2018 Text Summaries And Records By Month
Narrative Summaries for Other Years


THE YEAR 2018
    JANUARY 2018 SUMMARY
    
     					January 2018 Glen Allen
        January was the coldest on record for the first 7 days with a mean temperature of 17.1  F.
     This 7-day period was also the coldest ever first week of a new year in the 121 years of Richmond records. 
    January 7th had the lowest temperature on record at Glen Allen. 
    Glen Allen also had two days with 70 F temperatures; only January 2013 has had more. 
     January had 21 days that were below freezing which is the average for Glen Allen. 
    The average maximum temperature was 0.4 F colder than average and
     the minimum temperature was -3.3 F colder than average for January.
     The 58.4 F highest minimum was the second warmest minimum temperature on record for the month. 
    The highest maximum of 73.2 on the 23rd was the second highest on record for January. 
    January’s monthly mean temp. was 35.78 F, a -1.5 F departure. 
    This was only the 6th coldest on record for the month yet there were 7 days that the maximum temperature was 32 F or less.  
    The minimum of -1.4 F on the 7th was the coldest ever recorded at Glen Allen.
     It was a surprise that January’s departure was so little but the graph shows 
    that after the 1st very cold week the rest of the month was mostly above average except for the 13th to the 18th.
    The highest barometric pressure was 30.73 inches on the 7th which was the 3rd highest pressure ever recorded. 
    The precipitation for January was 2.91 inches, a departure of -0.48 inches and 
    the 3rd lowest for January with 11 days with measurable precipitation which is average.  
    The snowfall for January was 4.2 inches which was a negative 1.5-inch departure. 
    The single day total of 2.2 inches on the 17th was the largest for the month. 
    The maximum wind gust for the month was 31 mph on the 23rd.
    
    				The Richmond International Airport
             The Airport tied one and broke 5 daily records for January that are recognized by Wakefield.  
    The -3 F on January 7th was the lowest temperature at the Airport since 1985 when -6  F was recorded. 
    Only 4 Januarys have had a lower minimum temperature in the past 121 years. (1935, 1940, 1942, 1985) 
    The daily mean for the 7th was 10 F and only seven Januarys have had a lower daily means.
    Only 20 Januarys of the past 121 have had a low maximum than the 23 F on the 5th. 
    On the 12th the overnight low was a warm 59 F.  
    Only January 1998 in the past 121 years has had warmer minimum which was 62 F. 
    Only 7 years of the past 121 had a higher average temperature range of 22.6 F and this is the highest average since 1976.   
    The mean temperature was 35.7  F with a departure of -2.2 F making it the 41st coldest mean in 121 years. 
    The average minimum temperature was 26.2 F which was the 42nd coldest minimum temperature on record. 
    From January 1st to January 7th, the temperature stayed below freezing except for
    the 3rd when it was 34 F giving a mean of 17.8 F for the 7-day period.
    This was the coldest first week to start a new year in the past 121 years for Richmond. 
    The next closest record was January 1918.
    The 3.41 inches of precipitation was a departure of +0.37 inches making it the 52nd highest January rainfall amount since 1887. 
    The 5.3 inches of snow recorded in January was the 39th largest snow in January. 
    January had 4 days with measurable snow and 6 days with measurable snow on the ground. 
    The Airport had 10 daily records for January of which 6 are recognized by Wakefield.
     Jan    28th   25 F new record low maximum - the old record 27 F in 1969, 1959, 1919, 1910
     Jan    02nd   10 F tied the old record low minimum set in 1928.
     Jan    06th     2 F new record low minimum - the old record 7 F in 1912
     Jan    07th    -3 F new record low minimum - the old record 10 F in 2014
     Jan    12th   59 F new record high minimum- the old record 52 F in 1963
     Jan    12th   64.5 F new record high daily mean- the old record 60.0 F in 1963
     Jan    05th   18.5 F tied the record low daily mean set in 1981.
     Jan    06th   12.5 F new record low daily mean - the old record 13.0 F in 1912
     Jan    07th   10.0 F new record low daily mean - the old record 16.0 F in 1914
     Jan    04th   2.4 inches new record high daily snowfall- the old record 1.6 inches in 1980
    
    
           
    


FEBRUARY
    FEBRUARY 2018 SUMMARY
    
    					Glen Allen February 2018
    February was the second warmest at Glen Allen and February 2017 was the warmest. 
    February’s mean temperature was 47.2 F, a +6.5 F departure and the 5th warmest on record. 
    The highest temperature for February was 80.3 F on the 21st and the lowest temperature this month was 12.5 F recorded on the 3rd. 
    The warmest day was the 21st as the minimum was only 61.0 F, a new record high minimum for the month of February, 
    and with a maximum of 80.3 F the daily mean was 70.7 F making it the warmest February day on record for Glen Allen by 4.4 F.  
    There were only 10 days below freezing which was a new record; the previous record was 12 days in 2017. 
    The 3.51 inches of rain for the month was the 5th wettest February with a + 0.89 inch departure when compared to the 9-year average. 
    Even though it was only the 5th wettest February had 14 days with measurable precipitation; the previous record was 13 in 2012. 
    This month was also the cloudiest February on record. Only January of 2017 was cloudier than February of all the recorded months. 
    This was the first year Glen Allen had no snowfall in February and last year was the second least with a trace making a negative 4.7-inch departure in snowfall. 
    The maximum wind gust was 36 mph from the south that occurred on Feb. 11th at 1231.  
    The wind run for the month was 2444 miles a new record for February. The highest barometer recorded for the month was 30.81 inches, 
    on the 13th and was the 2nd highest for Feb.  
    The lowest was 29.69 inches on the 11th and 25th and was the highest minimum barometric pressure on record for February.
    

