Wednesday got darn hot and humid, especially so for October, but would be for any month. Partly cloudy and dry, low temps in the upper 60s in the early AM rose up to the low 90s by mid-afternoon , lowering only down to the upper-mid 70s by midnight. Dew point temperatures started out in the low 70s in the AM, lowering down to the low 60s by the early evening. 

The maximum temperature was 92.1 degrees at 1528.

The minimum temperature was 68.3 degrees at 0714.

The dew point temperatures ranged from a high of 71 degrees @ 1007 down to a low of 63 degrees @ 1934.

The relative humidity values ranged from a high of 91% @ 0547 down to a low of 41% @ 1301.

The barometric pressure ranged from a high of 29.96 inches @ 0000 down to a low of 29.83 inches @ 1714.

There was no precipitation on Wednesday so the October monthly total is 0.00 inches. The final September monthly total was 0.59 inches. The year-to-date total is 38.25 inches. Despite the rain on Monday we are still officially “abnormally dry” right now and very close to the moderate drought line.

My current online data is showing regularly on Weather Underground. My data is posted there every 5 minutes. My ID is KMDROCKV200 and my station is called Gardens of Traville. Data is online, available in real-time as it is being updated on a 5 minute interval. The web address for my data on weather underground is: https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KMDROCKV200

Unfortunately a recent development was found that is a discrepancy between my wxlink data and my VP2 display data. I noted this a week ago Friday when the low temperature came in as 50.2 degrees as I saw it in real time on my VP2 display, but on other sources tied in with wxlink I had a low of 52.8. Other variables also were a bit different. I don’t understand this discrepancy which I continue to notice in my records. I need to study close by VP2 stations in wunderground to see if I may be getting signal interference from another station all of a sudden. In a probably related development, I also continue to notice wind data for my station in wxlink (and therefore also in my weather underground data) a few days ago and has continued (And I have no working anemometer connected to my station). In a further development from Thursday afternoon, Marty was over helping me out and noticed on his way home VP2 station equipment at the top of the new University of Shady Grove building across the street. We looked for it online but couldn’t find it, but it possibly is still transmitting its data that my station is picking up but not being published online yet except to infiltrate my records. After lunch on Monday I saw this new station for myself from pretty close proximity. Pretty impressive but due to its 60 foot (approx) height off the ground temperatures and even rainfall will not be that accurate according to NWS specifications. More updates to follow.

I contribute my precipitation data daily to CoCoRaHS as Rockville 2.8 WNW, Station ID MD-MG-115 and can be found on the web at https://www.cocorahs.org

Please remember that my Weather Underground precipitation data reflects what is recorded automatically through the tipping bucket VP2 gauge, just as it does on WxLink 2.0. The tipping bucket has been producing erratic values on most days (when I have had rain that is) so should not be used except for general precipitation timing.

I actually use the data I post to CoCoRaHS from my 4 inch CoCoRaHS gauge I read manually as my official precipitation total each day. I wasn’t able to do this very much in September unfortunately since precious little rain (only on three measurable days the entire month) fell from the sky.

Tuesday started out busy. I had a 10:40 AM annual health assessment appointment with my Doctor at Kaiser. Victor drove me there and back, driving the apartment shuttle van. The appointment only lasted about 1/2 hour, but then I had a lot of lab work at the Kaiser lab, and with a 1/2 hour wait that took longer than the appointment did. I waited for about 15 mins after the lab work was finished to get the van ride back to my apartment so it took almost 3 hours for the entire appointment. And I really felt the heat after I got into the waiting area for the van, which wasn’t air-conditioned. Today’s featured image was taken out the west facing window in the hot waiting area at noon in the back of the Gaithersburg Kaiser facility. I had the last of the cereal soon after I returned to my apartment, along with a banana, milk and coffee just before the 2 PM resident meeting downstairs. Management got there late, making some announcements and listened and replied to a number of questions and complaints from my fellow apartment residents in this building. I met some new people, including one new addition, and that was great, as we introduced ourselves around the room (there was about 20 in attendance), finding out even more about some of my neighbors. I introduced myself as the resident weatherman, and asked management if I could submit weather articles on the Gardens of Traville website, which I can. At the end we had some light refreshments, which I enjoyed, then I sat down and joined the usual smaller gathering of ladies I know in a lively discussion of old movies and tv shows, among other interesting topics. We didn’t break till about 5:45 PM. What a great time with lots of laughs! I returned to my apartment to watch the AL Wildcard playoff game, won by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 5-1 over the Oakland A’s. I also worked for quite a while with Marty on my computer, in preparation of Marty coming over on Thursday to load some driver software which hopefully will enable me to run my scanner software. I also talked with Ray for a while, and later face-timed with my grandson Gideon and my daughter Robin to enjoy their long-distance company for a while. I also watched some of the Caps OT win over the St Louis Blues 3-2, in a game featuring the last two years of Stanley Cup Champions teams. I finally got a bit to eat late, a mushroom risotto heated up in the microwave.  

Thursday should be partly to mostly cloudy and cooler with highs in the upper 70s and lows in the low 60s.

A cooldown to more like fall starts on Friday with highs around 70 and lows in the low-mid 40s under mostly sunny skies that should continue into Saturday with even cooler max temps in the mid 60s with lows in the mid 50s.

Sunday should be partly to mostly cloudy with highs in the mid 70s and lows in the low 60s.

Mostly cloudy with showers on Monday and highs around 70 and lows in the low 50s. 

On Midnight Wednesday, clear skies with a temperature of 77.7 degrees, relative humidity 76%, pressure steady at 29.90 inches with the dew point temperature at 70 degrees.

Currently at 0239 Thursday morning the temperature is 78.2 degrees under mostly cloudy skies, relative humidity at 68%, barometric pressure steady at 29.91 inches, and the dew point temperature at 68 degrees.

Good morning from the walrus on this mostly cloudy, warm, very early Wednesday.