Thursday was a changeable day, clear in the early AM, but with increasing high clouds during the day, even a mid-level altocumulus overcast at times in the afternoon. It was partly cloudy and warmer with a bit of a rise in dew point temperatures after one more fairly pleasant early AM. Temperatures rose from an early AM lower-mid 50s to around 80° in the mid-afternoon. Dew points climbed a bit all day, ranging from the low 50s up to the mid 60s. Now at 0837 we have a broken stratocumulus overcast, temperatures in the low 60s with dew points around 60°. The Thursday minimum temperature from the VP2 in the shelter on the ground below my balcony (53.7°) was recorded at 0546 while the maximum temperature (79.7°) was recorded at 1437. Dew point temps ranged from 52° up to 66°. Relative humidity values were a bit lower than yesterday (95% – 53%). Barometric values started to fall off today, ranging from 30.26″ at 0000 down to 30.10″ at 1826.

Remember now you can get the ground-based VP2 data on Weatherlink. You can access the data through http://www.weatherlink.com/user/walrusman444. I am also now on weather underground. My ID is KMDROCKV200 and my station is called “Gardens of Traville.” Data is online, normally just about in real-time.

I was up in the mid-afternoon to have a late breakfast of cereal, banana, and the last of the coffee before my daughter Tracy came by for a short visit, bring me coffee and a few other goodies and cut my hair. The visit was naturally all too short. She whipped up a nice batch of guacamole for me that I ate later as a part of dinner. I talked with Ray about the upcoming tropical activity in a few days and Robin on a few text messages. I went to my weekly trivia game in the next building over at 1830 for an hour, then came back and started watching the Yankees unfortunate 4-0 loss in Game 1 of the next round of the AL playoffs to the heavily favored Cleveland Indians. I also caught a bit of the close 19-14 New England NFL victory over Tampa Bay. Dinner was a mixed bag, with the aforementioned just made guacamole mixed up with a can of albacore tuna that I had with chips, along with cajun crab dip, orzo and seafood salads. All was really yummy as usual! I also caught up some on my email and facebook messaging later during the evening and put in some last minute tweaks to my Giant food delivery order scheduled for Friday night between 1800-2000. I had some prune juice and spicy low-sodium V8 juice right around dinner time and plenty of water and vitamins throughout the evening.

We now have a broken stratocumulus overcast with temperatures in the low 60s at 0837 Friday. During the day on Friday the clouds should become more scattered with generally sunny, warm skies and highs in the low 80s, lows around 60°. Saturday will be mostly sunny with some clouds around, warm and dry, highs in the mid 80s and lows in the upper-mid 60s. Rain looks like a good bet on Sunday (80 POP) and Monday (100 POP), with highs in the mid 70s and lows in the upper 60s. What is left of Tropical Storm Nate should be hitting our area with hopefully only beneficial soaking rains that we really need sometime on Monday. Partly sunny and warmer on Tuesday, highs in the low 80s and lows in the low-mid 60s. Generally sunny and gradually cooler weather should come in during the remaining days of the week.

On Weatherbug at 0837 the radar is showing showers out in parts of the Midwest stretching parts of Kansas running ENE all the way to parts of northern New England, but well north of my immediate area as it continues to be diverted that way from this blocking ridge we have been under. Some scattered rain showers in parts of Florida, not really associated with tropical storm Nate, which is still getting its act together in the southern Caribbean around the Nicaraguan coast. It did make tropical storm status on Thursday, however.

As of 0837 EDT, the data from the VP2 (coming from the ground radiation shield about 4 feet off the ground just under and out from the balcony), the Lakewood WXBug station and the USG VP2 station across the street are as follows :

Station Relative Location Temp RH DP BP Wind High/Low temp today
VP2 Ground 62.5 96 61 30.12S NA 79.7/53.7

There was no rain in the cocorahs gauge on Thursday.

October precipitation is 0.00″.

Year-to-date precipitation total is now 33.56″

VP2 Across the street (USG) NA NA NA 30.16S NA NA/NA

There was no rain reported once again in the USG gauge on Thursday. The USG VP2 continues to stay offline all day and is not providing much data (save for barometric pressure readings).

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 66 79.1 59.1 30.12S Calm G W 5
                            140° from station                        83/56

The Lakewood rain gauge reported no rain on Thursday.

Temp from the VP2 at 2400 was 65.5 RH 87% BP 30.11F DP 61.5 .

Good morning from the mostly cloudy and milder Walrus (not so) early on this Friday