Tuesday was a hotter day as highs reached into the low 90s, with dew point temperatures creeping up more through the 60s into the low 70s. I actually observed a few cumulus this afternoon for the first time since late last week. But it was still quite sunny most of the day. Overnight into Wednesday skies have been clear for the most part, but a weak front kicked off some storms up in PA and the remains came in giving us rain-free clouds as the storms dried up while escaping the mountains and heading into our drier, warmer air. Lows at sunrise have remained warm, with temps still in the low 70s just after sunrise Wednesday morning. The Tuesday maximum temperature was 92.7° @ 1710, while the Tuesday minimum temperature was 66.5° @ 0643. The dew point temperatures raised through the 60s to low 70s in the afternoon, ranging from a low of 61° @ 0159 up to a high of 71° @ 1453. The barometric pressure continued its drop from yesterday – the highest value being 30.10″ @ 0000 down to a low of 29.90″ @ 1831. The relative humidity values lowered on the high end but raised on the low end compared with yesterday’s values, ranging from a high of 89% at 0700 down to a low of 44% at 1729.

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 am back on somewhat of a normal schedule, but my activity level this week remains high. I am in the middle of compiling trivia questions for Thursday evening’s trivia night, about 1/3 done now. I had a late breakfast of cereal and sliced bananas then later for lunch I had the rest of the sushi I got in my grocery order earlier in the week. I had these rather tasty gyro sliders for dinner, never had them before and they were good, quick and easy to prepare in the microwave. I spoke with Tracy on her way to work and Ray later in the evening and Marty in the afternoon. I am getting a frozen, dry-ice encased salmon from Alaska via express methods on Wednesday. It looks like a German lunch on Thursday near BWI airport – catching a ride there from Martin Weiss and hoping Marty will join us. Then trivia Thursday night then on Friday hopefully Marty will be coming over to deliver several weather goodies I will detail late in the week. early. I watched the Yankees unfortunate 6-5 loss on a walk off hit in the bottom of the 9th to the Orioles in nearby Baltimore. I did have my usual water, medications and supplements along with some spicy low-sodium V8.

Tuesday 90° high temps returned (low 90s actually — 6th such day so far this month) under mostly sunny skies, with lows in the mid 60s. Wednesday should be partly cloudy and still warm, with highs around 90° with lows in the mid 60s. Thursday should be mostly sunny and “cooler”, with highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s. Friday the 13th should be partly cloudy with highs in the mid-upper 80s and lows in the mid 60s. The weekend looks hot, as both Saturday and Sunday will have partly cloudy skies and highs in the low 90s and lows around 70°. Still little to no rain chances in sight as of now as with this heat and lack of rain our greenery is drying out.

At 0654, Channel 4 radar is pretty clear within the 4-state mid Atlantic area, save for a few small, isolated showers in the mountains of Weest Virginia and SW Virginia at this time. Those storms I mentioned in my previous report Tuesday evening coming down from central PA did indeed weaken as they approached the border with Maryland, mostly in the Hagerstown and points west areas.. “Chris” is now a Cat 2 hurricane but remains well offshore and heading slowly to the NE into the North Atlantic Ocean eventually.

At 0654, 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:

Sunny skies, warm and dry

Station Relative Location Temp  RH    DP      BP    Wind High/Low temp on Tuesday
VP2              Ground           73.3° 82% 68° 29.95″R NA     92.7°/66.5°

The total precipitation in the cocorahs gauge was 0.00″ through midnight Tuesday. The VP2 tipping bucket also had 0.00″. 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.

Tuesday’s precipitation was 0.00″
July precipitation total is 0.02″
Year-to-date precipitation total 22.29″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 74° 77% 66° 29.98″R WNW 1 G WNW 6
                              140° from station                            92°/66°
The Lakewood rain gauge recorded 0.00″ of rain on Tuesday. The precip records have been updated from earlier in the week but I don’t know where they got all the monthly rainfall they are now reporting – they are now carrying a July monthly total precip of 0.39″ with the 2018 year-to-date (YTD) amount now at 34.79″. 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 Tuesday night the temperature from the VP2 was 78.9° RH 62% BP 29.92″R DP 64.8°
Mostly clear, warm, dry at 2400 Tuesday

Good morning from the sunny, warm and dry home of the Walrus early on this Wednesday.