    Springfield Park Winter Season December, January, February 2017-18
    Winter Season December, January, February 2017-18

     	
    
    					Richmond International Airport
    The Richmond Airport had 5 daily records for February. 
    Record High Maximums: 2- Feb 21st 80 F new record; the old record was 75 F in 1930, Feb 22nd 75 F a new record; 
    the old was 73 in 1985. Record High Daily Mean: 2 - Feb 20th 63.5 F new record; 
    the old record was 63.0 F in 1939, Feb 21st 70.5 F a new record;
     the old record was 61.5 F in 1953. 
    Record High Mins: 1 - Feb 21st  61 F new record; the old record was 54 F in 1953. 
    The Airport had a mean temperature of 47.8 F making the month the 7th warmest February in the past 138 years. 
    The Airport’s average maximum temperature of 58.6 F was the 4th highest since 1897. 
    The maximum temperature this month was 80 F.  
    Only 9 February’s have had a higher temperature since 1897. 
    The average minimum temperature of 37.1 F was the 2nd highest average minimum since 1897. 
    The highest was 37.3 in 1909. 
    The high minimum temperature of 61 F on the 21st was only 2 F of being the warmest night since 1897. 
    Only 2008 with 63 F had a higher minimum temperature. The daily mean for the 21st was 70.5 F 
    the 3rd warmest February day since 1880 except for February 2008 and 1891. 
    This February had 7 days of = 70 F the record is ten set in 2017 and 1976.
    The total precipitation for February was 2.04 inches making it the 33rd driest February since 1897 
    and February had a negative 3.4 inch snowfall departure. 
    The Airport didn’t record even a trace of snow for Feb. 2017 and 2018.  
    This was the first time that consecutive years had no snow since the years 1938 and 1939.
    

    Richmond Winter Season Dec, Jan, Feb 2017-18
    Winter Season Dec, Jan, Feb 2017-18



MARCH
    MARCH 2018 SUMMARY
    
    					Glen Allen Summary March 2018
    
    Why March even seemed colder than it was, as the mean temperature for March was a full 4.0 F colder than February, quite an anomaly.  
    March was the 2nd coldest, with 2013 being the coldest, and the third driest on record at Glen Allen. 
    The monthly mean temperature was 42.9 F, a -5.9 F departure based on a 9-year average. 
    Glen Allen had 18 days that the minimum temperature was =32 F. 
    The 82.2 F on the 29th was the maximum for March. The minimum temperature for March was 22.5 F on the 14th. 
    In March of 2012, Glen Allen had 6 days that the maximum temperature was =80 F; this month had only one.  
    March had only 3 days that the high temperature was =70 F and the average is 7.4 days but March 2012 had 19 days. 
    The maximum temperature range for March was 33 F on the 29th which was the lowest maximum range on record for March at this station. 
    The average ground temperature at one foot for the month was 47.2 F which was a -1.2  departure. 
    The ave. relative humidity was 66.1% which was the 2nd highest for March.
    The 2.62 inches of precipitation for March was a -1.05-inch departure on the 9-year average and the 3rd driest.  
    The most precipitation in a 24-hour period was 0.98 inches on the 20th and 21th.  
    March had only 9 days with measurable precipitation the least on record for the Glen Allen station and 4 were =0.10 inches. 
    The total snowfall was 6.2inches for the month, a departure of +3.0 inches and the 3rd greatest amount for March.
    The maximum wind gust during March was 43 mph which occurred on the 2nd at 1443 hours from the WNW, 
    the 3rd highest on record for March and was Glen Allen’s windiest March with a wind run of 3034.4 miles. 
    March 2nd had a wind run of 237.2 miles
    making it the windiest March day since January 17, 2012 with 247 miles.
    March was the 2nd clearest on record.
    The highest barometer was 30.67 inches on the 26th which is the 4th highest March barometric pressure for Glen Allen. 
    The lowest was only 29.48 inches on the 1st.
    
    
    					Richmond International Airport 
    
    The average maximum was 53.9  F and only 15 times has March had a lower average maximum temperature since 1897. 
    The mean temperature for March was 43.9 F which was -4.7 F below the thirty-year mean temperature. 
    This was the 22nd coldest March on record since 1897. March had only 3 days that the high temperature was greater than or equal to 64 F. 
    The highest temperature was 83  F on the 29th and the lowest temperature of 24 on the 17th.  
    This March had 16 days that the minimum temperature was =32 F and only 13 years of the 121 years have had more. 
    The total precipitation for March was 2.33 inches which is a departure of -1.71 inches making it the 31st driest March since 1897.  
    March had only 8 days with measurable precipitation and only 13 Marchs have had fewer precipitation days.  
    There were two days with measurable snow in March giving a total of 4 inches which was a departure of +3.4 inches. 
    The Richmond International Airport had one daily record this March.
    The lowest daily temperature range for March was 3 F on the 21st which tied with 1903 and 1924 
    for the lowest daily temperature range for the date in the past 121 years. 
    
