PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 826 AM EST SUN JAN 2 2005 CORRECTED FOR SEASONAL SNOW FALL TOTAL AT WILLIAMSPORT ...HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE... THE YEAR 2004 SUMMARY FOR HARRISBURG AND WILLIAMSPORT. 2004 WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS WITH NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES BUT MUCH ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. HARRISBURG ANNUAL SUMMARY FOR 2004. (WILLIAMSPORT INFORMATION BELOW) THE YEAR STARTED OFF COLD AND SNOWY WITH MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN JANUARY. HARRISBURG SAW THE MONTHLY AVERAGE COME IN AT 6.4 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. DESPITE RUNNING SUCH A DEFICIT...THE MONTH MANAGED TO BE ONLY THE 14TH COLDEST ON RECORD. MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR WAS UNREMARKABLE IN THE TEMPERATURE DEPARTMENT WITH THE NOTABLE EXCEPTION OF MAY. THAT MONTH GAVE A BIG TEASE TO WARM WEATHER FANS...STARTING THE TRADITIONAL "WARM SEASON" OFF WITH A BANG. WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 6.2 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...IT MADE THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE 4TH WARMEST EVER. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THOSE WARM WEATHER FANS...THE TREND STOPPED THERE WITH THE NEXT THREE SUMMER MONTHS ALL AVERAGING BELOW NORMAL. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE...WHILE THE "WARMEST" MONTHS OF THE YEAR WERE ALL RINGING IN WITH COLDER THAN NORMAL READINGS...PRECIPITATION WAS WELL ABOVE NORMAL. HARRISBURG SAW NEARLY 16 INCHES OF RAIN MORE THAN NORMAL FALL DURING THE PERIOD FROM JUNE THROUGH THE END OF SUMMER. IT WAS PUNCTUATED IN SEPTEMBER WHEN MORE THAN 10 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. THIS RANKED THE MONTH AS THE 2ND WETTEST IN HISTORY. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR PENNSYLVANIA TO FEEL THE AFFECTS OF A DYING HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM IN ANY GIVEN YEAR...BUT THIS YEAR WE SAW THE RAINS FROM NO LESS THAN FIVE OLD TROPICAL SYSTEMS. THE WORST OF WHICH WERE THE TRIO OF FRANCES...IVAN AND JEANNE WHICH ALL HIT WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AT THE END OF THE SUMMER AND CAUSED SOME OF THE WORST FLOODING ON RECORD. THE AUTUMN MONTHS WERE PRETTY BLAND WITH NO BIG TEMPERATURE OR PRECIPITATION TRENDS TO SPEAK OF. THE ONLY NOTABLE TREND AS WE END THE YEAR HAS BEEN THE LACK OF SNOW SO FAR THIS COLD SEASON. NO MEASURABLE SNOW HAS OCCURRED TO DATE AT HARRISBURG...AND THIS IS 7.7 INCHES BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. OVERALL THE YEAR WILL END UP VERY NEAR NORMAL AS FAR AS TEMPERATURE IS CONCERNED. THE ANNUAL AVERAGE WAS 53.3 WHICH IS A MERE .1 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. RAINFALL WILL BE THE BIGGEST WEATHER NEWS OF THE YEAR. 53.34 INCHES OF RAIN FELL WHICH IS 11.89 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS MAKES 2004 THE 4TH WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD IN HARRISBURG. THE WETTEST YEAR WAS 1972 WHEN THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE AGNES CAUSED STUPENDOUS AMOUNTS OF RAIN IN JUNE AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE YEARLY TOTAL OF 59.27 INCHES. IT MAY BE NOTED THAT IT WAS JUST LAST