The “heat wave” continued into its 7th day (max temps of 90° or more) but it wasn’t quite as hot and the end is near. We topped the 90° mark again today but it is getting harder to do with our 90.9° high today. The max heat index temperature only reached a computed 107° @ 1322. We had a sunny morning but clouds increased some in the afternoon which once again put a lid on temperatures later in the afternoon. Storms and showers from the northwest over Frederick came close enough to give us a few rumbles of thunder in the late afternoon but alas no rain once again. The heat ridge we have been under is going to finally give way to more pleasant temperatures and dew points over the weekend, after showers and storms hopefully give us some wet relief later on today (Friday). Overnight into Friday skies have been partly cloudy to mostly cloudy with lows near sunrise in the mid-upper 70s. The Thursday maximum temperature was 90.9° @ 1324, while the Thursday minimum temperature was 76.5° @ 0600. The dew point temperatures stayed high like yesterday, ranging from a high of 78° @ 1247 down to a low of 71° @ 1925. The barometric pressure reached its peak early today but started to lower in the afternoon and evening on Thursday – the highest value being 30.30″ @ 0750 down to a low of 30.15″ @ 2009. The relative humidity lowered a bit on the high side but rose a bit on the low side from yesterday’s, ranging from a high of 91% at 0625 down to a low of 60% at 1659.

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. The web address for my data on weather underground is: https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KMDrockv200#history/ I contribute daily to cocorahs as Rockville 2.8 WNW, Station ID MD-MG-115 on https://www.cocorahs.org/ Please remember that Weather Underground precipitation data reflects what is recorded automatically through the tipping bucket VP2 gauge. I actually use the data I post to cocorahs from my 4″ cocorahs gauge I read manually as my “official” precipitation total each day.

Our heat wave marched on another part of the day on Thursday. A heat advisory for the entire region (except for the high mountains to the West) was still in effect during most of the afternoon. Once again the dew point temperature in the afternoon had values that stayed in the 70s all day. The heat index (feels-like) temperature maxed out at 107° early in the afternoon at 1322. Friday should be partly cloudy with a 60 POP for scattered thunderstorms in the late morning to early afternoon for the most part, with high temps in the low 80s and lows in the low 60s. The weekend is looking good – Saturday is predicted to be mostly sunny with highs around 80° and lows in the upper 50s while Sunday should continue sunny and a few degrees warmer than Saturday, low 80s and around 60°. Monday starts to warm up under sunny skies, with highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s. Tuesday 90° high temps return under partly cloudy skies, with lows in the upper 60s.

At 0815, Channel 4 radar is showing building showers and a few storms out to my W and NW over western MD, and much of WV and PA at this time moving this way before noon so they claim. Much of NJ and parts of NYC are also getting rain currently.

At 0815, 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 WX Bug station are as follows:

Broken middle to high cloud overcast (stratocumulus and altocumulus mostly), still quite warm and muggy

Station Relative Location Temp  RH   DP     BP     Wind High/Low temp on Thursday
VP2            Ground         78.2° 90% 75° 30.12″S  NA      90.9°/76.5°

The total precipitation in the cocorahs gauge was 0.00″ through midnight Thursday. The VP2 tipping bucket had 0.00″. I think the generally greater amount in the VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge recently has been at least partially due to its proximity to a dense evergreen tree that frequently drips down and then blows the “catch” into the gauge. I mostly use this gauge to tell me when and how hard it rained. Marty will be visiting soon and make some necessary changes to the rain gauges that should help improve performance.

Thursday’s precipitation was 0.00″
July precipitation total is 0.02″
Year-to-date precipitation total 22.21″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 79° 87% 75° 30.17″S SW 2 G WNW 4
                            140° from station                        92°/76°
The Lakewood rain gauge recorded 0.00″ of rain on Wednesday. The precip records have not been updated from earlier in the week so they still carry a July total precip of 0.00″ with the 2018 year-to-date (YTD) amount still at 34.41″. I definitely continue to believe that at times the disparities between the Lakewood WX Bug station precipitation amount total for the month and year and my cocorahs gauge based data is that the Lakewood precip values are estimated/adjusted from radar.

At 2400 obs Wednesday night the temperature from the VP2 was 80.7° RH 84% BP 30.16″F DP 75.5°
Partly Cloudy, warm, muggy at 2400 Thursday

Good morning from the partly to mostly cloudy, warm and muggy home of the Walrus early on this Friday. Today’s featured image is nowhere near me unfortunately. It is of Gannett Peak and Glacier taken recently. This mountain is the highest peak (just short of 14,000 feet) in the Wind River Range of NW Wyoming, and the highest point in the mountain-rich state of beautiful Wyoming. It is one of the toughest state high point peaks to climb in the lower 48. Gives me relief to look at while dealing with our current heat wave. Hope you all will enjoy it!