    
    


APRIL
    APRIL 2018 SUMMARY
    
      					West Henrico Co. - Glen Allen, VA 
    April was cooler than average by -3.7 F. The monthly mean temperature for April was 55.7 F the lowest on record for April. 
    It is also the first time that I can remember that our average mean was the same as the Airport’s. 
    The average minimum temperature of 43.5 F was also a new low record for April.  
    The average maxmum temperature of 67.6 F was the second lowest on record for April. 
    The high temperature for April was only 84.8 F on the 13th and the lowest max. was 49.2 F on the 8th 
    which is the lowest max. recorded at this station in April.
    This April had two 80 F days and the average is 5.4 days. 
    April had 16 days the temperature was 70 F or greater which was a -1.3 day departure. 
    The maximum daily temperature range was 38.2 F on the 30th. April 24th had only a 5.3 F temperature range a new record low range for April. 
    The lowest minimum was 29.9 F recorded on the 8th and ties for the 3rd lowest for April. 
    April had two days with freezing which was a +0.8 day departure and three days with some frost. 
    The coldest day (lowest daily mean temperature) was 41.7 F occurring on the 8th and was the fourth lowest on record for April. 
    The warmest day (highest daily mean temperature) was 72.6 F occurring on the 14th.
    The average ground temperature at one foot was 55.1 F a -2.2 F departure and a new low record for April.
    April was the second wettest at Glen Allen with a total of 3.52 inches, a departure of +0.24 inches based on the average of the past 9 years.
     Measurable precipitation occurred on only 8 days which tied for the record low number of days for April. 
    The maximum precipitation to occur in 24 hours was 1.38 inches on the 24th and 25th. 
    The cloud cover was only a little above average and the average relative humidity was 65.6% the second highest on record for April.
            The maximum wind gust was 40 mph from the SSW that occurred on the 14th at 1636 which was the second highest on record. 
    April was the windiest April on record with a wind run of 3,162 miles. 
    The first measurable April snowfall occurred April 7th at Glen Allen but the Airport reported only a trace of snow. 
    There were only two days with thunder which is tied with 2013 for the lowest on record.
    
    
    					Richmond International Airport
    The Airport broke only one daily record for April for highest minimum temperature on April 15th which was 64 F; 
    the previous record was 63 F in 1967. 
    The Richmond International Airport had an average maximum temperature of 68.0 which was a departure of -2.3 F. 
    The average min. temperature of 43.4 F was a departure of -2.7 F.  
    The minimum average temperature for April tied with 1937 for the 22nd lowest average minimum for April in the past 121 years.
    The Airport’s mean temperature for April of 55.7 F was a -2.5 F departure and was the 31st coolest since 1897. 
    The highest maximum temperature in April was 84 F that occurred on the 13th and the lowest minimum temperature 
    was 33 F which occurred on the 5th, 7th, 8th. 
    The daily temperature range on the 30th was 36 F which was the highest temperature range for the month but 
    only 17 Aprils since 1897 have had a lower temperature range recorded in April. 
    April on average has the highest temperature range of all the months and averages 39.2 F.
    The Richmond International Airport had 3.58 inches of precipitation for April which was the 44th wettest April since 1887. 
    The 3.58 inches was a +0.31-inch departure from the average of 3.27 inches.
    The Airport reported a trace of snow in April for the first time since 2013. 
    The last measurable snow for Richmond in April was one inch on April 7, 2007 and before this it was 0.2 inches on April 7, 1990. 
    The latest measurable snowfall for Richmond in the past 121 years was 0.2 inches on April 21, 1953. 
    In the past 121 years in Richmond there have only been 14 days with measurable snow.  
       
    


MAY
    MAY 2018 SUMMARY
    
    					Glen Allen Springfield Park, Virginia
    							May 2018
    
    May’s mean temperature was 73.7 F a +5.6 F departure the warmest May on record for Glen Allen. 
    The average maximum was 84.4 F a +6.1 F departure and the average minimum was 62.9 F a +5.2 F departure. 
    The maximum temperature for May was 93 F on the 12th which was 1 F from the highest temperature recorded at this station in May. 
    The high minimum was 72.9 F on the 30th which was 1 F from the record high minimum for May. 
    The low maximum for May was 73.6 F on the 7th which was a +11.9 F departure. 
    The minimum temperature was 70 F or above on 6 nights; normally one would expect an average of 1.8 nights. 
    The month’s lowest minimum was 41.2 F on the 1st of May. 
    Note that on the graph for the month both the maximum and minimum were above the average for most days of May 
    and the 1st was the only really cool day and in transitioning to the heat set a new 43 F temperature range record for May.  
    The strong heating on the 1st also lowered the relative humidity to 18% a new record for May. May was not only warm but humid on many days. 
    The average relative humidity was 75.6 percent which was the 2nd highest for May; only 2016 was higher.
    May, with 11.82 inches of precipitation, was not only the wettest May on record but also the wettest month on record with a +7.12 inch departure. 
    The 5.09 inches of rain on the 18th set a new calendar day total for all months and 
    the 6.10 inch total in 24 hours on the 17th and 18th set a new record for all months. 
    The 1.83 inches in one hour on the 18th set a new record for May and the second greatest for all months. 
    Glen Allen set new daily rainfall records for four consecutive days from May 16th to May 19th. 
    The total wind run of 2337.9 miles was a new record for May. The average daily wind run was 75.4 miles which was also a new record for the month. 
    The maximum wind for the month preceding a thunderstorm was 47 mph on the 14th at 1929 from the NNW, 
    a new record for May and the strongest wind since June 25, 2012. 
    May had 8 days with thunder the second greatest on record for May. 
    May was a little above average on cloudiness with 14 days with measurable rainfall. 
    The thunderstorm of May 10th produced hail that was as large as 0.5 inches and lasted but four minutes damaging gardens plants. 
    See the following link for the report on hail.
    http://glenallenweather.com/historylinks/2018/may/hail%205-10-2018.pdf
    
    
    

    Springfield Park Spring Season March, April, May, 2018
    Spring Season March, April, May, 2018

