GramaxRefugee

1.53" from this afternoon's T-storm; struck about 16:00 with hvy downpour. Roadways flooded a bit (MD 450 and Rutland.) Plus a bit more in the evening. Temp/DP both 65.

1.08" overnight.

May total 2.58 inches. Highest temp 86, lowest 33.

Very humid here today. Max DP was 77. Currently 72 and hoping for some fresher air blowing in.

Starting March in the teens....19f this morning. (Only had one day below 20 in Feb)

I hope no one minds that I've resurrected a post from Sept 25, but a coworker was looking at this snowfall data and suggested that we check to see if any of these years had a warm Christmas Day. Well, I got to looking at the data, and found some of it interesting, and dare I say, encouraging. For those old enough to remember the first Washington's Birthday storm in Feb 1979, look at the similarities. (Listed as Dec 1978 ) Even the coolest 12/25 in 1884 fired off a high of 66 on 12/31. (I looked at the late Dec period in general, not just 12/25.) I didn't expect the see anything in this, but now I think it's worthy of posting. Thanks for your indulgence. ---------- Original Posted Data; Updated------------- Dry Sept -vs- snowfall amount: I investigated the 8 years mentioned by LWX in the AFD today regarding driest Septembers. (5 Driest Septembers BWI, DCA, IAD) Using BWI annual snowfall records, (normal 20.1 inches), I checked the following winters of each year for either normal, or above normal; rounding to the nearest inch. So basically, if a winter was 20" or higher it makes the winner's circle. (2005 wouldn't have made it without the rounding to 20, but eh, close enough) So, I was a bit surprised that only 2007, at 9" was below normal. Here's the years and following winter snowfall (Balto snow data): Update 1/2/20: Added the Max Temp on Christmas Day, Dec Max T, Dec Snowfall, and monthly temp departure. 12/25 Max Dec Max (day) Other notable Dec Snow (3.0 avg) Dep 1884 - 31" 32f 66f, 12/31 63f on 12/7 3.8” +1.4 1906 - 31" 32 68, 12/6 66 on 12/15 0.2 -0.4 1967 - 23" 40 62, 12/22 61 on 12/19 4.6 +0.6 1977 - 34" 52 59, 12/14 26/13 on 12/28 0.5 -1.1 1978 - 43" 48 72, 12/8 71 on 12/4 0 +3.4 2005 - 20" 42 58, 12/24 6.0 -2.7 2007 - 9" 50 63, 12/23 nothing else over 59 4.8 +1.1 2014 - 29"  61 69, 12/1 61 on 12/24, 60, 12/28 0.2 +3.2 2019 - ?? 49 65, 12/28 0.3 +3.2 avg = 27.5” The 1977 was only at DCA; 1978 and 2014 only at IAD. Otherwise pretty good mix. Hope we don't see another 2007/8 winter; or worse.

BWI : 27.4 DCA: 21.1 IAD: 29.9 RIC : 17.5 Tie Breaker SBY : 9.1

BWI 11/8 IAD 10/29 DCA 11/24 RIC 11/7 Tie Rainfall 9.1”

Zoysia. We have established it on a sunny, south facing slope. Wish we had started it asap, before fooling with the usual fescues, etc. Nothing else thrives in that environment without irrigation of some sort. Problem is that it takes long to establish unless you pay an arm and a leg for sod. Most have success with plugs, which is what we did. Purchased from a local nursery. Once established, it is hard to kill, and pushes out most weeds. Less fertilizing, less mowing, less weedicide. My son is a home builder in central NC, and he installs many zoysia lawns. But, there are other hybrids that they can choose from down there. We are limited here, but if you have sunshine, I really recommend it. ETA: On the planting schedule you mentioned...I think you are supposed to plant it in the spring/summer, not fall. Opposite of cool season grasses like fescue. Zoysia is a warm season grass. Hence, it's not used much north of PA.

Had one that wouldn't stop chewing on the hummingbird feeder. Trapped it in a live trap and released it across the river. (And warned it about my 3 strike policy). That's all it took. We have many squirrels here, but only that one psycho case ever bothered the feeder. They're not all alike.

1.5 " here. Drove out about 7:15 all roads snowy. Return 9:00 and starting to get salt water slush in many places. One car slid off of Rte 424..

Well heck. Now that I look at that link, it would be 8 straight days if they lowered their standard to 0.15". I'd consider the 0.4 to be a substantial number. Perhaps the 0.15 just spreads out the various records too far, making "records" everywhere. This isn't a particular record I've looked closely at before. So, I'm sort of stumbling through the high weeds.

I guess I should have just listed that AFD, so here it is (sorry) It has been an unusually wet pattern over the last week. For DCA (Reagan National), there has been at least 1/4" of rain each of the last 7 days. This is the longest streak on record. The previous longest was 5 days in 2011, 2009, 1975, 1950, 1942, and 1937. Precipitation records date back to 1871

The AFD said 1/4", which I was skeptical of. So I immediately came here to check and Rodney lists 0.4", which I find more believable. The years listed did not include 1996, which I remembered as a summer of rain. But I didn't check the record.

So, a factor of 3 difference. Not far off the pace really.

Do you have similar data for Baltimore? How about Richmond or Raleigh? My meaning....if it was meteor dust, as noted, it would not be confined to DC alone. Fascinating either way.