Wednesday was a partly sunny day (mostly clear/sunny AM, partly to mostly cloudy PM) and even warmer that Tuesday. My 78.3 high temperature was the warmest daily max temp I have recorded since 82.3 was reached back on October 10, 2017. Temps on Wednesday hit 70° by 1030, after a warm launching point in the low 60s in the early AM. The Wednesday maximum temperature from the VP2 (78.3°) was recorded relatively late at 1631 while the minimum temperature (61.2°) was recorded early at 0527. Dew point temperatures ranged from a low of 58° at 0006 up to a high of 65° at 1148. Relative humidity values were high most of the day (91% – 60%). Barometric values were about the same as yesterday, ranging from a low of 30.24″ at 1631 up to a high of 30.39″ at 2350.

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. I contribute daily to cocorahs as Rockville 2.8 WNW, Station ID MD-MG-115. Please remember that Weather Underground does not report snow data, and reflects what is recorded automatically through the tipping bucket VP2 gauge.

I made my usual GLOBE observation just after solar noon. One of the 2 pictures submitted along with the rest of my observation is showing as today’s featured image. Notice to how clear and blue the sky is! Within 2 hours (later) the sky was filled with altocumulus and not so clear. We mostly report on the nature and quality of the cloud types at observation, and try to take pictures up at the sky to coincide with Satellite flyovers – a “ground truth” for the Satellites. When no satellite flyovers, a time of solar noon (around 20 mins after our actual noon) is preferred. Fascinating, much more to it that will be brought out in the coming months. I got only a small bit of DC-AMS Chapter Science Fair work done, as I wait for volunteers to come forward for the rapidly arriving science fairs in early March. However, I did get the basic data input finished on my January 2018 master spreadsheet data file. Now just some fine tuning, checking and writing a monthly summary and I will be finished. I caught some great Olympic action, mostly the awesome USA team victory in Women’s hockey over the Canadians in an overtime shootout 3-2 to win the gold medal. 

We have cooled off since midnight, with the dew point temperature dropping off significantly as well. On Thursday we look to be cloudy with a high in the low 50s and lows in the upper 30s and a 70 POP for rain under a mantle of clouds. On Friday conditions should be partly to mostly cloudy with a 40 POP for showers, highs around 50° and lows in the upper 40s. On Saturday we should have more clouds and rain (50 POP), with highs in the upper 50s and lows in the upper 40s. Sunday looks to be very wet, with a 100 POP for rain, with high temps in the mid-upper 60s and lows in the mid 40s.

On the Channel 4 weather website at 0551 radar is showing a few light widely scattered showers in central Maryland at the present time. The bulk of the precipitation is over most of PA, with the northern half getting sleet or freezing rain. Further west out in OH and WV sections more of that same precipitation pattern is showing . Eventually some of that rain will work into our area during the day on Thursday continuing through the weekend.

As of 0551, 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:

Cloudy and cooler

Station Relative Location Temp RH DP    BP     Wind High/Low temp Wednesday
VP2              Ground        54.4 61  41 30.45S   NA     78.3/61.2

The total rainfall in the cocorahs gauge was 0.00″ through midnight Wednesday. The VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge under my balcony also recorded 0.00″ through midnight Wednesday.

Wednesday’s precipitation 0.00″
February precipitation is 3.94″
February snowfall 2.0″
Snow on ground 0 (reported to the nearest half-inch)
The seasonal snowfall total is 7.5″.
Year-to-date precipitation total is 5.77″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 53 65 42 30.47″R E 10 G NE 14
                            140° from station                      80/61

The Lakewood rain gauge recorded 0.00″ of precipitation on Wednesday.. It is now reporting 4.46″ for a monthly (February) total and 2018 year-to-date (YTD) amount of 6.70″.

At 2400 obs Wednesday night the temperature from the VP2 was 67.1 RH 79% BP 30.39″R DP 60.4. Cloudy, mild, and relatively dry for now.

Good morning from the cloudy, cooler, increasingly damp Walrus early this Thursday.