Christmas Day Monday started out cloudy and a bit damp (0.01″) but started to clear out by sunrise and the rest of the day was partly cloudy, very windy at times, and colder with temps during the day holding in the low 30s. No snow though, so no White Christmas unfortunately. The Monday minimum temperature from the VP2 (28.2°) was recorded at 1842 while the maximum temperature (37.4°) was recorded at 0455 (PM Max temp was 32.4° at 1450). Dew point temperatures ranged from 36° at 0000 down to 9° at 1454. Relative humidity values lowered from yesterday’s values (95% – 39%). Barometric values featured quite a spread, raising late from an early morning min of 29.81″ at 0117 up to 30.38″ much later at 2307.

Peak wind gusts that I noticed on Monday were up to 40 MPH, probably higher. In today’s featured image, you will notice that the US Flag is lying on the ground, apparently blown over from these Christmas Day high winds. Also you will notice my new snow stick next to the upstanding Maryland state flag. Measures up to 36 inches, I should be able to read the depth numbers from my balcony if and when it does snow. 

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.

I was up in the late morning to take a shower and get ready for my daughter Tracy to pick me up and take me to her house about 10 miles to the north in Clarksburg to spend time with her and her boyfriend for some Christmas cheer and great dinner eats. Tracy cooked up delicious prime rib with custom horseradish sauce, smashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. I had coffee before dinner, then egg nog, then red wine with dinner, and cappucino with dessert which were slices of sweet potato and pumpkin pie. I played a lot with their 4 labs, Chloe, Gunnar, Bull, and the most energetically charged Reilly. Great to reconnect with these friendly doggies again. In the evening, I talked with Ray several times despite his continual cell phone problems, along with Holiday chats with Robin and Gideon, and my sister Deryl and family out in snowy Michigan in the Grand Rapids area (my niece Melissa’s place) 

Early “Day after Christmas” is partly to mostly cloudy, less windy and cold with temps in the mid 20s. The rest of Tuesday looks to be partly cloudy with highs in the mid 30s, lows down to 20°, then on Wednesday temperatures further cool off to a high temp in the upper 20s and lows in the low teens under partly cloudy skies. Thursday should get even colder, with highs in the mid 20s and lows in the teens under mostly sunny skies. As of now, Friday and Saturday should be partly cloudy and moderate a bit with highs in the low 30s and lows in the low 20s on Friday and mid teens on Saturday. The cold looks to persist well into the new year, with near-miss snow chances that have to continue to be monitored in the changeable cold pattern we are in.

On the Channel 4 weather website at 0938 radar is showing snow showers in parts of SW VA and eastern KY, plus snow showers and squalls in NW PA and western NY, centered around Erie PA, where 34 inches of snow fell yesterday and has had more than 50 inches the past 3 days, both all-time individual and PA state records.

As of 0938, 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         27.9  48  10 30.52R    NA      37.4/28.2

There was 0.01″ of precipitation in the cocorahs gauge on Monday. The VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge under my balcony also recorded 0.01″ of precipitation on Monday through midnight.

December precipitation is 0.80″ through midnight obs Monday.

December snowfall is 3.3″. The seasonal snowfall total is 3.3″.

Year-to-date precipitation total is 39.31″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 26 48 10 30.49R SE 1 G SW 9
                            140° from station                   38/27

The Lakewood rain gauge reported 0.01″ of precipitation through midnight on Monday. However, they are now reporting 1.13″ of precipitation falling up to this point in December, and a grand total of 40.47″ of rain for the year-to-date value. I will be going in depth into their records to check these figures out, and see if I can figure out these inconsistencies for the month and the year.

Temp from the VP2 at 2400 was 28.6 RH 49% BP 30.37R DP 11.8. Partly cloudy, cold and dry

Good morning from the mostly cloudy, cold, less windy but still snowless Walrus early on this Day after Christmas Tuesday morning.