PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
 530 AM EST MON JAN 1 2007
 
 ...PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...
 
 CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY FOR 2006 FOR HARRISBURG.
 
 ...ONE OF THE WARMEST YEARS ON RECORD IN THE STATE CAPITOL...
 
 THE YEAR 2006 WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS BEING WARM...WET 
 AND DEPRIVED OF SNOW. AFTER A VERY MILD START TO THE YEAR...THE 
 WARMEST JANUARY IN HISTORY OVER THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES...THE 
 WARMTH CONTINUED ALMOST UNABATED FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. JUST TWO 
 MONTHS...SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER WERE COLDER THAN NORMAL. OVERALL THE 
 AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE YEAR IN HARRISBURG ENDED UP BEING 55.3 
 DEGREES. THIS WAS 2.0 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND GOOD ENOUGH TO MOVE 
 INTO 5TH PLACE ON THE LIST OF WARMEST YEARS. 
 
 WARMEST YEARS
 
 1998  56.6 DEG
 1991  55.6 DEG
 1999  55.6 DEG
 1931  55.4 DEG
 2006  55.3 DEG
 
 *NOTE THAT 4 OF THE 5 WARMEST YEARS HAVE OCCURRED SINCE 1990. 
 
 COLDEST YEARS
 
 1904  49.2 DEG
 1917  50.1 DEG
 1907  50.4 DEG
 1893  50.5 DEG
 1926  51.0 DEG
 
 PRECIPITATION ENDED UP BEING PLENTIFUL. WHILE IT WAS WETTER THAN 
 NORMAL...THE ANNUAL TOTAL OF 46.08 INCHES WAS ONLY GOOD ENOUGH FOR 
 16TH WETTEST. THIS WAS 4.63 ABOVE THE AVERAGE. 
 
 THE PRECIPITATION CAME IN CYCLES WITH HALF THE MONTHS BEING 
 DRIER THAN NORMAL AND THE OTHER HALF BEING WETTER THAN NORMAL. THE 
 PACE WAS SET IN JUNE WHEN THE REGION SAW AN UNUSUAL FEED OF TROPICAL 
 MOISTURE BRING VERY HEAVY RAINS DURING THE LAST WEEK OF THE MONTH. 
 THE 8.62 INCHES OF RAIN THAT FELL IN HARRISBURG WAS THE MOST SINCE 
 1972 WHEN HURRICANE AGNES HELPED SET THE STANDARD WITH A STAGGERING 
 18.55 INCHES OF RAIN. 
 
 WETTEST YEARS
 
 1972  59.27"
 2003  54.68"
 1975  54.22"
 2004  53.34"
 1996  52.43"
 
 DRIEST YEARS
 
 1941  25.52"
 2001  25.76"
 1930  27.29"
 1909  28.16"
 1922  28.20"   
 
 SNOWFALL WAS ALMOST NON EXISTENT IN THE CALENDER YEAR. ONLY FEBRUARY 
 SAW MEASURABLE AMOUNTS WITH JUST 5.7 INCHES FALLING. IN A NORMAL 
 YEAR ABOUT 36.9 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED. THIS MADE THE YEAR 
 ABOUT 31.2 INCHES SHY OF NORMAL. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS CLIMATE NOTES FROM 2006.
 
 NUMBER OF DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION
 121 (4 BELOW NORMAL)
 
 NUMBER OF DAYS WITH AN INCH OR MORE OF SNOW
 2 (7 BELOW NORMAL)
 
 NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THE LOW TEMPERATURE LESS THAN 32 
 90 (11 BELOW NORMAL) 
 
 NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THE HIGH TEMPERATURE LESS THAN 32 
 4 (20 BELOW NORMAL)
 
 NUMBER OF DAYS WITH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE BELOW ZERO
 NONE (1 BELOW NORMAL)
 
 NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ABOVE 90 (CALENDER YEAR) 
 16 (3 BELOW NORMAL)
 
 NUMBER OF DAYS WITH THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ABOVE 90 (SUMMER SEASON OF 
 JUNE THROUGH AUGUST)
 14 (2 BELOW NORMAL)
 
 OTHER CLIMATE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED A SURPRISINGLY TAME TROPICAL 
 SEASON. WHILE HARRISBURG ISN`T AFFECTED BY HURRICANES AND TROPICAL 
 STORMS IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE...THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL CYCLONES 
 CAN BRING HEAVY RAINS TO THE REGION IN LATE SUMMER AND FALL AS MIGHT 
 BE RECALLED FROM THE SUMMER OF 2004. THE SUDDEN RESURGENCE OF AN EL 
 NINO IN THE TROPICAL PACIFIC PROVED DETRIMENTAL TO ATLANTIC STORMS 
 FORMING AND DESPITE FORECASTS OF A VERY ACTIVE YEAR...JUST 10 STORMS 
 DEVELOPED WHICH WAS THE LOWEST NUMBER SINCE 1997 WHEN JUST 8 STORMS 
 EARNED NAMES. DESPITE THE DEARTH OF STORMS...THE FALL WAS WET 
 IN HARRISBURG WITH THE MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER 
 AVERAGING ALMOST 2 INCHES PER MONTH ABOVE NORMAL FOR RAINFALL.
 
 ANOTHER UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE WAS WHEN A STRONG COLD FRONT BROUGHT A 
 MINI OUTBREAK OF TORNADOES ON DECEMBER 1ST. THIS MARKED THE FIRST 
 TIME THAT TORNADOES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED IN THE STATE SO LATE IN THE 
 SEASON.
 
 
 HARRISBURG 2006 ANNUAL SUMMARY WITH DEPARTURES
 
 TEMPERATURES            PRECIPITATION    SNOWFALL
 
 JAN  38.3  +8.0 DEG    4.20"  +1.02"     TRACE  -11.4"
 FEB  33.5  +0.7 DEG    2.40"  -0.48"     5.7"   -4.4"
 MAR  43.5  +1.8 DEG    0.68"  -2.90"     TRACE  -6.0"
 APR  54.6  +2.5 DEG    3.16"  -0.15"     TRACE  -1.7"
 MAY  62.3  +0.3 DEG    2.16"  -2.44"
 JUN  71.7  +1.0 DEG    8.62"  +4.63"
 JUL  77.9  +2.0 DEG    5.13"  +1.92"
 AUG  76.1  +2.1 DEG    1.41"  -1.83"
 SEP  64.1  -2.1 DEG    5.53"  +1.88"
 OCT  53.7  -0.8 DEG    5.01"  +1.95"
 NOV  47.4  +3.1 DEG    5.48"  +1.95"
 DEC  40.2  +5.4 DEG    2.30"  -0.92"     TRACE  -4.5"
 
 ========================================================= 
 ANNUAL AVERAGE        55.3 DEG / + 2.0 DEG (5TH WARMEST)
 ANNUAL PRECIPITATION  46.08"   / + 4.63"
 ANNUAL SNOWFALL        5.7"    / - 31.2"
 
 
 HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE!
 
 LA CORTE
 
 $$