    This spring was poor for gardening as April was below average and the first nine days of May had no measurable rain and the first rain on the 10th came with 0.5 inch hail. Then on the 14th another thunderstorm had 47 mph winds that flattened some tomato plants. This was followed by rain so heavy it rotted all the bean seeds not yielding one plant. Then with a second planting some seeds rotted. Richmond International Airport May was both the warmest since 1880 and the wettest on record since 1871 if the precipitation records taken by the Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Company are used. The railroad was under the direction of Major Edmund Trewbridge Dana Myers at the time. The maximum precipitation in a calendar day was 3.86 inches on the 18th which is a new record for the Richmond International Airport for the month of May; the previous record was 3.22 inches in 1889. May’s mean temperature was 73.4 F a +7.0 F departure which made it the warmest May on record. The average maximum was 84.3 F a +6.4 F departure and the average minimum was 62.5 F a +7.5 F departure. The maximum temperature for May was 93 F on the 12th and the lowest was 42 F recorded on the 1st. The Richmond International Airport had 7 daily records that either tied or were broken. Record High Maximums May 12nd 93 F new record - the old record 92 F in 2015, 1956, 1914 Record High Minimums May 20th 71 F tied the record set in 1898. May 30th 72 F new record - the old record 70 F in 2011, 1959 Record High Means May 12th 79.5 F tied the record set in 2015, 1914 High Daily Temperature Range May 01st 42 F tied the record set in 1930 Maximum Daily Precipitation May 17th 2.67 inches new record - the old record 2.16 inches in 1932 May 18th 3.86 inches new record - the old record 3.22 inches in 1889

    Richmond Spring Season March, April, May, 2018
    Spring Season March, April, May, 2018



JUNE
    JUNE 2018 SUMMARY
    
     					Glen Allen Springfield Park
    
    June had a large difference in total precipitation between the Glen Allen Springfield Park station and the Richmond International Airport. 
    The 8.43 inches monthly precipitation at Glen Allen was a positive departure of +4.28 inches but the Airport had a +9.39 inch departure.  
    Glen Allen had 12 days in June with measurable precipitation and a very wet period from the 2nd to the 11th with 6.60 inches of rain. 
    The Airport had 4.89 inches more precipitation this month than Springfield Park.  
    Thunder was heard on 8 days during June but none of the thunderstorms were severe. 
    The 3.08 inches on the 2nd was the greatest rainfall in a calendar day for June and the 8.43 inches for the month
     was the greatest on record for June and the most in a 24-hour period for June. 
    The 2.63 inches in one hour on the 2nd also set a new hourly maximum for Springfield Park. 
    The 0.53 inches of rain in 5 minutes is also a new rainfall intensity record for June. 
            The mean temperature for June was 76.4 F with a + 0.3 F departure. 
    The highest temperature for the month was 97 F on the 19th and 8 days had a maximum temperature =90 F (average is 10.1 days). 
    But there were 9 days the minimum temperature was 70 F or above and the average is 9 days. 
    The maximum temperature for June was 86.6 F a -0.2 F departure. 
    The minimum temperature average for June was 66.6 F a +0.9 F departure and only 2 years were warmer in the past 9 years. 
    The lowest temperature was 56.6 F on the 9th. 
    The highest dew point temperature for June was 82.3 F on the 19th at 1337 but this reading is thought to be about +2 F high.
    The maximum wind for June at this station was 32 mph on the 19th at 1750 in a thunderstorm. 
    
    
    					Richmond International Airport
    
    The Richmond International Airport had 13.32 inches of precipitation for June which was a +9.39 inch departure, 
    making it the wettest June on record. 
    Only July, August, and September have recorded more precipitation in one month. 
    The Airport’s June total precipitation was so large because the Airport had 7.61 inches of rain on the 22nd. 
    The Richmond International Airport had two daily records for June. 
    The 7.61 inches on the 22nd was a new record precipitation for the date; the previous record was 2.98 inches in 1991. 
    This was also the second most precipitation to ever occur in a calendar day.
    The min. temperature of 74 F on the 19th tied the record for the date set in 2015 and 1984 for the highest minimum temperature for the date. 
    The Airport’s minimum temperature for June was 66.9 F a +2.4 F departure and the 8th warmest since 1897. 
    The Airport’s minimum temperature for June was 58 F on the 4th and only four years have had a higher minimum temperature for June since 1897.
    The Airport’s maximum temperature for June was 86.4 F a +0.3 F departure. 
    The Airport’s maximum temperature for June was 98 F on the 19th.
    The Airport’s mean temperature for June of 76.7 F was a +1.4 F departure and the 14th warmest since 1897.  
    The max temperature range was 27 F on the 8th and 16th and only three years have had a lower maximum temperature range for June. 
    The average range was 16.9  F, a -1.8  F departure and the lowest range was 7  F on the 11th.
    7.61 inches of rain fell at Richmond International Airport on the 22nd and is second only to Aug. 12, 1955, 
    when Hurricane Connie brought 8.79 inches. 
    The storm that triggered the serious flash flooding in eastern Henrico County registered an unprecedented rate of rainfall at the airport gauge. 
    The one-hour total between 3:54 and 4:54 AM was 4.09 inches, which appears to be the highest in hourly records there dating back to 1948 
    and 1.25 inches of rain fell in just 9 minutes around 4 AM. 
    Richmond's 13.08 inches for June with 11 days of precipitation makes it the wettest June on record and easily beats the previous high mark of 9.93 inches in June 2004. 
    There were only 11 days with precipitation but 4 days had more than one inch of rain. 
    This Airport event was not representative of the overall rainfall on the morning of the 22nd as it occurred in only a small part of the Richmond metro area.   
    Officially now 2018 has had the wettest May and June on record at Richmond. 
     
