Saturday, September 1, 2012

August & The WET Summer of 2012


August 28, 2012
Powell Valley Overlook
In Wake of August Downpours
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.

The High Knob Landform

Wavy fog banked against mountain walls of the High Knob Massif following late afternoon downpours on August 28, marking a fitting conclusion to the very wet summer of 2012.

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High Knob Massif
Summer 2012 Rainfall Totals

June
3.00" to 4.00"

July
8.00" to 16.00"+

August
5.00" to 9.00"+

Summer 2012
16.00" to 29.00"+

August 28, 2012
Remnant Massif of High Knob Landform
Mountain Waves Above - Waves Of Fog Below
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.

Rod Addington Photography

August 2012 Rainfall Days
Robinson Knob of High Knob Massif
Observers - Otis & Nancy Ward
Elevation 3240 feet

( Daily Amounts Ending At 8 AM )

8/1:  1.14"
8/2:  0.03"

8/4:  0.20"
8/5:  0.35"
8/6:  0.79"
8/7:  1.34"
8/8:  0.54"

8/10:  0.40"
8/11: 0.26"

8/15: 0.02"
8/16: 0.18"

8/18: 0.34"
8/19: 0.03"
8/20: 1.00"

8/25: 0.57"

8/29: 0.22"

August Total: 7.41"

Total Since July 1: 21.59"

Total Since June 1: 24.66"

2012 Total: 49.82" ( M )

Total Since January 1, 2011: 130.96" ( M )

( M ) - Indicates missing moisture in deeper falls of winter snow.

August 28, 2012
Late Summer Wildflowers
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.

Stalks of Wooly MulleinVerbascum thapsus ssp. thapsus ) standing along the field adjacent to Powell Valley Overlook have grown tall in the wetness of Summer 2012, amid a host of other colorful, late season wildflowers.

( Northern Base of High Knob Massif )
August 2012 Rainfall Days
City of Norton Water Plant
Observers - Water Plant Staff
Elevation 2342 feet

( Daily Amounts Ending At 9 AM )

8/1:  1.62"
8/2:  0.07"

8/4:  0.40"
8/5: 0.02"
8/6: 1.55"
8/7:  0.35"
8/8: 0.06"
8/9:  0.01"
8/10: 1.34"
8/11: 0.80"

8/15: 0.03"
8/16: 0.40"

8/18: 0.90"
8/19: 0.02"
8/20: 0.50"

8/25: 0.01"

8/29: 0.03"

August Total: 8.11"

Total Since July 1: 18.81"

Total Since June 1: 21.60"

2012 Total: 48.86"

Total Since January 1, 2011: 125.32"

August 28, 2012
Virginia Scenic Byway ( U.S. Route 23 )
Little Stone Mountain of High Knob Massif
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.


Climate Statistics
August 2012

( Lower elevations of Russell Fork Basin )
Clintwood 1 W - Elevation 1560 feet
Average Daily MAX: 79.6 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 57.8 degrees
MEAN: 68.7 degrees
Highest Temperature: 84 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 50 degrees
Rainfall: 3.91"
2012 Precipitation: 31.15"

( Northern base of High Knob Massif )
City of Norton - Elevation 2141 feet
Average Daily MAX: 79.0 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 55.3 degrees
MEAN: 67.2 degrees
Highest Temperature: 85 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 46 degrees
Rainfall: 8.11"
2012 Precipitation: 48.86"

( North of High Knob Massif )
Wise 3 E - Elevation 2549 feet
Average Daily MAX: 77.6 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 58.5 degrees
MEAN: 68.0 degrees
Highest Temperature: 83 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 49 degrees
Rainfall: 8.15"
2012 Precipitation: 41.51"

( Along the Tennessee Valley Divide )
Nora 4 SSE - Elevation 2650 feet
Average Daily MAX: 77.6 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 61.2 degrees
MEAN: 69.4 degrees
Highest Temperature: 84 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 55 degrees
Rainfall: 3.34"
2012 Precipitation: 30.78"

In the High Knob highcountry mean temps for August varied from upper 60s to lower 70s in coolest upper elevation sites by day to upper 50s 
to around 60 degrees on exposed ridges at night 
( 50 to 55 degrees in mid-upper elevation valleys ).

Rainfall was again abundant, as noted above, with a general 5.00" to 9.00"+ across the massif area.

August 28, 2012
The Crooked Road & Country Music Highway
Scenic Mountain Landscape Along U.S. Route 23
Photograph by Roddy Addington - © All Rights Reserved.


