meteorological winters does not break the all-time record. That honor still belongs to 1997-98 and 1998-99, which saw a total of only 3.0 inches of snow. Further, the meteorological winters of 1930-31 and 1931-32 also saw a total of only 3.5 inches of snow. However, March 1999 saw 8.7 inches of snow and March 1932 saw 4.0 inches. The two-year seasonal record minimum amount of snow in DC is actually 1996-97 and 1997-98, which saw 6.8 inches of snow. So, DCA must receive at least 3.3 inches of snow during the rest of this season to avoid the last two seasons setting the all-time record for snow futility.

Assuming that we've seen the last of snow for this season, DC beat the old record snow minimum for two consecutive seasons by 3.1 inches, and IAD (at 8.6 inches this season and 3.7 inches last season) beat the old record (set four years ago) by 2.2 inches. There is nonetheless a big difference between DCA's and IAD's 2012-13 snow seasons: DCA's displaces last season's as the third lowest of 129 DC snow seasons, whereas IAD's is only the ninth lowest of 51 snow seasons there.
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