    
    
    


JULY
    JULY 2018 SUMMARY
    
    					The Glen Allen Springfield Park
    
    
    July was very humid with above average precipitation and cloudiness with a little below average in temperatures.
    The mean temperature of 78.4 F was -1.6 F departure from the ten-year average 
    and the 4th coolest July on record. 
    The coolest mean temperature for July was 77.1 F in 2009. 
    This July had 13 days with temperatures of =90 F; the July average is 17.1 days. 
    The max. temperature was 97.4  F on the 2nd and the 4th lowest on record for July as was the average maximum for the month. 
    The lowest minimum was 56 F on the 9th and the 2nd lowest on record for July. 
    The high temperature range for July was 31 F on the 9th 
    and the lowest monthly daily temperature range was 5 F on the 30th. 
    The 5 F temperature range is a new 10-year record for this station; the previous record was 8 F in 2012 & 2016. 
    The average temperature range was 19.3 F which tied for 3rd place in the past 10 years. 
    The lower temperature range was caused by the humid conditions and July being the 2nd cloudiest.  
    The highest dew point of 80.1 F on the 3rd was the second highest in the past 10-years for July.
    Springfield Park had 4.71 inches of precipitation and the Richmond International Airport had 5.68 inches 
    and many stations had more than Richmond as rainfall was quite variable for July.   
    Springfield’s 4.71 inches monthly precipitation was a departure of +0.39 inches 
    and the 4th wettest July with 12 days of measurable precipitation. 
    The maximum precipitation recorded in a calendar day was 1.15 inches. 
    The 24-hour period maximum was 1.23 inches on the 21st and 22nd and the 4th greatest on record for July. 
    The highest wind gust was 32 mph on the 22nd the 2nd highest on record for July. 
    The average relative humidity of 76.8 percent was the highest on record; the previous record for July was 75.9% in 2013. 
    The highest barometer was 30.35 inches on the 8th a new high record for July; the previous record was 30.34 in 2013. 
    The average barometer for the month was 30.05 inches and was the 2nd highest for July.
    
    
    					Richmond International Airport
    
    The Richmond International Airport’s average mean temperature was 78.1 F 
    which was a departure of -1.2 F and the 57th coolest since 1897. 
    The average maximum was 87.4 F, a -2.3 F departure, and the average minimum was 68.8 F which was a -0.1 F departure. 
    This July had 12 days with temperatures of =90 F; last year it was 22 days. 
    July also had 17 nights the low temperature was 70 F or higher; the average is 14.3 for the 121-year period. 
    The maximum daily temperature range for the month was 29 F on the 10th and the minimum range was 4 F on the 30th. 
    Only July of 1908 had a lower daily range for the month of July.  
    The average temperature range was 18.6 F which was the 27th lowest since 1897. 
    The highest monthly temperature was 96 F on the 2nd. 
    The lowest maximum temperature was only 73 F on July 21st and 
    only 29 Julys since 1897 have had a lower monthly maximum temperature. 
    The lowest minimum temperature was 57 F on the 8th.
    The Airport had 5.68 inches of precipitation which was a departure of +1.17 inches 
    and made July the 43 wettest July since 1897. 
    The Airport had 12 days of measurable precipitation. 
             
    The Richmond International Airport had 2 daily records set in July.
    July 24th temperature range of 7  F tied the record with 2004, 1969, and 1942.
    July 30th temperature range of 4  F tied the record with 2003.
    
    


AUGUST
    AUGUST 2018 SUMMARY
    
    					 Glen Allen Springfield Park, Virginia
      August was the 2nd hottest and the most humid on record with a tease of fall on the 24th which was the lowest temperature on record for August. 
    The hottest August day was the 29th and the coolest day was the 23rd which were 6 days apart.
              The monthly mean temperature for August was 79.5 F, a +2.0  F departure based on a 10-year average and the second highest on record & hotter than July 2018.
    The maximum temperature for August was 96.7 F on the 28th which was the 3rd hottest day of the summer.  
    August had 18 days of =90 F the 2nd greatest =90 F days; only 2016 had more with 19 days. 
    The lowest minimum was 55.8 F on the 24th, the coolest on record for August. There were 21 nights the temperature was =70 F. 
    Springfield Park’s August was not only the 2nd hottest but the most humid on record with an average relative humidity of 78.5%. 
    This was a departure of 6.4% and was 1.6 F above the old record for August. 
    The lowest relative humidity was 45% on the 23rd the highest minimum on record for August. 
           The max. wind gust was 28 mph on the 2nd from a quick evening thunderstorm.  
           The 4.39 inches of rain for August was a + 0.38-inch departure based on a ten-year average and the fourth wettest August on record. 
    The 2nd most rainfall in a calendar day and in 24 hours was 2.73 inches on the 12th. 
    The month had 18 precipitation days and the most on record for August and it was the 2nd cloudiest August on record. 
    Thunder was heard on 8 days the 2nd greatest number for August. The precip. amounts very different here than at the Airport. 
    