YEAR WHEN THE SECOND WETTEST YEAR OCCURRED WITH 54.68 INCHES OF RAIN FALLING. OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE FOR HARRISBURG IN 2004. SOME MAY HAVE THE OPINION THAT THE YEAR WAS A BIT DREARY. RAIN DID INDEED FALL FREQUENTLY LEADING TO THE MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TOTALS. FOR THE PERIOD APRIL THROUGH JULY...THE BEST THE REGION COULD DO WAS 5 DRY DAYS IN A ROW AT ANY ONE TIME. THIS PUT A DAMPER ON MANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. THE FREQUENT PRECIPITATION ALSO HELPED PUT A DAMPER ON THE NUMBER OF HOT DAYS. IN A NORMAL YEAR...THE REGION EXPERIENCES ABOUT 19 DAYS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES ABOVE 90 DEGREES. THIS YEAR HIGHS ONLY TOPPED 90 ON 3 OCCASIONS. HARRISBURG MONTHLY SUMMARY 2004... TEMPERATURE/RAINFALL/SNOW JAN 23.9 2.07 12.4 FEB 29.4 2.27 4.0 MAR 43.5 2.03 6.6 APR 53.0 5.12 0.0 MAY 68.2 3.47 0.0 JUN 70.0 4.31 0.0 JUL 74.3 7.97 0.0 AUG 72.8 7.08 0.0 SEP 68.0 10.50 0.0 OCT 54.1 2.30 0.0 NOV 47.8 2.85 0.0 DEC 35.3 3.37 0.0 ============================ AVERAGE 53.4 53.34 23.0 DEPARTURE +0.2 +11.89 -13.9 HARRISBURG 5 WETTEST YEARS: 1972 59.27 INCHES 2003 54.69 INCHES 1975 54.22 INCHES 2004 53.34 INCHES 1996 52.43 INCHES HARRISBURG 5 DRIEST YEARS 1941 25.52 INCHES 2001 25.76 INCHES 1930 27.29 INCHES 1909 28.16 INCHES 1922 28.20 INCHES HARRISBURG 5 WARMEST YEARS 1998 56.6 DEGREES 1991 55.6 DEGREES 1999 55.6 DEGREES 1931 55.4 DEGREES 1990 55.1 DEGREES HARRISBURG 5 COLDEST YEARS 1904 49.2 DEGREES 1917 50.1 DEGREES 1907 50.4 DEGREES 1893 50.5 DEGREES 1926 51.0 DEGREES =============================================== WILLIAMSPORT ANNUAL SUMMARY FOR 2004 THE YEAR STARTED OFF COLD AND SNOWY WITH MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN JANUARY. WILLIAMSPORT SAW THE MONTHLY AVERAGE COME IN AT 4.8 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. DESPITE RUNNING SUCH A DEFICIT...THE MONTH MANAGED TO BE ONLY THE 15TH COLDEST ON RECORD. MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR WAS UNREMARKABLE IN THE TEMPERATURE DEPARTMENT WITH THE NOTABLE EXCEPTION OF MAY. THAT MONTH GAVE A BIG TEASE TO WARM WEATHER FANS...STARTING THE TRADITIONAL "WARM SEASON" OFF WITH A BANG. WITH AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 5.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...IT MADE THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE 5TH WARMEST EVER. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THOSE WARM WEATHER FANS...THE TREND STOPPED THERE WITH THE NEXT THREE SUMMER MONTHS ALL AVERAGING BELOW NORMAL. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE...WHILE THE "WARMEST" MONTHS OF THE YEAR WERE ALL RINGING IN WITH COLDER THAN NORMAL READINGS...PRECIPITATION WAS WELL ABOVE NORMAL. WILLIAMSPORT SAW MORE THAN 9 INCHES OF RAIN MORE THAN NORMAL DURING THE PERIOD FROM JUNE THROUGH THE END OF SUMMER. IT WAS PUNCTUATED IN SEPTEMBER WHEN MORE THAN 10 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. THIS RANKED THE MONTH AS THE 2ND WETTEST IN HISTORY. