000 NOUS42 KILM 042221 PNSILM PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 521 PM EST FRI JAN 4 2008 ...COLDEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURES IN ALMOST 3 YEARS... THE COMBINATION OF A CLEAR SKY AND LIGHT WINDS PROVIDED IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR OPTIMAL COOLING LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. LOWS RANGED FROM THE LOWER TEENS TO MIDDLE TEENS INLAND... TO THE MIDDLE 20S CLOSE TO THE COAST. THE USUAL COLD SPOT IN OUR CWA...BACK ISLAND RAWS...GOT DOWN TO AT LEAST 5. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS SITE SHOWS THAT THE STATION WAS MISSING 6 HOURS OF DATA BETWEEN 2:18 AM...AND 9:18 AM. THIS WOULD LEAVE ONE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS STATION MAY HAVE GOTTEN COLDER THAN 5 DEGREES...AND PERHAPS APPROACHED 0. AS FAR AS RECORDS GO...NORTH MYRTLE BEACH BROKE THE OLD RECORD LOW OF 17 SET BACK IN 2001. IT WAS ALSO THE COLDEST LOW IN NORTH MYRTLE BEACH SINCE JANUARY 24TH 2003. THE MORNING LOWS OF 16 IN WILMINGTON AND FLORENCE WERE THE COLDEST LOWS SINCE JANUARY 24TH 2005. THE LOW OF 16 IN LUMBERTON WAS THE COLDEST SINCE DECEMBER 9TH 2006. AFTER THE COLD MINIMUM TEMPERATURES OF DECEMBER 18TH...MUCH DISCUSSION HAS COME UP IN THE OFFICE ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF THE BACK ISLAND RAWS SITE OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS. BACK ON DECEMBER 18TH THE BACK ISLAND RAWS SITE REPORTED A MORNING LOW OF 8. THE BACK ISLAND SITE IS LOCATED IN PENDER COUNTY...TO THE EAST OF BURGAW IN THE HOLLY SHELTER GAME LAND. SINCE DECEMBER 18TH WE HAVE TAKEN A TRIP OUT TO THE SITE AND NOTHING APPEARED TO BE WRONG WITH THE SENSOR. IN ADDITION... CAREFUL OBSERVATION SHOWS THAT THE BACK ISLAND SITE IS DRAMATICALLY COOLER ONLY ON OPTIMAL RADIATIONAL COOLING NIGHTS. COLOR ENHANCED IR SATELLITE PICTURES FROM THIS MORNING DO SHOW A POCKET OF MUCH COOLER SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN EASTERN PENDER COUNTY...ACROSS THE HOLLY SHELTER GAME LAND. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS INTERESTING AREA WILL BE DONE IN THE FUTURE. AT THIS JUNCTURE THE VALUES FROM THE BACK ISLAND RAWS SITE APPEAR TO BE ACCURATE. LOCATION MORNING LOW COMMENTS NORTH CAROLINA ...BLADEN COUNTY... BLADENBORO 12 MESONET ELIZABETHTOWN 3SW 12 COOP TURNBULL CREEK 12 RAWS EAST ARCADIA 2NE 13 COOP ELIZABETHTOWN AIRPORT 18 AWOS ...BRUNSWICK COUNTY... LONGWOOD 13 COOP SUPPLY 13 RAWS WINNABOW 14 MESONET SUNNY POINT 19 RAWS SOUTHPORT 21 AWOS SUNSET BEACH 25 CARO-COOPS BALD HEAD ISLAND 32 MESONET ...COLUMBUS COUNTY... WHITEVILLE 7NW 16 COOP WHITEVILLE 16 RAWS WHITEVILLE 16 AWOS ...NEW HANOVER COUNTY... WILMINGTON 16 ASOS (NWS WILMINGTON) WILMINGTON 16 MESONET (KINGS GRANT) WILMINGTON 19 MESONET (OGDEN) CAROLINA BEACH 23 MESONET MASONBORO ISLAND 23 NERRS WILMINGTON 23 MESONET (USGS LORAN STATION) WILMINGTON 23 MESONET (NC STATE PORTS) WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH 26 NOAA NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE ...PENDER COUNTY... BACK ISLAND 5 RAWS (AT LEAST THIS COLD) BURGAW 4E 12 COOP MOORES CREEK NB 12 COOP SURF CITY 12 COOP TOPSAIL BEACH 24 MESONET HAMPSTEAD 26 MESONET (NEW TOPSAIL BEACH) ...ROBESON COUNTY... ORRUM 13 COOP (LUMBER RIVER SP) LUMBERTON 16 ASOS LUMBERTON 3SE 17 COOP SOUTH CAROLINA ...DARLINGTON COUNTY... HARTSVILLE 15 COOP DARLINGTON 16 AWOS DARLINGTON 17 COOP ...DILLON COUNTY... DILLON 16 COOP ...FLORENCE COUNTY... EFFINGHAM 16 COOP FLORENCE 16 ASOS QUINBY 19 MESONET ...GEORGETOWN COUNTY... KENSINGTON 16 MESONET GEORGETOWN 19 COOP ...HORRY COUNTY... CONWAY 14 MESONET LORIS 14 MESONET NORTH MYRTLE BEACH 16 ASOS (RECORD LOW) LONGS 17 MESONET MYRTLE BEACH AIRPORT 18 AWOS SURFSIDE 21 MESONET ...MARION COUNTY... MARION 17 COOP MULLINS 17 COOP ...MARLBORO COUNTY... BENNETTSVILLE 1N 15 COOP ...WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY... CADES 14 COOP GREELEYVILLE 5N 14 COOP HEMINGWAY 8ESE 15 COOP $$ HEDEN