    

    Springfield Park Summer Season June, July, August, 2018
    Summer Season June, July, August, 2018

    Springfield Park’s 17.53 inches of precip. made 2018 the 2nd wettest summer; only 2013 with 19.75 inches was wetter. Springfield Park’s 78.1 F made 2018 the 4th hottest summer; the summer of 2016 with an average of 81.1 F was the hottest. The summer had 42 days with measurable precipitation; only 2013 had more with 45 days. Richmond International Airport The Richmond International Airport’s average mean temperature was 79.5 F a departure of +2.0 F and the 12th hottest since 1897. The average maximum was 89.1 F, a 1.5 F departure, and the average minimum was 69.8 F which was a +2.4 F departure. This August had 13 days with temperatures of =90 F; last year it was 7 days. August had 21 nights the low temperature was =70 F; the average is 10.9 for the 121-year period. The maximum daily temperature range for the month was 27 F on the 26th and the minimum range was 11 F on the 3rd. The highest monthly temperature was 96 F on the 29th. The lowest maximum temperature was only 80 F on on the 23rd and only 4 Augusts since 1897 have had a higher monthly minimum temperature. The lowest minimum temperature was 57 F on the 8th. The Airport had 3.35 inches of precipitation, a departure of -1.31 inches, and made August the 51st wettest since 1897. The Airport had 16 days of measurable precipitation and only 4 Augusts have had more. The Richmond International Airport had 1 daily record that was tied in August. On August 29th the minimum temperature of 74 F tied with 2006, 1993, 1900 for the highest min. temperature for the date.

    Richmond International Airport Summer Season June, July, August, 2018
    Summer Season June, July, August, 2018

    Richmond’s 78.1 F made 2018 the 20th hottest summer since 1880; the summer of 2010 with an average of 81.3 F was the hottest. Richmond’s 22.35 inches of precipitation made 2018 the 7th wettest summer; 2004 with 32.65 inches was the wettest. The others were 2nd 1969 27.57 inches, 3rd 1889 25.93 inches, 4th 1955 25.09 inches 5th 1945 23.50 inches, 6th 1922 22.68 inches. The summer had 39 days with measurable precipitation.


SEPTEMBER
    SEPTEMBER 2018 SUMMARY
    
    
    					Springfield Park Glen Allen, VA
       
    September at Springfield Park was the warmest, wettest, greatest number of days with measurable rain, most humid (+11.7% departure),
    the lowest temperature range (-3.8 F departure) and the cloudiest on record, an exceptional month.  
    The monthly mean temperature was 75.8 F a +4.3 F departure when compared to the ave.  
    The lowest minimum temperature for the month was only 57 F; this was a 7.7 F departure. 
    The ave. minimum temperature was 68 F a new record for the month. 
    The month’s maximum temperature of 96 F on Sep. 3rd was 2.4 F above the ten-year ave. monthly maximum. 
    Because of the cloudiness and high relative humidity, the ave. temperature range was only 15.6 degrees for Sep. 
    The month also had the highest maximum dew point of 80.6 F for Sep. 
    The ave. ground temperature at a foot averaged 77.0 F a new maximum record. 
    There were 14 nights that the minimum didn’t dropped below 70 F a 10.1 F departure. 
    Looking at the graph for Sep and the min. temperature departure you see the high min. temperatures not
     the high max. temperatures made September’s warmth.
    The heavy rain and tornado threats in western Henrico on the 17th were responsible for our high precip.
    total that was 4.01 inches more than the Richmond International Airport.
    The 8.54 inches of precip. for Sep was a 4.66 inch departure with a record 18 days of measurable precipitation.
    The 3.03 inches on the 17th was the 2nd most precip. for the day and for 24 hours and 
    the 17th recorded the most precip. in one hour and the most in a 5-minute period for Sep. 
    Springfield Park also averaged the highest barometer for Sep. of 30.11 inches.
    
    				      Richmond International Airport
          The Richmond International Airport’s ave. mean temperature was 76.4 F a departure of +5.8 F and 
    the 4th warmest since 1880 and the second warmest since 1897. 
    The ave. maximum was 84 F, a 2.8 F departure, and the ave. minimum was 68.9 F which was a +8.8 F departure and
     was the highest in the past 138 years. 
    This Sep had 6 days with temperatures of =90 F; last year it was 3 days. 
    The ave. temperature range was 15.1 F a departure -5.6 F, the lowest temperature range on record since 1897 for Sep. 
    The highest temperature range for Sep. was only 23 F on the 29th which was the lowest maximum temperature range
     ever recorded for Sep since 1897. 
    The highest max. temperature was 94 F on the 3rd and the lowest minimum temperature was 57 F on the 29th 
    which is the 2nd highest minimum on record for Sep. since 1897. 
    Also, the highest minimum was 75 F on the 4th which was the 10th highest minimum temperature for Sep. 
             The 4.53 inches of precip., a departure of 0.40 inches, made it the 39th wettest Sep. since 1897. 
    The Richmond International Airport recorded 17 days of measurable precip. giving a departure of +8.6 days and 
    the only Sep. that had more was 1888 in the past 146 years. 
    
    	     The Richmond International Airport had 5 records-
    
    Sep-04th   75 F tied the record for the highest min. temperature set in 2012
    Sep-04th   83.5 F tied the record for the highest mean temperature set in 2015, 1953
    Sep-07th   73 F tied the record for the highest min. temperature set in 1985, 1912
    Sep-17th   74 F new record - the old record for the highest min. temperature 73 F in 1991
    Sep-26th   73 F new record-the old record for the highest min. temperature 70 F in 1977, 1970
     
    


