Thursday was partly cloudy and very cold. It turned out to be our coldest day of 2017 so far, both the max (21.5°) and min (13.6°) exceeding the previously recorded low values for the year from January 8 (22.4° and 14.3°). There is a chance on the last day of the year (Sunday) to be even colder, particularly with a forecasted min temp of 9° as I see it now. Winds lessened on Thursday, so wind chill temps did rise a bit to more or less agree with the air temperature. The Thursday minimum temperature from the VP2 (13.6°) was recorded at 0415 while the maximum temperature (21.5°) was recorded at 1505. Dew point temperatures ranged from 1.6° at 1210 up to 7.1° at 2240. Relative humidity values were about the same as yesterday’s values (70% – 43%). Barometric values finally reached the max for this cold outbreak, ranging from a morning max of 30.71″ at 0955 down to 30.50″ much later at 2330. That 30.71″ value was my highest reading since March 5 when I had 30.75″. The yearly extreme is still “safe” at 30.80″ on January 9.

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. Please take note that Weather Underground does not report snow data, and reflects what is recorded automatically through the tipping bucket VP2 gauge.

We had broken clouds about a half an hour ago, but now the sky has cleared as the sun has risen, with temps in the upper teens and dew points rising through the single digits. Friday should moderate a bit with high temps around the freezing mark (low 30s) under mostly sunny skies, becoming cloudy late with lows around 20° and a 40 POP for light snow showers overnight. Saturday should be cloudy with highs in the low 30s and a 20 POP for snow (but that is up for debate and might change as the day progresses), lows in the mid teens. New Years Eve Sunday should plunge us back into the deep freeze, with high temps in the low-mid 20s and lows down around 10° under partly sunny skies. New Years Day should be mostly sunny and cold once again, with highs in the low-mid 20s and lows in the upper single digits. The cold looks to persist well into the new year, but still remaining quite dry.

On the Channel 4 weather website at 0755 radar is showing only light scattered snow showers in parts of the Great Lakes lake effect snow region, and also in rain showers offshore of the Carolinas.

As of 0755, 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       17.3   64   7  30.38F   NA      21.5/13.6

There was no precipitation in the cocorahs gauge on Thursday. The VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge under my balcony recorded no precipitation on Thursday through midnight.

December precipitation is 0.80″ through midnight obs Thursday.

December snowfall is 3.3″. The seasonal snowfall total is 3.3″.

Year-to-date precipitation total is 39.31″

WX Bug * Lakewood 4500 ft, 14 73 10 30.33S Calm G SE 4
140° from station 21/13 (Estimated)

* The Lakewood gauge is temporarily down for some unknown reason. The closest substitute being used today is from the Mary of Nazareth School a few miles away for the time being. The Mary of Nazareth rain gauge reported no precipitation through midnight on Thursday. It is reporting 1.17″ for the month and 40.51″ for the year.

Temp from the VP2 at 2400 was 17.5 RH 52% BP 30.51F DP 2.8. Clear, cold and dry

Good morning from the clear, cold, but still snowless Walrus early on this Friday morning.