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR PENNSYLVANIA TO FEEL THE AFFECTS OF A DYING HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM IN ANY GIVEN YEAR...BUT THIS YEAR WE SAW THE RAINS FROM NO LESS THAN FIVE OLD TROPICAL SYSTEMS. THE WORST OF WHICH WERE THE TRIO OF FRANCES...IVAN AND JEANNE WHICH ALL HIT WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AT THE END OF THE SUMMER AND CAUSED SOME OF THE WORST FLOODING ON RECORD. THE AUTUMN MONTHS WERE PRETTY BLAND WITH NO BIG TEMPERATURE OR PRECIPITATION TRENDS TO SPEAK OF. THE ONLY NOTABLE TREND AS WE END THE YEAR HAS BEEN THE LACK OF SNOW SO FAR THIS COLD SEASON. THE ONLY MEASURABLE SNOW WAS 0.5 OF AN INCH AT WILLIAMSPORT...AND THIS IS 9.1 INCHES BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. OVERALL THE YEAR WILL END UP VERY NEAR NORMAL AS FAR AS TEMPERATURE IS CONCERNED. THE ANNUAL AVERAGE WAS 50.5 DEGREES WHICH IS A MERE 0.9 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. RAINFALL WILL BE THE BIGGEST WEATHER NEWS OF THE YEAR. 51.60 INCHES OF RAIN FELL WHICH IS 10.01 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS MAKES 2004 THE 4TH WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD IN WILLIAMSPORT. THE WETTEST YEAR WAS 1972 WHEN THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE AGNES CAUSED STUPENDOUS AMOUNTS OF RAIN IN JUNE AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE YEARLY TOTAL OF 61.27 INCHES. IT CAN BE NOTED THAT IT WAS JUST LAST YEAR WHEN THE 3RD WETTEST YEAR OCCURRED WITH 53.21 INCHES OF RAIN FALLING. OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE FOR WILLIAMSPORT IN 2004. SOME MAY HAVE THE OPINION THAT THE YEAR AS A BIT DREARY. RAIN DID INDEED FALL FREQUENTLY LEADING TO THE MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TOTALS. FOR THE PERIOD APRIL THROUGH JULY...THE BEST THE REGION COULD DO WAS 5 DRY DAYS IN A ROW AT ANY ONE TIME. THIS PUT A DAMPER ON MANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. THE FREQUENT PRECIPITATION ALSO HELPED PUT A DAMPER ON THE NUMBER OF HOT DAYS. IN A NORMAL YEAR...THE REGION EXPERIENCES ABOUT 15 DAYS WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES ABOVE 90 DEGREES. THIS YEAR HIGHS ONLY TOPPED 90 ON 1 DAY. WILLIAMSPORT MONTHLY SUMMARY 2004... TEMPERATURE/RAINFALL/SNOW JAN 20.7 2.57 14.8 FEB 27.6 1.72 12.2 MAR 40.3 2.46 14.7 APR 50.6 3.40 0.0 MAY 65.2 6.05 0.0 JUN 66.7 3.29 0.0 JUL 71.0 7.99 0.0 AUG 70.2 3.07 0.0 SEP 66.0 10.61 0.0 OCT 52.1 2.74 0.0 NOV 43.6 3.54 0.0 DEC 31.6 4.16 0.5 ================================ AVERAGE 50.5 51.60 42.2 DEPARTURE +0.9 +10.01 +2.2 WILLIAMSPORT 5 WETTEST YEARS 1972 61.27 INCHES 1996 53.87 INCHES 2003 53.21 INCHES 2004 51.60 INCHES 1975 51.42 INCHES WILLIAMSPORT 5 DRIEST YEARS 1930 27.68 INCHES 1900 29.94 INCHES 1997 30.06 INCHES 1963 31.06 INCHES 1995 31.28 INCHES WILLIAMSPORT 5 WARMEST YEARS 1921 53.6 DEGREES 1930 53.4 DEGREES 1991 53.1 DEGREES 1998 53.0 DEGREES 1931 53.0 DEGREES WILLIAMSPORT 5 COLDEST YEARS 1875 46.3 DEGREES 1904 47.9 DEGREES 1917 48.0 DEGREES 1940 48.1 DEGREES 1965 48.3 DEGREES WHAT WILL THE UPCOMING YEAR BRING TO THE REGION? NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT AFTER SUFFERING THROUGH THE LAST 2 WINTERS WITH COLDER AND SNOWIER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS...STATISTICS SUGGEST THAT THIS UPCOMING WINTER SHOULD NOT FOLLOW SUIT. CLIMATOLOGY ARGUES THAT THERE IS ONLY ABOUT A 1 IN 3 CHANCE OF EXPERIENCING A 3RD SNOWY-COLD WINTER IN A ROW. SO AS THE OPTIMISTS WOULD PUT IT...WE HAVE A 66% CHANCE OF HAVING A WARMER THAN AVERAGE AND LESS SNOWY THAN AVERAGE WINTER. $$ LA CORTE/VILLANI/SKEEN