OCTOBER
    OCTOBER 2018 SUMMARY
    
    October 2018
    					Glen Allen Springfield Park, Virginia  
    October started out dry and very warm until the 11th when the remnants of hurricane Michael gave 4.03 inches rain. 
    Michael was followed by ten days of near normal temperatures and the end of October had below average temperatures. 
    The average maximum was 72.0 F, a 1.3 F departure, and the average minimum was 51.9 F which was a 2.4 F departure. 
    The monthly mean temperature was 61.9 F a departure of 1.8 F and the fourth warmest October on record in the past 10 years. 
    This October had one day with a temperature of =90 F on the 4th which was 91.2  F, the warmest maximum temperature on record for October. 
    There were 11 days the temperature was >=80  F; the previous record was only 8 days. The lowest minimum temperature was 31.1 F on the 22nd. 
    This was with a moderate frost and it was surprising that many temperature sensitive plants survived the frost of the 22nd. 
    Glen Allen also had an average ground temperature at one foot of 67.8 F a new high record for October; the previous record was 67.3 F. 
    The 4.03 inches of precipitation on the 11th was from tropical storm Michael. 
    Both the calendar day rainfall and the 24-hour rainfall record were broken for October. 
    The total October precipitation was 6.41 inches which was a 2.67 inch departure and a new record for October. 
    But there were only 9 days with measurable precipitation the third least on record. 
    The 2.17 inches of rain that fell in one hour was also a new record for October. 
    With all the rain in October it was the 4th cloudiest on record and had a 79% average humidity a new record for October. 
    The humidity never dropped below 40% which was a new record high minimum relative humidity for October. 
    The average temperature range of 20.6  F was the fourth lowest on record.
    The maximum wind gust of 38 mph on the 11th was from Michael which tied the record maximum wind gust for October with tropical storm Matthew in 2016. 
    The highest one-day wind run was also on the 11th with a wind run of 146 miles. 
    Michael was worse in SE Virginia than Central Virginia but the afternoon of the 11th was unsettling because of ten tornadoes in our area.  
    One tornado on Hull Street was rated a F2 and killed one worker in a flooring building that was destroyed.
    
    					Richmond International Airport
    The Richmond International Airport’s average mean temperature was 62.5 F a departure of 2.8 F and the 13th hottest since 1897. 
    The average maximum was 72.5 F, a 1.5 F departure, and the average minimum was 52.6 F which was a 4.3 F departure and tied for the 9th warmest since 1897. 
    This October had 2 days with temperatures of =90 F. October had 17 days the high temperature was =70 F. 
    The maximum daily temperature range for the month was 32 F on the 23rd and only 13 years have a lower maximum temperature range for the month.
     The highest minimum range was 12 F on the 5th, 20th, 26th, 27th and in only 9 years has Oct had a higher minimum temp. range for the month. 
    The highest monthly temperature was 92 F on the 4th and only 5 Octobers since 1897 have had a higher maximum for October. 
    The lowest maximum temperature was 57 F on the 26th.
    The Airport had 6.04 inches of precipitation, a departure of 3.06 inches, making October the 17th wettest October since 1897. 
    The Airport had only 7 days though with measurable precipitation. This was the 5th greatest daily rain in the month of October since 1897.
    The Richmond International Airport had 1 daily record for the month of 3.69 inches of precipitation on Oct. 11th associated with tropical storm Michael;
     the previous record was 1.91 inches just last year.
     
    


NOVEMBER
    NOVEMBER 2018 SUMMARY
    
    					Glen Allen Springfield Park, Virginia
    
    This November was the second wettest on record (records since 2008) as the monthly precipitation was 6.12 inches, 
    a +2.53 inch departure when compared with Glen Allen’s ten-year average. 
    There were 12 precipitation days in November tying the record for the month and 
    November was the 4th cloudiest on record and had the 2nd highest relative humidity average.
    The maximum temperature for November was only 72.5 F on the 1st day which was a new record monthly low and 
    Nov. also set a new record low heat index of 65.6 F. 
    The lowest max. temp. was 35.8 F on the 23nd which was the lowest max. temp. on record for Nov. 
    The monthly mean temperature of 46.2 F was the 3rd lowest on record.  
    The month had 4 days with the maximum temperature of = 70 F the third lowest on record. 
    The lowest minimum was 21.8 F recorded on the 29th and was the 4th lowest for the month. 
     The highest min. temp. was 65 F on the 2nd which is a new record high minimum for November. 
    There were 11 days that the minimum temperature was less than or equal to 32 F which was -2.3 departure.  
    The cloudy days and high relative humidity of November gave low daily temperature ranges. 
    The average daily temp. range 18.0 F was a new record low average for November. 
    The highest temp. range of 32 F on the 20th was also a record low for November. 
    The maximum barometer reading for the month was 30.60 inches occurring on the 23rd. 
    The maximum wind gust was only 32 mph on the 2nd. 
    
    
    Springfield Park Autumn Season Sep., Oct., Nov., 2018
    Autumn Season Sep., Oct., Nov., 2018
    It is surprising that the fall season was +1.9 F warmer than normal because Sep. was the warmest on record and Oct was 3rd warmest on record. Glen Allen had the wettest autumn with 21.07 inches of precipitation and a departure of +9.86 inches and the previous record was only 13.88 inches in 2015. Richmond International Airport The average November mean temperature was 47.3 F a -3.2 F departure which was the 33rd coldest Nov. since 1897. Nov. has had only 9 higher min. temp. than the warm 64 F min. of the 2nd since 1897. Nov. has had only 16 Novembers with a lower maximum temp. of 37 F on the 23rd. Only 18 years since 1897 has the high temp. for the Nov. been lower than the 74 F on the 1st. The lowest min. temp. of 26 F occurred on the 29th. The average daily temperature range was only 17.5 F; only 4 years had a November with a lower ave. The max. temperature range for Nov. was 28 F on the 20th which was the 2nd lowest in 121 years. Only 1929 had a lower average since 1897 which was the result of many cloudy days and nights and high relative humidity with the very wet month. The 5.65 inches of precipitation recorded this month was the 13th wettest Nov. of the past 131 years. This was a +2.41 inch departure from normal with a total of 10 days with measurable precipitation. The Airport’s greatest daily rainfall was 1.37 inches on the 24th. No snow occurred during the month in Richmond but points both north and west had snow and ice on the 23rd. The 1.22 inches of rain on the 5th was a new daily record for Richmond; the previous record was 0.81 inches in 1939.
    The Richmond International Airport Autumn Season Sep., Oct., Nov., 2018
    Autumn Season Sep., Oct., Nov., 2018
    The Richmond International Airport’s fall season temp. was +1.7 F warmer than normal based on a 30yr. average. Remember Sept. was the 2nd warmest since 1897 and October was the 10th warmest since 1897. The precipitation surplus for the fall season was +5.87 inches based on a 30-year average. The Airport’s average autumn temp was 62.0 F the warmest fall since 2007 when it was 63.0 F. The autumn season with 16.22 inches was the 9th wettest fall since 1872. The wettest was 2006 with 22.31 inches. 2018 with a total of 60.28 inches is now the 4th wettest on record since 1872. The record is 72.02 inches in 1889 and with December’s precipitation should end up in second or third place. The years 2003 had 63.29 inches and 1975 had 61.31 inches.


