The “heat wave” continued into its 6th day (max temps of 90° or more) but it wasn’t quite as hot and the end is near. We easily topped the 90° mark again today with our 91.7° high today. The max heat index temperature only reached a computed 104.6° @ 1255, down some 9° from yesterday. We had a sunny morning but clouds increased some in the afternoon which put a lid on temperatures later in the afternoon. Storms and showers to the northwest over Frederick seemed certain to come down and soak our immediate region, but the cluster of precipitation moved more SW and missed us just to the west as it moved into northern Virginia. The strong heat ridge over much of the Eastern US we have been under continues to look to be slowly breaking down over the next few days, with actually below normal (low-mid 80s maxs) temperatures by the weekend. Overnight into Thursday skies have been partly cloudy with lows near sunrise in the mid-upper 70s. The Wednesday maximum temperature was 91.7° @ 1619, while the Wednesday minimum temperature was 75.2° @ 0606. The dew point temperatures stayed high like yesterday, ranging from a high of 79° @ 1047 down to a low of 71° @ 1728. The barometric pressure continued to rise more on Wednesday – the lowest value being 30.20″ @ 0051 up to a high of 30.28″ @ 2356. The relative humidity range expanded on the high side from yesterday’s, ranging from a high of 94% at 0645 down to a low of 55% at 1619.

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 precipitation data reflects what is recorded automatically through the tipping bucket VP2 gauge. I actually use the data I post to cocorahs from my 4″ cocorahs gauge I read manually as my “official” precipitation total each day.

I stayed busy with lots of July 4th activities, and didn’t get much sleep. I watched the classic “Nathan’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest” from Coney Island, NY with the usual winner, Joey Chestnut, winning once again. I spoke with Marty and Ray in the afternoon and evening, discussing the present heat wave. Ray is no longer going to be doing those fine, hand-drawn surface analysis maps, mainly due to problems with base map data which are tough and too time-consuming for Ray to try and resolve.  Robin called me on her way home from work for a bit late, when I reported on my 4th of July crockpot feast. I watched plenty of baseball, a traditional 4th of July treat. The “feast” of boneless ribs and boneless chicken thighs was still edible, but I cooked it too long and the meat fell apart. The potatoes, broccoli and mushrooms I added later came out better and the generated broth was tasty. I also finished off the two remaining beer bratwursts for an earlier lunch. I had a few chocolate chip and macaroon cookies for a late dessert. I did have my usual water, medications and supplements.

Our heat wave marched on part of the day on Wednesday. A heat advisory for the entire region (except for the high mountains to the West) is still in effect during most of the afternoon. Once again the dew point temperature in the afternoon had values that stayed in the 70s all day but just missed hitting that rare 80° mark for a third straight day. The heat index (feels-like) temperature maxed out at 104.6° early in the afternoon, 8.8° lower than yesterday’s 113..4°. Thursday looks to be partly cloudy with highs around 90° and lows in the mid 70s with only a 20 POP for showers/storms. Friday should be mostly cloudy with an 80 POP for thunderstorms, with high temps in the low-mid 80s and lows in the low 60s. The weekend is looking good – Saturday is predicted to be sunny with highs around 80° and lows in the upper 50s while Sunday should continue sunny and a few degrees warmer than Saturday, low 80s and around 60°. Monday starts to warm up under sunny skies, with highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s.

At 0605, Channel 4 radar is showing dying-out light showers just to my NW that probably won’t give me anything this morning. Scattered storms/showers can be found out in parts of SW and South Central PA moving slowly east and probably diminishing in extent and intensity early this morning.

At 0605, 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:

Mostly cloudy, quite warm and muggy (broken/partial stratocumulus and altocumulus overcast)

Station Relative Location Temp  RH   DP      BP    Wind High/Low temp on Wednesday
VP2              Ground          76.5° 90% 74° 30.29″S NA     91.7°/75.2°

The total precipitation in the cocorahs gauge was 0.00″ through midnight Wednesday. The VP2 tipping bucket had 0.02″, some sort of early erroneous reading. I think the generally greater amount in the VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge recently has been at least partially due to its proximity to a dense evergreen tree that frequently drips down and then blows the “catch” into the gauge. I mostly use this gauge to tell me when and how hard it rained. Marty will be visiting soon and make some necessary changes to the rain gauges that should help improve performance.

Wednesday’s precipitation was 0.00″
July precipitation total is 0.02″
Year-to-date precipitation total 22.21″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 76° 96% 74° 30.33″R SW 2 G WSW 4
                              140° from station                          92°/74°
The Lakewood rain gauge recorded 0.00″ of rain on Wednesday. The precip records have not been updated from earlier in the week so they still carry a July total precip of 0.00″ with the 2018 year-to-date (YTD) amount still at 34.41″. I definitely continue to believe that at times the disparities 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 Wednesday night the temperature from the VP2 was 80.9° RH 78% BP 30.28″R DP 73.4°
Partly Cloudy, warm, muggy at 2400 Wednesday

Good morning from the partly to mostly cloudy, warm and muggy home of the Walrus early on this Thursday.
Hope everyone had a happy July 4th !!!