PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
500 AM EST SAT APR 1 2006

....DRIEST MARCH ON RECORD AT RICHMOND...NORFOLK...AND SALISBURY....

-RICHMOND...WITH A MONTHLY TOTAL PRECIPITATION OF JUST 0.20 
INCHES...MARCH 2006 WILL GO DOWN AS THE DRIEST ON RECORD AT 
RICHMOND. THIS IS LESS THAN 5 PERCENT OF THE NORMAL PRECIPITATION 
AMOUNT FOR THE MONTH (4.09"). THE PREVIOUS DRIEST MARCH ON RECORD 
HAD BEEN 0.94 INCHES BACK IN 1966. THIS IS ALSO THE DRIEST START TO 
A YEAR (JAN-MAR) ON RECORD...WITH TOTAL PRECIPITATION SO FAR THIS 
YEAR (THROUGH MAR 31ST) BEING JUST 4.56 INCHES (43% OF THE NORMAL 
AMOUNT OF 10.62").

-NORFOLK...WITH A MONTHLY TOTAL PRECIPITATION OF JUST 0.52 
INCHES...MARCH 2006 WILL GO DOWN AS THE DRIEST ON RECORD AT NORFOLK. 
THE PREVIOUS DRIEST MARCH HAD BEEN 0.75 INCHES SET BACK IN 1986. 
THIS IS ALSO THE DRIEST START TO A YEAR (JAN-MAR) ON RECORD...WITH 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION SO FAR THIS YEAR (THROUGH MAR 31ST) BEING JUST 
3.85 INCHES (34% OF THE NORMAL AMOUNT OF 10.62"). FOR THE PAST TWO 
MONTHS COMBINED...NORFOLK HAS RECORDED ONLY 1.17 INCHES OF 
PRECIPITATION (FEB 2006 RANKS AS THE 2ND DRIEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD 
AT NORFOLK). 

-SALISBURY...MONTHLY TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH 2006 WAS 0.15 
INCHES...BREAKING THE OLD MONTHLY RECORD OF 0.55 INCHES SET BACK IN 
1921.

PERIOD OF RECORD FOR RICHMOND   (1872-PRESENT)
PERIOD OF RECORD FOR NORFOLK   (1871-PRESENT)
PERIOD OF RECORD FOR SALISBURY (1906-PRESENT)

$$

BROWN