Friday, April 9, 2010

DC's April Heat Sets 140-Year Record

Image (click to enlarge): April 1-7, 2010 average temperature in Washington, DC vs. 10 warmest Aprils since 1871; CapitalClimate chart from National Weather Service data, background image © Kevin Ambrose

National Weather Service data confirm that Washington's summer-like heat in the first week of April was unprecedented in 140 years of records dating back to 1871. Steve Zubrick of the NWS office in Sterling, VA has reported to CapitalClimate that the April 1-7 average temperature not only exceeded the modern record in 1981 by over 4°, but it also surpassed by over 2° the 65.4° average in the very warm early April of 1929. (The daily record highs of 94° and 93° on the 7th and 8th in 1929 still stand. Temperatures cooled considerably later in the month, however, and 1929 ended with an average of 57.6°, which is now only the 29th warmest April.)

In the records of Dulles Airport dating back only to 1962, this year's April 1-7 average of 67.7° smashed by over 7° the previous record of 60.4° in 1988.

It was also the warmest first week of April in Baltimore.

For detailed data, see the previous posts:

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

PM Update: DC Demolishes 80-Plus-Year April Heat Record

April 8, Midnight update: The midnight (1 am, EDT) lows:
Washington National 56°
Washington Dulles 56°
Baltimore/BWI 55°
April 8, AM Update: This morning's low of 69° is 9° above the record warm minimum for April 8. In the unlikely event that this reading were to hold through the approach of a strong cold front this evening, it would tie the all-time April warm minimum on April 19, 1896.

Dulles Airport has already tied 1 and set 2 record warm minimums in the last 3 days:
April 5 51 (tie)
April 6 61
April 7 65
This morning's low of 67° is 14° above the current record of 53° set in 1983 and is 1° above the all-time April record warm minimum of 66° in 1977.

5 PM Update: Today's high of 90° brings the average for the first week of April up to 67.6°, over 4° above the old record. Other highs, including a new record by 7° at Dulles:
Washington Dulles   91° 
Baltimore/BWI 90°
2 PM Update: As of 2:00, the highs are (new record at Dulles):
Washington National 88°
Washington Dulles 89°
Baltimore/BWI 88°
Original post:
Following a low of 63°, the Washington, DC noon temperature is now up to 79°. This clinches a record high average temperature for the first week of April since at least 1930, when records began at or near the current location of National Airport. With an expected high in the upper 80s, the average for April 1-7 will be close to a remarkable 4° above the previous record in 1981.

For previous history, see the earlier post below.

Colbert's Climate Catfight Comedy

Stephen Colbert's climate debate pits meteorologists (Joe Bastardi) vs. climatologists (Brenda Ekwurzel):

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Science Catfight - Joe Bastardi vs. Brenda Ekwurzel
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorHealth Care Reform

Monday, April 5, 2010

Washington Continues on Pace to Record First Week of April

Washington DC temperatures continue on a pace to break the 80-year record for the first week of April with a reading of 80° at 2 pm today. Details below.

Other locations in the region at 80° or above:
Baltimore (BWI)   80
Hagerstown 80
Salisbury 80
Frederick 81
Manassas 81
Stafford 81
Fort Belvoir 81
Washington Dulles 81
Andrews AFB 82
Blacksburg 82
Culpeper 82
Leesburg 82
College Park 82
Charlottesville 84
Staunton 84
Fredericksburg 86

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Caribou Crushes Temperature Record
80s Widespread in Northern New England


Image (click to enlarge): High temperatures on April 3 in northern Vermont and northeastern New York, from National Weather Service

