NOUS97 KAKQ 050038
PNSAKQ

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
845 PM EDT SUN SEP 04 2005

...2ND WARMEST SUMMER ON RECORD AT RICHMOND...
...3RD WARMEST AUGUST ON RECORD AT RICHMOND...
...9TH WARMEST AUGUST ON RECORD AT NORFOLK...


_____________________RICHMOND___________________

WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 79.46 F...2005 RANKS AS THE 2ND 
WARMEST SUMMER SEASON (JUNE-AUGUST) ON RECORD AT RICHMOND. (WARMEST 
SUMMER ON RECORD IS 79.54 F...IN 1900). THE WARMTH WAS DUE MOSTLY TO 
VERY HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES AS THE AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 
70.0 F RANKS AS THE WARMEST ON RECORD. THE AVERAGE MAXIMUM OF 88.9 F 
RANKS AS THE 9TH HIGHEST. A TOTAL OF 16 DATES RECORDED A MINIMUM OF 
75 F OR WARMER (NORMAL IS ONLY 3). AS FOR DAYTIME HIGH 
TEMPERATURES...IT WAS A SUMMER OF CONSISTENT WARMTH RATHER THAN 
EXTREME HEAT...AS NO DAILY RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE SET THIS 
SUMMER AT RICHMOND. 

90-DEGREE DAYS...THIS SUMMER HAD 45 DAYS WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 
90 F OR WARMER (WELL ABOVE THE AVERAGE OF 34 FOR A SUMMER SEASON AND 
41 DAYS FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR). HOWEVER...MORE THAN 10 OTHER SUMMERS 
HAVE RECORDED MORE 90 DEGREE DAYS THAN 2005. THE TOP 5 SUMMERS AND 
YEARS FOR THE NUMBER OF DAYS REACHING 90 F (OR HIGHER) FOLLOWS...

RANK   # SUMMER DAYS 90 F/YEAR    RANK   # ANNUAL DAYS 90 F/YEAR

1.........57 DAYS IN 2002          1........70 DAYS IN 1977        
2.........55 DAYS IN 1943          2........69 DAYS IN 1941
3.........53 DAYS IN 1977          3........67 DAYS IN 1970/1943
4.........51 DAYS IN 1988/1980     4........65 DAYS IN 1980/1900 
5.........50 DAYS IN 1993          5........62 DAYS IN 2002/1991

100-DEGREE DAYS...THIS SUMMER HAD 1 DAY THAT REACHED 100 F...ON JULY 
27TH...THE 1ST 100-DEGREE READING SINCE AUGUST OF 2002. SINCE THE 
LATE 1800S...ABOUT 40% OF THE SUMMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED AT LEAST ONE  
DAY THAT HAS HIT 100 F OR HIGHER (THE SUMMERS OF 1977 AND 1952 BOTH 
HAD 8 DAYS WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 100 F).

...OTHER NOTEWORTHY STATISTICS FOR RICHMOND...
-AUGUST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 80.5 F RANKS AS 3RD WARMEST ON RECORD 
(WARMEST IS 82.9 F IN AUGUST 1900...2ND WARMEST IS 80.7 F IN AUGUST 
1980).

_____________________NORFOLK___________________

AUGUST AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 80.1 F RANKS AS 9TH WARMEST ON RECORD 
(WARMEST IS 81.9 F IN AUGUST 1900). LIKE RICHMOND...MUCH OF THE 
WARMTH WAS A RESULT OF VERY HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES. AUGUST'S 
AVERAGE MINIMUM WAS 73.4 F...2ND ONLY TO 73.6 F IN 2003. THIS YEAR'S 
AUGUST AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 86.6 F IS ONLY SLIGHTLY ABOVE 
NORMAL...WITH MORE THAN 20 OTHER AUGUSTS BEING WARMER. 

...OTHER NOTEWORTHY STATISTICS FOR NORFOLK...
- JULY 27TH THIS SUMMER HAD A HIGH OF 101 F...THE 1ST 100-DEGREE 
READING AT NORFOLK SINCE JULY OF 1995.


$$

BROWN