Sunday continued our nearly 2 week cold snap (last above 32 max was 34 on 12/26) but is starting to moderate with max temps today rising into the twenties with lessening winds, starting to come from a southerly component. The meager snow cover has evaporated down enough to now to record a trace on ground. The Sunday minimum temperature from the VP2 (5.9°) was recorded at 0650 will turn out to be my coldest minimum of this cold spell, and coldest minimum ever at my current location (since Dec 19 2016) while the maximum temperature (23.1°) was recorded at 1510. My dew point temperatures finally rose above the zero mark by midday, first time since last Thursday (1/4). They ranged from -3 ° at 0002 up to +5° at 2042. Relative humidity values rose a bit from yesterday’s values (70% – 38%). Barometric values rose more from yesterday, from a mid-morning high of 30.72″ at 1043 down to 30.42″ at 2353.The 30.72″ value is the highest reading of the cold snap and highest since 30.75″ was recorded back on March 5, However, it appears that some of my barometer readings are reading too high, and I am going to have to do a calibration check as soon as feasible. More details on that as they become known sometime this week hopefully.

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

I am posting daily to 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.

My close weather friend Ray, who is generally not online,  called me a few times unsuccessfully, till we got his December summary done for the North Jersey Weather Observers (NJWO), which I transcribed from his record to my computer, so I can email it on to the NJWO monthly publication WEATHERSHELTER. That will be done later this morning. I spoke to Marty for quite a while on a variety of topics, including our recent “cold snap” intensity and length, as to what place it fits into in the climate history books.  I did a bit more work and correspondence on my mountain ID quiz pictures and details, straightening out (personal – just to Rocketman) the ID information on a picture that he did get correct. 

We have partly cloudy skies now this Monday morning with temps in the upper teens. Dew points have risen slowly, and are still in the single digits. The rest of the day should turn cloudy with a major warmup beginning, as temps rise above the freezing mark for the first time in 2018 and first time since December 26th. There is a 60 POP for light rain/ice/sleet/snow by afternoon with high temps in the mid 30s, lows holding around 30° Monday evening. Look for a continued warm up for most of the next week with highs in the mid 40s and lows in the mid 20s (Tue) and low 30s (Wed) under sunny skies on Tuesday and partly cloudy skies on Wednesday. There is a 30 POP for rain in the PM hours of Thursday under partly to mostly cloudy skies, with highs reaching the low 50s, lows in the low 40s. Friday should feature cloudy skies and a 70 POP for rain with a high in upper mid 50s and lows in the upper mid 40s.

On the Channel 4 weather website at 0851 radar is showing snow falling in parts of PA and OH, with a mixed bag of rain/sleet/freezing rain/snow to the south of the snow, mostly over KY and TN with rain falling in points south/southwest of those states towards the Gulf of Mexico.
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As of 0851, 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 :

Partly Sunny and cold, but moderating.

Station Relative Location Temp RH DP  BP     Wind High/Low temp Sunday
VP2            Ground          30.7  59  8 30.29F   NA    23.1/5.9

There was no new snow or anything melted in the cocorahs gauge on Sunday. The VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge under my balcony recorded no precipitation on Sunday through midnight. I am now down to a trace of snow in most spots in my immediate area. Roads and sidewalks have been swept and/or blown clear., but many are still white with salt deposits from recent melting efforts.

January precipitation is 0.03″.

January snowfall is 0.5″.
Snow on ground T
The seasonal snowfall total is 4.3″.

Year-to-date precipitation total is 0.03″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 21 55 7 30.21R SSE 1 G S 6 
                            140° from station                    23/2

The Lakewood rain gauge showed no precipitation on Sunday, and no snow melted through. It is still mysteriously reporting 0.20″ monthly and yearly January 2018 precipitation at the present time. I have no idea where that much precipitation has come from – in light of my 0.03″ so far this month/year.

Temp from the VP2 at 2400 was 17.7 RH 56% BP 30.42F DP 4.6. Clear and cold with light winds at 2400.

Good morning from the partly cloudy, moderately cold, and somewhat snowy Walrus early on this Monday morning. A recent picture from Chesapeake Bay Magazine shows a Coast Guard ice breaker cutting a path for residents on Smith Island (Tylerton) last week is my featured image today. With more cold weather the past few days, the ice is probably much thicker today than early last week when this picture was taken. The story on it can be found at: 

 https://www.chesapeakebaymagazine.com/baybulletin/2018/1/2/ice-breakers-work-to-clear-path-for-smith-island-residents