MONTHLY WEATHER OBSERVATIONS LAVALE MD DECEMBER 2003 OBSERVER NATE MULLINS Observations for this month taken by Steve and Sara Mullins Also help from neighbors David Drewery and Bernie Miller Note this station uses daylight savings time when it applies. Special Observations: F=fog, T=thunder, H=hail, S=sleet, G=glaze, DW=damaging winds Observation time for this station is midnight. Temperature, °F Precipitation, In. Liquid Solid 7am 24-hour Temp Rain Snow/ Snow Date Max Min at Obs Equiv Ice Depth Special Obs. 1 46 30 2 38 26 3 36 22 4 35 24 T T 5 35 30 .70 7.0 3 6 35 26 .12 1.5 8 7 32 24 7 8 39 21 6 9 40 30 4 10 37 28 .86 2 11 43 32 .03 12 34 25 T T 13 30 19 14 29 26 1.02 9.5 7 S 15 39 31 T 0.5 9 16 38 16 7 17 32 24 .13 0.1 6 G 18 30 21 T T 6 19 34 18 .01 0.2 6 20 32 21 T 0.2 5 21 41 21 5 22 49 25 5 23 51 37 T 1 F 24 41 31 .38 T 25 34 29 .03 1.0 1 26 36 26 T 27 49 25 28 45 21 29 49 26 30 42 32 .06 T S 31 50 25 AVG 38.7 25.5 SUM 3.34 20.0 - EXT 51 16 MAX 1.02 9.5 9 Date 23 16 DATE 14 14 15 +=Also occurred on earlier dates. Miscellaneous Stats: Mean Monthly Temperature: 32.1 F Year Precipitation to Date: 52.93" (final total for 2003) Season Snowfall to Date: 22.0" (2003 calender year total 71.3") Number of days with: Fog: 1 Ice Pellets: 2 Glaze: 1 Thunder: 0 Hail: 0 Damaging Winds: 0 NOTES AND/OR SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: 1: Relatively mild today and mostly sunny but windy this evening as a cold front passed through. SNOW! 4: Cloudy and cold. Flurries and light snow began by evening. A light dusting by midnight... 5: Steady snow overnight about 2.5" fell by 7am. Light snow mixed with some rain at times by noon but changed back to all snow by 4pm and continued moderate to heavy at times through the evening. Total 7.0" fell by midnight melting down to .70" water. Interesting note: Last year we also had exactly 7.0" on December 5th, and it was also the season's first significant snow. 6: Light snow overnight another 1.5" fell by 7am making the storm total 8.5" and .82" water. Skies cleared this afternoon with some sunshine and some strong breezes out of the north. 10: Rain began about 1pm and was intermmittent through dusk. Steadier and heavier rain this evening .86" fell by midnight. 11: Light rain ended overnight another .03" fell. Temperatures fell throughout the day with strong WNW winds 10-20 mph gusting around 35 mph. MORE SNOW 14: Snow began overnight around 1am and became heavy during the early morning hours. About 6.5" by 7am. Steady snow mixed with some sleet early this afternoon then gradually tapered off and ended by 5pm. Flurries again after 8pm. Total 9.5" snow fell and 1.02" water equivalent. 15: Snow showers overnight another 0.5" fell. Snow was very dry and only melted down to a trace liquid amount. Breezy with partial sunshine and seasonal temps. GLAZE 17: Light freezing rain this morning from about 6-10am .14" fell forming about a 1/8" glaze on everything. Precip changed to snow before ending around noon but no additional accumulation. 19: Overcast and cold with light snow and snow showers but only about 0.2" accumulation MILD/SNOW MELTS 22: Mild high 49 F. Most of the 5-6" of snow on the ground melted away. 23: Few sprinkles overnight (trace). Dense for this morning. Another mild day high 51 F. Streams running high from snow melt. 24: Rain from 6am-11am was heavy 6:30-7am then mostly light .38" fell. Gusty WNW winds 15-25 mph. Snow flurries late towards midnight. 25: Light snow showers overnight 0.5" fell by 7am. Heavier snow shower 9-10am just 0.2" more accumulation. Sun came out by noon and melted the snow. Few more snow showers this evening. 27: Milder high 49F with sunshine. 30: Light rain overnight only .06" fell. Few sprinkles and ice pellets this morning. Gusty W winds 30+ mph. Partial clearing this afternoon. 31: Sunny and mild high 50F December Summary: The first half of December was cold with ample precipitation and snowfall, and the second half of the month was mild and dry. Overall temperatures were near normal with no extremes high or low. It was the 2nd snowiest December since 1992, but almost all of it fell the 1st half of December. Additional notes/records: 5th: Another big Dec. 5th snowstorm. 7.0" ties the daily record snowfall set just last year. 14: Daily record snowfall 9.5" 20" of snowfall in Decmeber helped 2003 inch past 1994 for snowiest calendar year on record with 71.3" of snowfall (1994 had 71.1" - a very close 2nd). 2003 was also the 3rd wettest year on record with 52.93".