Monday was a mostly to partly cloudy, milder, snowless day that actually saw the snowpack vanish (see featured image) as temps rose into the mid 40s and mins stayed above freezing. Monday temperatures only dropped early in the AM into the upper low 30s, then rose into the mid 40s by mid-afternoon, then slowly dropped off a bit to the upper 30s around midnight. Dew points were in the 20s at first then rose into the low 30s later in the day. The Monday minimum temperature from the VP2 (33.5°) was recorded at 0329 while the maximum temperature (44.5°) was recorded at 1541. Dew point temps ranged from 26° early up to 33° later in the day. Relative humidity values lowered some today (80% – 53%). Barometric values were about the same as yesterday, ranging from a high of 30.13″ at 1008 down to 29.85″ late in the day at 2340.

Remember now you can get the 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 contribute daily to cocorahs as Rockville 2.8 WNW, Station ID MD-MG-115. Please take note that Weather Underground does not report snow data, and reflects what is recorded automatically through the tipping bucket VP2 gauge. With continued above freezing temperatures on Monday, the snow continued to melt in the tipping bucket gauges at my station and Lakewood, probably done now as we are again in bare ground mode.

I consulted a bit more about cocorahs reporting and the Alaska snow records, along with the Monday Night football action with Ray and Marty during the evening and early morning hours.

Monday morning found us still cloudy in the early AM, but clearing skies in the late AM, with the strong sun melting all of the remaining snow. Temps stayed relatively mild overnight Monday into Tuesday, on warmer southerly winds, only going as low as the upper 30s under more cloudy skies. Tuesday should be partly cloudy and mild early with temps reaching the mid to upper 40s, then turning colder on strong NW winds in the later part of the day, as temps drop off quickly into and through the 30s and then into the 20s by later evening, with wind chills heading down towards the 0° mark. Wednesday looks sunny and cold, with highs in the low 30s and lows in the upper teens. Thursday should moderate some under partly cloudy skies with highs in the upper 30s and lows in the low-mid 20s. Friday should have cloudy skies with high temps in the mid 30s and lows in the mid 20s and a 20 POP for snow.

On the Channel 4 weather website at 0842 radar is showing considerable snow shower activity out to our N and W, over a good part of WV, western PA, OH, and NY at this time, moving SE towards our area, but will probably dry up as the air heads over the mountains and downslopes heading into my immediate area. Winds will really pick up later when the cold front passes through later in the day.

As of 0842, 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 WXBug station are as follows :

Station Relative Location Temp RH DP    BP     Wind High/Low temp today
VP2             Ground         38.9 77  32 29.64F   NA     44.5/33.5

There was no more water that melted in the cocorahs gauge. We lost all our snowpack on Monday afternoon. The VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge under my balcony continued and finished its melt-out of its Saturday catch (0.10″). Total melt-off of the storm was 0.18″ which compares fairly well with my cocorahs gauge melted water catch of 0.21″.

December precipitation is 0.40″ through midnight obs Sunday.

December snowfall has been recomputed to be 3.1″. The seasonal snowfall total is also now 3.1″. A detailed comparison between close-by, reliable stations, mostly recorded in cocorahs, along with recommendations by Rick H and Marty, helped me conclude that my prior 2.0″ reading was too low from compaction, as I did not measure the snow on the snow board till about 6 hours after the snow ended on Saturday evening. So I am revising my total snowfall for Saturday to 3.1″ and snow on ground to 3.0″.

Year-to-date precipitation total is 38.91″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 38 73 30 29.61R Calm G SSW 7
                            140° from station                     47/30

The Lakewood rain gauge recorded 0.02″ of melted snow through midnight on Monday. Mechanisms are the same as with my VP2 gauge, and the melt-through has completed since the snow has now melted off completely. They are now reporting 0.47″ of precipitation falling up to this point in December, and a grand total of 39.81″ of rain for the year-to-date value.

Temp from the VP2 at 2400 was 39.1 RH 78% BP 29.85F DP 32.8. Mostly cloudy and dry at midnight.

Good morning from the cloudy but dried out (with the unfortunate rapid melting off of the beautiful cover of snow now complete) from the Snow-less Walrus early on this Tuesday morning.