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NOUS42 KILM 221243
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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
845 AM EDT THU OCT 22 2009

...RECORD COLD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES AT WILMINGTON IN OCTOBER...

A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPED NEAR THE CAROLINAS AROUND THE 14TH OF
OCTOBER WHICH CAUSED CLOUDS AND RAIN ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH 15TH.
THESE CLOUDS LIMITED SOLAR HEATING AND KEPT THE WILMINGTON AREA HIGH
TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL MID-OCTOBER READINGS. BY THE
16TH...AS THIS STORM DEEPENED OFFSHORE...AN ANOMALOUSLY DEEP UPPER
LEVEL TROUGH SETTLED OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES BRINGING WINTER
LIKE WEATHER TO THE ENTIRE EASTERN SEABOARD. AT THE SAME TIME A
COLD...ALMOST ARCTIC...HIGH PRESSURE WEDGED DOWN FROM THE NORTHWEST
WHICH ACTED TO INCREASE THE COLD NORTH WINDS AND DROP MAX
TEMPERATURES TO RECORD LOW CRITERIA AT WILMINGTON. BY THE 20TH THIS
UPPER TROUGH FINALLY MOVED OUT ALLOWING HIGH TEMPERATURES TO RECOVER
BACK TO SEASONAL NORMALS.


THE HIGH TEMPERATURES AT WILMINGTON FROM OCTOBER 14 THROUGH 19 AND
THEIR DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...

OCTOBER 14...61F...-15
OCTOBER 15...64F...-12
OCTOBER 16...60F...-15
OCTOBER 17...64F...-11
OCTOBER 18...51F...-24
OCTOBER 19...63F...-12

THIS STRETCH OF 6 DAYS AVERAGED 60.5 DEGREES FOR A HIGH TEMPERATURE...

     THIS IS AN AVERAGE OF 15 DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL HIGH...AND IS
THE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR MID DECEMBER.

     THE 51 DEGREE HIGH IS TIED FOR THE 2ND COLDEST OCTOBER
TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED AT WILMINGTON (50 DEGREES IN
1903...1923...1952). MAYBE MORE NOTABLY...THIS HIGH IS ACTUALLY 5
DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR MID JANUARY!

     THE -24 DEPARTURE ON OCTOBER 18TH IS TIED FOR THE GREATEST
SINGLE DAY NEGATIVE DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL IN OCTOBER.


ON RECORD AT WILMINGTON SINCE 1874...

     THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 6
CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN OCTOBER WHERE THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE WAS 11
DEGREES OR MORE BELOW NORMAL EACH DAY.

     THERE HAS ONLY BEEN ONE OTHER TIME WHEN THERE HAS BEEN A
CONSECUTIVE STRETCH OF 6 DAYS IN OCTOBER WHERE THE MAXIMUM
TEMPERATURE WAS 10 DEGREES OR MORE BELOW NORMAL EACH
DAY...10/8-13/1876.

     EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVELY...ONLY 4 TIMES HAS THERE BEEN EVEN 5
CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN OCTOBER WHERE THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE WAS 11
DEGREES OR MORE BELOW NORMAL EACH DAY. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN
1891...1892...1899...AND 2009. IT HAS BEEN 110 YEARS SINCE THIS LAST
HAPPENED!

$$

JDW