DECEMBER
  • DECEMBER 2018 SUMMARY
    
     				Springfield Park, Glen Allen, Virginia
    
    December was the fourth coldest and fourth wettest on record. 
    The monthly mean temperature was 41.6 F, a -0.9 F departure from the 10-year average. 
    December had its highest maximum of 68.6 F on December 21st but had only 3 days of =65 F for the month. 
    On 18 days, the minimum reached freezing or below which was fifth greatest in December in the past 10-years. 
    The lowest temperature was only 20.1 F occurring on the 11th. 
    The lowest dew point on December 12th was only 17.7 F which was the 2nd highest minimum on record; 
    the record was 28.7 F in the warm December of 2015.  
    The highest barometric pressure for December was 30.61 inches recorded on the 27th and 
    the lowest was 29.18 inches on the 21st which was the lowest since March 12, 2014 when it was 29.13 inches.   
    On December 9th Springfield Park had the greatest one-day snowfall on record of 11.9 inches; 
    previous record was 11.4 on January 30th 2010.  
    The 12 inch total snowfall for December is now the second most snow for the month; only 2009 had more with 12.9 inches. 
    The snow started at 7:35AM and lasted until 2100 hours and was all snow with a liquid equivalent of 1.16 inches. 
    The maximum snowfall rate was about 2 inches per hour from 3:05 PM to 3:30 PM. 
    To see pictures of this storm, click on the link below. ------ https://photos.app.goo.gl/rhkxa16bLTjK13J87. 
    (Ref. Springfield Park Station) See hourly observations for this snowstorm 
    (Ref. Springfield Park Station) See video taken around 3 PM of the 9th during the snowstorm.
    The precipitation total for the month was 4.51 inches which was a 0.33 inch departure based on a ten-year average. 
    There were 12 days with measurable precipitation and tied for the cloudiest although 2015 was almost as cloudy. 
    The total precipitation for the year was 67.49 inches which was a 21.95 inch surplus. 
    The average relative humidity was 78.7 percent and only 2015 had a higher average relative humidity.
    
    				Richmond International Airport
    
    The total precipitation for 2018 was 63.73 inches which was a 20.13 inch surplus for the year 
    making this the second wettest year on record for Richmond. 
    The 30-year average for Richmond is 43.60 inches. 
    The wettest year was 1889 with 72.02 inches.  
    The 3.45 inches of precipitation for December made it the 46th wettest December in the past 131 years with a 0.19 inch departure. 
    Richmond had 13 days with precipitation; only 14 Decembers in the past 121 years have had more precipitation days.
    The mean temperature for the Richmond International Airport was 42.4 F which was departure of 1.4 F. 
    December was the 32nd warmest in the past 121 years.
    The lowest maximum temperature of 33 F for December occurred on the 9th during the snowstorm. 
    The temperature range for the 9th was only 3 F with a high of 33 Fand a low of 30 F; 
    only 6 Decembers have had a lower daily temperature range.
    Richmond set two daily records this month the December 9th the snow of 11.5 inches set a new record for the 9th; 
    the previous record was only 1.8 inches in 1988. 
    On the 15th Richmond had a record high minimum temperature of 51 F; the previous record high minimum was 50 F in 1974.  
    The Richmond International Airport had 11.5 inches of snow on December 9, 2018,
     which was the second heaviest single-day December snowfall on the Richmond records. 
    The record was December 22,1908 when 15 inches occurred.
    The Dec 9th snowfall total also makes December the 6th snowiest December on record for Richmond since 1897. 
    The 30-year average snowfall for December is 2.1 inches. 
    This was also Richmond's 12th largest snowstorm since 1897. 
    The Airport recorded 7 inches on the ground for December 10th 
    which was the most recorded on the ground at one time since December 15, 1958 when 9 inches was recorded. 
    The models did not predict the high snowfall totals but predicted the storm about a week in advance. ---
    This was also Richmond's 12th largest snowstorm since 1897 and the 7th largest single day storm.
    (Ref. See the Chart of the 25 Greatest Snowstorms)  
    This chart includes both sleet and snow. From 1908 to 1929 the Weather Bureau recorded sleet and snow separately. 
    The Wakefield Office of the NWS hasn’t added in the sleet totals with the snow totals. 
    The March 3-6, 1912 snowstorm doesn’t make the top 25 storms as they were two separate events combined 
    (3.6 inches on the 3rd & 4th) and (7 inches on the 6th) in the second storm.