Summer 2012
Climate Statistics
( June-August Period )

Clintwood 1 W - Elevation 1560 feet
Average Daily MAX: 81.2 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 58.0 degrees
Summer MEAN: 69.6 degrees
Highest Temperature: 97 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 45 degrees
Summer Rainfall: 11.97"

City of Norton - Elevation 2141 feet
Average Daily MAX: 80.4 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 55.8 degrees
Summer MEAN: 68.1 degrees
Highest Temperature: 97 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 43 degrees
Summer Rainfall: 21.60"

Wise 3 E - Elevation 2549 feet
Average Daily MAX: 79.2 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 59.7 degrees
Summer MEAN: 69.4 degrees
Highest Temperature: 95 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 47 degrees
Summer Rainfall: 21.56"

Nora 4 SSE - Elevation 2650 feet
Average Daily MAX: 78.4 degrees
Average Daily MIN: 62.1 degrees
Summer MEAN: 70.2 degrees
Highest Temperature: 97 degrees
Lowest Temperature: 45 degrees
Summer Rainfall: 10.39"

Despite all the national media blitz about warming, the fact is that mean temperatures for the June-August period of meteorological summer 2012 ended up very close to longer term averages.  

This was not a local aberration, with weather stations in the adjacent foothills of eastern Kentucky reporting the following summer 2012 temperature means and departures from average.

Summer MEAN Temperature
( Departure From Average )

Jackson, Kentucky: 74.7 degrees 
( +0.7 degrees )

London, Kentucky: 74.7 degrees
( -0.1 degree )

Summer MEANS ended up being exactly the same at both Jackson and London, with departures varying from only 0.1 degree below average in London to 0.7 degrees above average at Jackson.

All-time record heat was an outstanding event during late June, with the highest temperatures ever documented being observed across nearly all elevation ranges in the mountain area.

Summer 2012 - From Chilly To Extended HEAT

This anomalous heat burst actually came at the end of a June which had featured cooler than average conditions.  The June MEAN of 67.4 degrees in Wise, for example, ended up 0.4 degrees cooler than the 1955-2011 June average ( * ).

*Based upon National Climatic Data Center official average for Wise 1 SE and Wise 3 E.  This occurred despite consecutive 95 degree maximums on June 29-30 which were the highest official temperatures ever observed during any month in Wise.

A very wet July followed with above average temperatures that were essentially canceled by below average August temperatures, subsequently the Summer 2012 MEAN temperature came out being around the long-term average!

July 2012 Summary - Very WET & MUGGY

Moon Rise On August 31, 2012
Blue Moon In A Midnight Blue Sky
Photograph by Wayne Riner - © All Rights Reserved.

Wayne Riner Photograph Thoughts...
"This is the moonrise of August 31, 2012, making it a "blue moon".  It is called that for it is the  second full moon in the same month. The next blue moon will be in July of 2015.  The moon is slightly obscured by a thin high altitude cloud, causing it to look out of focus."


Summer 2012 Rainfall Totals
Virginia & District of Columbia
( June-August Period )

Lynchburg: 7.14"

Washington Dulles Airport: 7.24"

Danville: 7.57"

Christiansburg: 7.81"

Washington National Airport: 7.97"

Holcomb Rock: 8.74"

Burkes Garden: 8.84"

Galax WTP: 9.28"

Independence 1.3 S: 9.37"

Martinsville FP: 9.40"

Blacksburg: 9.69"

Bluefield ( WV ): 9.92"

Gathright Dam: 10.28"

Roanoke: 10.33"

Millgap 2 NNW: 10.38"

Nora 4 SSE: 10.39"

Wytheville 1 S: 10.82"

Hot Springs: 11.19"

Trout Dale 3 SSE: 11.64"

Luray 5 E: 11.67"

Clintwood 1 W: 11.97"

Wallops Island: 12.15"

Saltville 1 N: 12.20"

Woolwine: 12.44"

Charlottesville: 12.50"

Dale Enterprise: 12.83"

Richmond: 13.06"

Lebanon: 13.15"

Covington FP: 13.39"

Meadows of Dan 5 SW: 14.18"

Norfolk: 16.21"

Richlands: 16.55"

Big Cherry Dam of High Knob Massif: 16.62"

Big Stone Gap WWTP: 17.60"

Coeburn FP: 19.31"

Big Stone Gap Water WP: 20.88"

Appalachia Lake WP: 21.09"

Wise 3 E: 21.56"

Norton WP: 21.60"

Robinson Knob of High Knob Massif: 24.66"

Another summer featuring huge moisture extremes across Virginia!