Friday was another cloudy day, much cooler, with mostly AM light rain (0.24″ cocorahs gauge total, Max rain rate 0.42″/hour @ 0731 from the VP2) and then occasional drizzle and fog developing late with dense fog at times overnight into early Saturday morning. The Thursday maximum temperature from the VP2 (46.1°) was recorded very late at 2355 while the minimum temperature (38.8°) was recorded earlier at 0803. Dew point temperatures ranged from a low of 38° at 0129 up to a high of 45° at 2234. Relative humidity values were quite high most of the day (97% – 89%). Barometric values were high early, but started to drop off significantly later in the day, ranging from a high of 30.62″ at 0115 down to a low of 30.25″ at 2333.

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

My sister Deryl and my brother-in-law Greg will be flying out from their home in Whitehall MI to see Gideon and Robin Saturday afternoon for a week. I managed to get a few things done throughout the evening, like finish up the basic data collection part of my January 2018 summary for my weather station location. I managed to make a quick GLOBE observation at about 1740, once again well past the usual solar noon time. We mostly report on the nature and quality of the cloud types at observation, and try to take pictures up at the sky to coincide with Satellite flyovers – a “ground truth” for the Satellites. When no satellite flyovers, a time of solar noon (around 20 mins after our actual noon) is preferred. Fascinating, much more to it that will be brought out in the coming months. I got a bit more of DC-AMS Chapter Science Fair work done, mostly data-base updates and follow-up emails. Time is getting short for the fairs of early March, and I only have a few volunteers lined up so far. I only hope that the “Update 2” message I sent out on Thursday will prompt some volunteer judge signups. 

We remained much cooler, cloudy and damp all day Friday, similar to Thursday, but with a bit more rain. Overnight into Saturday it was particularly foggy, often dense with visibilities as low as 1/4 mile at times. Later on Saturday we should have more clouds and rain showers (70 POP), with highs in the mid 50s and lows in the upper 40s. Sunday looks to be cloudy and wet once again, with an 80 POP for rain, with high temps in the mid-upper 60s and lows in the mid 40s. The beginning of the last week of February looks to feature increasing amounts of sun and mild temps in the mid 50s, lows in the 30s both Monday and Tuesday.

On the Channel 4 weather website at 0757 radar is showing showers and a few storms out to our W and SW, moving ENE, over the mountains of W PA western MD and parts of WV. These showers should mostly brush past us to the north till later in the day, when they should work their way down south and east enough to affect my immediate area. There are more showers and storms further W and SW that should keep us wet at times all weekend.

As of 0757, 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:

Cloudy, moderating temps somewhat, and damp

Station Relative Location Temp   RH DP    BP    Wind High/Low temp Friday
VP2            Ground          47.5   98 47 30.20R   NA    46.1/38.8

The total rainfall in the cocorahs gauge was 0.24″ through midnight Friday. The VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge under my balcony recorded only 0.09″ through midnight Friday. A max rain rate of 0.42″/hour was recorded on the VP2 gauge at 0731. So far no additional rain has fallen since midnight till the present time.

Friday’s precipitation 0.24″
February precipitation is 4.24″
February snowfall 2.0″
Snow on ground 0 (reported to the nearest half-inch)
The seasonal snowfall total is 7.5″.
Year-to-date precipitation total is 6.07″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 47 100 47 30.19″R NNE 1 G ESE 5
                            140° from station                           45/37

The Lakewood rain gauge recorded 0.21″ of precipitation on Friday. Since midnight it has not reported any further measurable precipitation. It is now reporting 4.74″ for a monthly (February) total and 2018 year-to-date (YTD) amount of 6.99″.

At 2400 obs Wednesday night the temperature from the VP2 was 46.1 RH 97% BP 30.26″F DP 45.3. Cloudy, cool, drizzly, with fog, at times dense.

Good morning from the cloudy, cool, damp Walrus early this Saturday