Tuesday was a warmer day, with full sun and temps approaching the 80° mark. The Tuesday maximum temperature warmed up to 79.6 @ 1558 while the Tuesday minimum temperature was 46.4 @ 0644. The dew point temperatures started to rise on Tuesday, but still remained quite comfortably dry as we start the steamier month of May, ranging from a low of 30° @ 0107 up to a high of 42° @ 2115. The barometric pressure climbed to a high of 30.21″ @ 0939 down to a low of 30.11″ @ 1839. The relative humidity had similarly low values to Monday, ranging from a high of 70% at 0445 to a low of 19% at 1650.

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. The web address for my data on weather underground is: https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KMDrockv200#history/ I contribute daily to cocorahs as Rockville 2.8 WNW, Station ID MD-MG-115 on https://www.cocorahs.org/ Please remember that Weather Underground does not report snow data, and reflects what is recorded automatically through the tipping bucket VP2 gauge. I use the data I post to cocorahs as my “official” precipitation total each day.

I got up to take a shower in the mid-afternoon so I could be ready for a Mike pickup for an early dinner at the Hibachi Supreme Sushi Buffet where I have gone on occasion in the past. We met our friend Jason there at 1730. I sat down and before I knew it, I looked towards the entrance and got a really nice surprise – out of town visitors that really made my day. My daughter Robin flew in unannounced (to me anyway) from Las Vegas with my grandson Gideon to visit till Sunday. My friends helped to carry out the complete surprise setting me up beautifully. After we finished dinner and an initial visit, we moved our operations up I-270 a few miles to La Mexicana in Germantown, where we all pulled off another surprise, with Robin’s sister Tracy also completely in the dark about this unannounced (to her) visit. We watched part of the Caps victory over the Penguins 4-3, the Nats 12-4 win over the Pirates, and plenty of socializing with Tracy and several old friends who all adored Gideon who is just the cutest baby. I had a few beers, but didn’t stay long as Robin only had 2 hours of sleep before her flight and was really wiped out. She is staying at a place nearby and will rejoin me on Wednesday not too late in the morning. I texted Marty and talked with Ray a few times, particularly about Gideon and Robin. I sent out a few pictures from my phone and more will come, and I will post a good shot here sometime this week I am sure. 

Tuesday was sunny and warm, with high temps approaching very close to the 80° mark with lows in the mid 40s as we start the month of May in a mini-heat wave. Overnight into Wednesday we will be clear with lows in the low 50s. During the day Wednesday warms up even more, under sunny skies with highs in the upper 80s and lows in the low-mid 60s. Thursday heats up to 90° under partly cloudy skies, with lows in the mid 60s. Friday looks mostly cloudy and still very warm, with high temps in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s. Saturday should cool off a bit under even cloudier skies and a 40 POP for PM showers, highs in the mid 70s and lows in the upper 50s.

On the Channel 4 radar at 0310 the 4 state mid-Atlantic region is clear at this time. Closest precipitation that may eventually affect our area is an area of showers and thundershowers centered over most of the state of Wisconsin and a bit of the states overlapping the Badger state.

As of 0310 Wednesday, 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 WX Bug station are as follows:

Clear, not as cool and calm – looks to be a hot one for Wednesday !!

Station Relative Location Temp  RH    DP     BP      Wind High/Low temp for Tuesday
VP2            Ground         54.6° 74%  46° 30.13″F   NA    79.6/46.4

The total precipitation in the cocorahs gauge was 0.00″ through midnight Tuesday. The VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge under my balcony recorded 0.00″ through midnight Tuesday.

Tuesday’s precipitation was 0.00″
April precipitation 3.57″
May precipitation 0.00″
April snowfall 0.0″ (last report of the season – see you in the late fall!!!)
The seasonal snowfall total is 12.0″ (last report of the season, though technically the reporting season lasts till June 30 – not much of a chance for any more).
Year-to-date precipitation total is 11.74″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 56 50 39 30.14″F Calm Calm
                            140° from station                 83/45
The Lakewood rain gauge reported 0.00″ of precipitation on Tuesday. However, it hopefully is reporting its final total of 3.93″ of precipitation for April and a 2018 year-to-date (YTD) amount of 14.81″. I still believe at times the great disparity between the Lakewood WX Bug station precipitation amount total for the month and year and my cocorahs gauge based data is that the Lakewood precip values are estimated/adjusted from radar.

At 2400 obs Tuesday night the temperature from the VP2 was 62.0 RH 45% BP 30.15″R DP 40.4
Clear, mild, dry at 2400

Good early morning from the clear, not as cool, and dry home of the walrus early on this Wednesday. With my very significant out-of-town guests taking up much of my time the next several days, I may or may not be able to regularly report here each day so don’t worry about me. We look to have some fun and catching up to do.