April 5 AM Update: Temperature records set or tied on Sunday, April 4: (old record and date in parentheses):
Caribou ME         73 (62, 1987)
Portland ME 76 (63, 1991)
Portland ME 46 (45, 1981) [warmest minimum]
Boston MA 77 (75, 1950)
Providence RI 76 (70, 1950)
LaGuardia Airpt NY 76 (75, 1974)
JFK Airpt NY 73 (69, 1997)
Islip NY 75 (66, 1997)
Bridgeport CT 68 (68, 1960)
Additional report from April 3:
Worcester MA     76 (71, 1974) 
Original post:
The recent early April warmth in the eastern U.S. has extended well into northern New England this weekend. On Saturday, Caribou, Maine utterly demolished its daily temperature record for April 3 with a high of 82°. This smashed the old record of 58° by 24° and exceeded the long-term average by an astonishing 41°. For an equivalent low temperature record to be set, it would have to be as cold as 17° below zero. The low for the day of 43° was 2° above the normal high. Climate records at Caribou date back to 1939. Caribou followed this with a more modest reading of 73° today, breaking the 1987 record of 62°.

Also exceeding their records in northern New England and New York by a wide margin on April 3 were (old record and date in parentheses):
Houlton ME       78 (62, 1981)
Bangor ME 70 (62, 1967)
Concord NH 82 (74, 1981)
St. Johnsbury VT 83 (75, 1981)
Burlington VT 82 (73, 1981)
Massena NY 85 (72, 1981)
Montpelier VT 84 (71, 1981)
Temperatures in the 80s were widespread over Vermont, northern New York, and into southern Canada, even at elevations over 1000 feet:
 VERMONT 

RANDOLPH MESONET 86
NULHEGAN RAWS 86
HIGHGATE AIRPORT AWOS 86
EAST BERKSHIRE COOP 86
NORTHFIELD COOP 85
NORTH UNDERHILL 85
NORTH TROY 85
NEWPORT COOP 85
MORRISVILLE ASOS 85
ISLAND POND AIRPORT 85
DANBY RAWS 85
PASSUMPSIC 84
NEWBURY AOT 84
MONTPELIER KNAPP AIRPORT ASOS 84
MARSHFIELD MESONET 84
EDEN COOP 84
CANAAN MESONET 84
BURKE MOUNTAIN 84
BETHEL COOP 84
WESTFORD 83
ST. JOHNSBURY ASOS 83
SAINT ALBANS COOP 83
RUTLAND COOP 83
ROCHESTER COOP 83
NASHVILLE 1 E 83
GALLUP MILLS NERON 83
ESSEX JUNCTION 83
WFO BURLINGTON VT 82
WEST PAWLET MESONET 82
SUTTON COOP 82
SUTTON 2NE COOP 82
RUTLAND AIRPORT AWOS 82
NEW HAVEN RIVER USGS 82
MT HOLLY MESONET 82
MILTON MESONET 82
MANCHESTER 82
LYNDON STATE COLLEGE 82
GEORGIA AOT 82
GEORGIA AOT 82
FAIRFAX MESONET 82
EAST CHARLESTON 82
WOODSTOCK COOP 81
WILLISTON AOT 81
UNDERHILL 81
SUNDERLAND 81
SUDBURY MESONET 81
NEWPORT AIRPORT ASOS 81
HINESBURG 2W 81
HANKSVILLE COOP 81
FERRISBURG 81
CHESTER 81
SOUTH LINCOLN COOP 80
RANDOLPH RAWS 80
CAVENDISH COOP 80
NORTHERN NEW YORK
MALONE COOP 87
OGDENSBERG AIRPORT ASOS 86
SARANAC LAKE / ADIRONDACK ARPT ASOS 85
MASSENA RICHARDS FIELD ASOS 85
FORT DRUM 85
WANAKENA RNGR SCHOOL COOP 84
MT VAN HOEVENBURG 82
LONG LAKE MESONET 82
KEENE 82
ELLENBURG DEPOT 82
SCHROON LAKE 81
PERU 81
NORTH CREEK (1030FT) 81
LOWVILLE 81
NORTH HEBRON (1100 FT) 80

Seasonal Outlook

Latest seasonal forecast: Click here.


Latest 3-month temperature outlook from Climate Prediction Center/NWS/NOAA.