I have had some data collection problems this week and have not posted since Tuesday’s report. I have issues resolved now and I will post a somewhat compressed three day report covering Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weather here in West Rockville MD. If I don’t post some information you want, please email me what you want and I will provide it to you. In the past when I have done this, only one person has responded for missing data.

Gradually hotter and more humid conditions existed through the 3 day reporting period. Temps started out with highs in the mid 80s on Wednesday and wound up in the lower 90s on Friday. Other than a light thundershower around 1900 on Friday (0.04″) the period was dry. Low temps started out in the mid 60s on Wednesday raising to the lower mid 70s on Friday. Skies were mostly clear to partly cloudy during the overnight and AM hours, with more clouds in the PM with the heat and convective development with mostly cumulus/cumulus congestus developing. We now have 4 days of 90° or greater through Friday so far this August. The Wednesday maximum temperature was 86.3°@ 1553, while the Wednesday minimum temperature was 66.4°@ 0557. The dew point temperatures rose a bit from Tuesday’s relatively moderate persistent 60s all day, ranging from a low of 65° @ 0330 up to a high of 72° @ 1106. The barometric pressure rose from Tuesday’s values – the lowest value being 29.97″ @ 0242 up to a high of 30.06″@ 2256. The relative humidity was a bit lower than Tuesday, ranging from a high of 95% @ 0643 down to a low of 55% at 1454. The Thursday maximum temperature was 88.8°@ 1544, while the Thursday minimum temperature was 70.1°@ 0556. The dew point temperatures rose more from Wednesday’s values, ranging from a low of 68° @ 0244 up to a high of 75° @ 1909. The barometric pressure rose from Wednesday’s values – the highest value being 30.12″ @ 1049 down to a low of 30.06″@ 1722. The relative humidity was about the same as Wednesday, ranging from a high of 95% @ 0728 down to a low of 58% at 1527. The Friday maximum temperature was 91.0°@ 1404, while the Friday minimum temperature was 73.2°@ 2351. The dew point temperatures rose more from Thursday’s values, ranging from a muggy high of 79° @ 1305 down to a slightly more pleasant low of 70° @ 2255. The barometric pressure lowered from Thursday’s values – the highest value being 30.11″ @ 0038 down to a low of 29.95″@ 1957. The relative humidity was about the same as Thursday, ranging from a high of 96% @ 0725 down to a low of 58% at 1409.

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.

Just a few highlights for the three day period. On Wednesday, I did break free to go to a delicious seafood lunch with my cocorahs friend Todd at the nearby Nantuckets Reef restaurant. It was a really nice part of the day when we went over. Before we left, Todd helped me put together my new rollator, which replaced the old, broken one that I had a minor accident with recently. Many thanks to Todd for helping me greatly on this endeavor, which only took about 1/2 hour and really didn’t require any tools. . Todd and I mostly talked about his agricultural (master gardener) activities at the local Montgomery Fair and at the Montgomery County Historical Farm Park, both of which are close by, within 10 miles of my location, and of course the weather, mostly dealing with our mutual daily cocorahs data collection activities.

Friday was a hot one, with high temps in the low 90s, and lows in the lower mid 70s, with a light thunderstorm (0.04″) around 1900. Overnight into Saturday I had a brief but at times intense thunderstorm betwen 0230 and 0300 (max rain rate of 4.72″/hour at the onset @ 0235). Another round of storms is somewhat expected on Saturday, but only a 40 POP for PM thunderstorms with highs in the upper mid 80s and lows in the upper 60s under partly cloudy skies. ooks to keep similar temperature patterns from Thursday but partly cloudy skies and a 40 POP for PM thunderstorms. Sunday looks to be mostly cloudy, mild and humid with highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 60s with an 80 POP for thunderstorms. Monday looks to have partly cloudy skies with only a 10 POP for a possible isolated shower and highs in the low 80s, lows in the upper mid 60s. Tuesday should see similar temps but a return to an 80 POP for PM thunderstorms under partly cloudy skies early then cloudy skies in the PM with the storms. Wednesday looks to cool off and dry out, with highs in the low 80s and lows around 60° under partly cloudy skies.

At 0804, Channel 4 radar widely scattered showers in parts of MD, VA and PA, and a bit more concentrated rain activity out in much of West Virginia, with even heavier areas of storms and showers in sections of KY, TN, and up north in New York state at this time. Most all activity is moving SW to NE along a very slow moving “cold” front.

At 0804, 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:

Mostly cloudy skies (mid-level overcast), warm and humid but dry for the moment.

Station Relative Location Temp RH    DP     BP     Wind High/Low temp on Friday
VP2             Ground          71.9°  96% 71° 29.94″R NA       91.0°/73.2°

The total precipitation in the cocorahs gauge was 0.04″ from 0000 to 2359 on Friday. The VP2 tipping bucket recorded 0.07″ on Friday, but only 0.02″ from the early evening thunderstorm. 0.05″ was recorded between 0300-0330 which I believe was added to my VP2 gauge from the apartment sprinkler system. What I believe is a fairly close reading I have 0.50″ in the VP2 tipping bucket rain gauge right now from an overnight thunderstorm. I will check my cocorahs gauge much later for the final, official total.

Friday’s precipitation was 0.04″
August precipitation total now at 3.07″
Year-to-date precipitation total 33.48″

WX Bug Lakewood 4500 ft, 70° 100% 70° 29.96″S Calm G WNW 6
                              140° from station                    Fri. Hi/Lo 93°/72°

The Lakewood rain gauge recorded 0.03″ of rain on Friday. The August total precipitation remained at a total of 2.247:45 AM 8/18/2018″ with the 2018 year-to-date (YTD) amount at 47.41″. 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 74.4° RH 86% BP 30.06″R DP 69.9°

At 2400 obs Thursday night the temperature from the VP2 was 77.8° RH 87% BP 30.10″S DP 73.6°

At 2400 obs Friday night the temperature from the VP2 was 73.2° RH 90% BP 29.95″F DP 70.1°
Cloudy, warm and humid but dry for the moment.

Good morning from the cloudy, warm, and humid but dry home of the Walrus on this Saturday.