On Wednesday we had mostly cloudy skies (gradually rising overcast stratocumulus and altocumulus) with no further rain, and breezy, blustery conditions at times resulting in lowering wind chills. Temperatures chilled slowly all day starting out in the mid 50s very early, then dropping to the upper 30s by mid morning, then rising only slightly into the low 40s during the day and lowering again into the upper 30s by late evening. Dew points were in the 50s early then dropped most of the day, lowering into the upper 10s by evening. The Wednesday minimum temperature from the VP2 (38.0°) was recorded at 0838 while the maximum temperature (54.2°) was recorded early at 0037. Dew point temps ranged from 53° early down to 18° late. Relative humidity values were high early but really dropped off later in the day (97% – 39%). Barometric values bottomed out early (carrying over from late Tuesday) then rose later in the morning then leveled out and even dropped off some by the end of the day, ranging from a low of 29.89″ at 0001 up to 30.15″ at 1002.

Remember now you can get the VP2 data on Weatherlink. You can access the data through http://www.weatherlink.com/user/walrusman444.

I am also now on weather underground. My ID is KMDROCKV200 and my station is called “Gardens of Traville.” Data is online, normally just about in real-time. I contribute daily to cocorahs as Rockville 2.8 WNW, Station ID MD-MG-115.

I spoke with Ray and Marty during the afternoon and evening about our shrinking snow chances on Friday and Saturday, and also talked with my friend Steve who lives in Camarillo near the fire-ravaged areas of Southern California. He is safe and away from all the big fires, but some family members have had to evacuate and have come to live at his house temporarily. He promised me a further update later in the week or over the weekend. 

We have mostly sunny skies now (high cirriform clouds were blocking the sun earlier but have moved off to the east) at 0808 with temps in the mid 30s. Thursday should be partly cloudy with highs in the upper 40s and lows in the upper 20s. Friday looks to be mostly cloudy with highs around 40° and lows in the upper 20s, with just no real chance of snow, as a coastal storm stays far enough out to sea to miss our area to the SE. Saturday looks to be cloudy once again, with highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid 20s. Sunday should be sunny and colder, with highs in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s.

On the Channel 4 weather website at 0808 their radar is showing scattered areas of typical Lake Effect snow in favorable sections of the Great Lake States like WI, MI, OH, IN, OH and western NY at this time. Also rain showers can be found over coastal sections (and offshore) of the Carolinas and GA. This is a stalled frontal boundary that passed through our area earlier this week, and where a storm is expected to develop over the next few days and ride right along the boundary.

As of 0808, the data from the VP2 (coming from the ground radiation shield about 4 feet off the ground just under and out from the balcony) and the Lakewood WXBug station are as follows :

Station Relative Location Temp  RH DP    BP    Wind High/Low temp today
VP2            Ground         35.7   65  25 30.13R  NA     54.2/38.0

There was no rain in my cocorahs gauge on Wednesday through midnight. The VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge under my balcony also recorded no rain through midnight obs on Wednesday.

December precipitation is 0.19″ through midnight obs Wednesday.

Year-to-date precipitation total is 38.70″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 34 95 48 30.10R Calm G SW 6
                            140° from station                     55/37

The Lakewood rain gauge recorded no rain through midnight on Wednesday. They now are reporting 0.22″ of precipitation falling up to this point in December, and a grand total of 39.56″ of rain for the year-to-date value.

Temp from the VP2 at 2400 was 38.3 RH 57% BP 30.08″R DP 24.5. Cloudy (cirroform) and dry at midnight.

Good morning from the partly cloudy and dry Walrus early on this Thursday morning.