Temps, this vs last year

[spike60]

OK guys, I'm a bit of a weather geek. Have one of those Davis weather stations and have some fun with it. During the heating season I've been in the habit the last couple years of recording the low temp each night and marking it on the calendar. January this year was certainly a little colder than last year, especially the last 2 weeks of the month. But Jan is pretty much always cold.

But what's wearing us out and eating up the woodpiles has been the fact that Feb and Mar have kind of been stuck in that January mode. There's really been no let up. Last February, it got to the single digits just once the entire month. This year we hit it 11 times. March is similar using the teens as a measuring point. Last year, only dipped into the teens 3 times, and the coldest it got all month was 18. This year we've already done that 11 times, with 4 of those in the singles or below zero. And there's still 10 days in the month. In fact this year's March has been decisively colder than last year's February.

And with the first day of Spring just 2 hours away, it's 32 degrees right now with a nice rain/sleet mix coming down.

Just thought I'd cheer everybody up.

 

[stihly dan]

What surprised me was the highs for January where much lower than last year. It was the DAY heating that was more.

 

[chucker]

the old saying is "if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes an it will change".... so wait 5 minutes an it will change or we will..... colder temps for the dead of winter is really nothing new ! colder temps from year to year are about the same from season to season ! the colder/warmer temps like were having today are the same as to be expected in 6 months from now, like mid march to mid sept... our local wx man says we can expect the same temperature swings of 40 degs either way for the season were in!! ?? go figure?? that's the weather man !

 

[esshup]

What Davis do you have? I've been toying with the idea of getting a weather station that will measure rain, temp and wind speed. The way the land/trees are laid out around here, I figure I'll have to put the anemometer on top of the house to get an accurate reading, and build a box to put the temp sensor in.

 

[Coldfront]

2 years ago I had my boat out on the lake at this time, this year we still have 30" of ice on the lake.

 

[mainewoods]

Thanks Spike, I always enjoy statistics that verify misery. There is medication that will help with WSF ( weather statistics fixation). The only known side effects are incessant drooling and a desire to curl into a fetal position.

 

[Dale]

Forecast for surrounding Pittsburgh, PA area for next week.... High's in the mid-30' all week. Guaranteed, low's in the Teen's where I live..... a cold/damp hollow. WHEN will it end ?

 

[Dalmatian90]

Saw the other day month-to-date it's been the coldest recorded in Worcester, MA.

I was planning to go walk on one of my ponds today just because I could...except there's a 1/4" of water on top of them today from the rain last night and I don't feel like getting my boots wet

A typical year my ponds aren't safe to walk on by mid-February, and that is in years they ever freeze solid enough to trust them.

 

[alleyyooper]

Snow flurries at 7:00 AM this morning when the pup and I went on our first walk of the day. We broke a over 100 year old record for amount of snow during a winter this year with 6 inches to spare so far. Just think if the temps were running the same as last year at this date there would be major flooding, maybe so bad they would talk about that on the news and finally shut up about that missing plane.

Al

 

[Ash_403]

A very good point, Al. A slow warming 'trend' may be a gift in disguise after all.

 

[mainewoods]

Another 12" of wet, heavy snow last night. I believe that's 22" in the last 5 days. More busted tree limbs and power outages. We need a slow, gradual melt or it isn't going to be a pretty sight.

 

[hamish]

Hey, at least there are no bugs yet!

Keep your beers from freezing brothers!

 

[spike60]

What Davis do you have? I've been toying with the idea of getting a weather station that will measure rain, temp and wind speed. The way the land/trees are laid out around here, I figure I'll have to put the anemometer on top of the house to get an accurate reading, and build a box to put the temp sensor in.

Got the Vantage Pro 2. I don't have the heater for the rain gauge, and I cover it for the winter so it doesn't freeze. Only really interested in measuring the rain during the warm months anyway. My station is set a ways from the house so it can face south and catch some sun. My anemometer is on the same pole, which is only about 10' off the ground. Don't get the max wind readings I'd get if it was up high, but I get the reading on the ground where I am. It is one fun toy for sure. Lots of data in there. Highs and lows daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. When the rain is hammering the screen actually says, "It's raining cats and dogs".

 

[spike60]

Thanks Spike, I always enjoy statistics that verify misery. There is medication that will help with WSF ( weather statistics fixation). The only known side effects are incessant drooling and a desire to curl into a fetal position.

Over the counter, or do I need a prescription?

I don't think I drool, but I do like to curl up on the couch in the living room near the stove.

 

[Poindexter]

I look at Heating Degree Days, or HDDs. How cold is it compared to +65dF today, average?

So if the average temperature today for the 24 hours is zero degrees Farenheit, for today I would accumulate 65 HDDs. If it averages +60dF all day tomorrow, i will accumulate 5 HDDs tomorrow.

Attached graph is since we moved into this house not quite two years ago. The blue line is the trailing 30 year average of HDDs per month. The orange line is actual HDDs. We had an unseasonably warm January 2014, because the polar vortex that lives here spent January in Minnesota and Wisconsin and Michigan and so on.

My primary heat (and domestic hot water) is #2 fuel oil in the furnace with a DHW loop in it. I have pretty well figured out that I am using real close to 20 gallons of #2 fuel oil per person per month for DHW. What I don't know is how cold it can get before I am burning more fuel than that required just for DWH to also heat the house. Down to some temperature, probably about +40 to +45dF I have enough heat in the boiler to heat the house just with the fuel I would burn anyway for DHW.

Depends on how many of the four kids are home too. If all four kids are home I make a lot more hot water than if it is just the wife and me.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Well, you can see my temp in my sig. FWIW

 

[flotek]

This sucks ..but if there is anything good from it. ..it means a few less weeks of push mowing and weed wacking this year