CoCoRaHS Recruitment Video

If you haven't read it yet, Nolan sent an e-mail that contained a link to a video containing some great information about CoCoRaHS.  This would be a great link to add to websites, signatures on e-mails, and to send to anyone interested.  I'm not sure who created it, but it is well done.

Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKlpFuaLw0I

2009 Year In Review

Monthly Summaries

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Temperature

Maximum Temperature:  97° on 6/17, 6/19, 6/21, and 6/22

Minimum Temperature:  -4° on 1/15

Coldest Month:  January | 27.0° mean temp

Warmest Month:  June | 77.4° mean temp


Coldest than average month:  October | -5.2° mean temp departure

Warmest than avg month:  November | +7.6° mean temp departure

Looking at the above yearly temperature graph, I made an interesting realization.  It seems, this year at least, that there is much more temperature variability in the winter and spring months (sorry there's no X axis labels...couldn't figure that one out).  The temps really flatten out in the middle of the year, from late spring to early fall. 

Precipitation

Average Yearly Precipitation:  41.22"
2009 Precipitation Total:  58.22"
2009 Precipitation Deviation:  +17.00"

What a year for precipitation.  2008 and 2009 was the wettest two-year period for the area, as noted by state climatologist Anthony Lupo.  We had 10 months that exceeded the monthly precipitation average.  On the flip side, we were very lacking in the snow department.  Only 8.8" fell in the entire year!  14.5" below average.  It was not a fun start to the year...just cold and dry.  December gave us the only month with above-average snowfall.

For two years in a row, we haven't had any droughts to speak of, which is not common in this area.  Usually, we will experience a bad drought at least once a year.  I'm afraid of what may come next year.

I was excited for this last graphic.  The "Days With Precipitation" graph tells you what kinds of rain/precipitation events we experience here in Fulton. 

Total Days with Measurable Precipitation:   127  (34.8% of year)

Total Days with Precipitation (T or more):  158 (43.3% of year)

I'm excited to be able to compare this with each year as we will inevitably have a drier year this year.

Other Data

Days with thunder (from March to December):  45

Stormiest Month:  June (11 days)...also the warmest month

Windiest Month (no data Jan/Feb):  March and April

I'm working on a graphic depicting each wind event we had here at the station.  So check back for that later.  I'm sure I have forgotten to add something, so some updates may be necessary. 

January 6-7 storm

The beginning of the new year has started a new trend in our weather.  Cold and snowy.  We are currently in the middle of one of the coldest cold snaps (close to the top 10 for Columbia), and from the period of January 1 - 8, our mean temperature is a mere 9.8°.

A low pressure system plunged SE on Wednesday, January 6.  In the morning, the system was centered in South Dakota, and by 2:50 p.m., we started to see our first flakes fly.  The line of snow had to push through the area by about 50 miles before the snow could saturate the lower layer of the atmosphere and reach the ground.  With the sub-freezing temperatures we experienced prior to this (we hadn't seen above-freezing temps since 12/31), the snow stuck quickly and the roads got slick in a hurry.  Of course, folks in Missouri really freak out when snow hits the roads.  Many people don't realize that you can't drive the same in all conditions.

The snow continued at a moderate rate throughout the night.  I went to bed around 10:30 p.m. (late for me) before the winds picked up.  We had right at 2.0" of light, fluffy snow.  The flakes were beautiful, perfect dendritic works of art.  The true work of a master craftsman.

By morning, the scene had changed quite a bit.  After the strong low pressure system pushed through, the backside brought strong NW winds gusting around 30 mph.  I have picures to share with you, and will add them to this post early next week.  The houses in the neighborhood created wind tunnels and provided some wonderful drifts between and around them.  This made measurement a nightmare!

How in the world do you measure such a snow??

I went around, taking multiple measurements...some were 1/2", some over 12".  I finally decided to let math do the work for me.  Using the data from the KCOU station at the Columbia Regional Airport, I calculated the snow density, and using my melted snow from this station, I figured up a number of 5.4".  This turned out to be close to the average of all my measurements, so that's the figure I went with.  Not as quantitative as I wish, but it's the best I could do!  If any old hats have any suggestions for measuring blowing snow, I'd be happy to learn more.  Our snow density was 20 : 1

Frigid Temperatures

Here's a rundown of this month's temperatures so far:

1/1:  20  10
1/2:  18   0
1/3:  15   2
1/4:  16  -3
1/5:  21  -2
1/6:  24   3
1/7:  19   1
1/8:  10   2 

It has snowed 5 of the past 8 days.  It's turning out to be a beautiful winter.  Look for updates including pictures early next week. 

December Weather Summary

As this month came to a close, I have tried to think of a creative way to describe its events.  None come to mind...maybe its the sinus infection that has taken residence in the creative part of my head.  For all I could tell, this December, although it had its significant events, was an average one for Mid-Missouri.

View Daily Observations Here

Temperatures

High Temp:  57° on 12/1

Low Temp:  7° on 12/10

Mean Hi Temp / Average:  39.3° / 41.5°  (-2.2)

Mean Lo Temp / Average:  24.3° / 22.5°  (+1.8)

Mean Temp / Average:  31.8° / 32.0°  (-0.2)

As you can see, aside from the brief extreme changes which define life in the midwest, we were able to keep a near-steady mean temperature for the month.  In addition, we exceeded the average high temp mark 10 days and were below the mark 21 days.

Precipitation

Two things come to mind with precipitation:  Flooding rain and lots of snow!  During the period of 12/22 - 27, we recorded 2.77" of precip (103% of our monthly average).  And it sure seemed snowy, as we recorded 9 measurable days of snow (13 days if you count the days with only a trace).  While we only recorded 6" for the month, it was above average, and with low temperatures it has stuck around a while.

Days with snow on the ground:  9  (0.5" or higher)  OSNW3 was right in the comment he left on the last post, when it snows, it doesn't stick around long.  That's why it seems so snowy to me here.  Its nice to see the white stuff stick around.  And with current forecasts, the snow doesn't look like it'll be leaving us any time soon.

December was the 10th month this year to record a surplus in precipitation.  More on that and the yearly graph in a future Year-In-Review post.

Average precip:  2.70"

 

Average December Snowfall:  4.7"

Total This December:  6.0"

The days with measurable precipitation for December: