AUGUST 2017  BRIEF SUMMARY CLIMATE STATISTICS ROCKVILLE 2.8 WNW MARYLAND                       by Kevin Shaw, observer in charge

Average high temperature 81.8°
Average low temperature 66.0°
Mean temperature 73.9°

Precipitation 4.09″
Greatest daily amount(date) 0.96″ (11)
Snow 0.0″
Year to date precipitation 30.29″

High temperature for the month (date) 92° (18)
Low temperature for the month (date) 59° (30)

Highest barometric pressure (date) 30.26” (26)
Lowest barometric pressure (date) 29.73” (18)

Peak wind gust (date/direction): N/A

Heating degree days for the month: 2
Cooling degree days for the month: 277

Greatest diurnal range (date): 22.6° (9)
Least diurnal range (date) 5.2° (29)

Number of days:

Fog 5
Thunder: 7
Cloudy 6
Partly Cloudy 19
Sunny/Clear 6
Max temp => 90° 4

AUGUST 2017 – BRIEF CLIMATE SUMMARY
ROCKVILLE 2.8 WNW MARYLAND
by Kevin Shaw, observer in charge

August 2017 was a bit cooler and drier than normal. The 4.09″ of rain this month
was less than half July’s amount, but at least nothing close to being abnormally
dry. 14 days with measurable rain was a bit above average and generally spread
fairly evenly throughout the month. Many of the wetter days of the month had max
temps in the 70s, and actually the coolest day of the month on the 29th (66°) had
one of the greater precipitation amounts for the month (0.55″). Glad to report of
only 4 days of max temps of 90 or greater (rounded to the nearest degree values).
The highest temp of the month of 91.6° was not really that high, but was made more
oppressive with the max dew point temperature of August of 81° reached on that
day (18). There were a total of 3 days where dew points remained above the 70°
mark all day. Conversely there were 13 days where the dew point fell into the 50s.
My lowest temperature for the month was 59.1°on the 30th, barely dipping below
the 60° the only time during the month. After 90° was reached on the 23rd, the
remaining days of the month mostly had days with max temps in the 70s, including
the one previously mentioned (66° on the rainy 29th)

The hottest period of the month (August 16-22) was when all but one day had max
temps above 85°, including 3 of the 4 days at or above 90° during the month. This
period was also quite dry, totalling only 0.18″ of rain.

There were 2 heating degree days (HDD) and 277 cooling degree days (CDD)
during the month.

My maximum temperature frequencies included 4 days of 90° or more, 14 days
between 80° and 89°, 12 days between 70° and 79°, and 1 day below 70°. On the
minimum temperature frequency side of things, there was 2 days below 60°, 22
days between 60° and 69°, and 7 days of 70° or over.

The diurnal range daily monthly average was 15.7°. Diurnal ranges were somewhat
supressed due to the abundance of cloudiness during the month, and real lack of
cool or hot days that always help. The maximum daily range of only 22.6°occurred
on the 9th (82.7°- 60.1°). There were only 4 days total with daily ranges at or above
20.0°. The lowest daily temperature range of 5.2° (66.0°- 60.8°) which occurred on
the 29th was the 5th wettest day of the month and by far the coolest max of the month.
Just like in July, there were only a total of 3 days with minimum daily temperature
ranges less than 10.0°.

My cocorahs (official) 4 inch rain gauge was moved mid-month (on the 16th) which I
hope will provide hassle free and more accurate readings from that point forward.
Also the VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge was re-attached to the housing on the VP2
sensor suite, and though not sited perfectly at least it gives me a good indication
that it did rain and the timing of the rain which now shows up in my weatherlink
software. Please ask me any questions you want at any time through any means
you can.