Climatological Report (Annual)
Issued by NWS Portland, OR

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CXUS56 KPQR 111840 CCA
CLAAST

ANNUAL CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
1000 PM PST MON DEC 31 2012

...2012 ASTORIA WEATHER YEAR IN REVIEW...

JANUARY...IT WAS A RELATIVELY QUIET START TO THE YEAR...WITH ONLY
2 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF JAN...AND 8 DAYS OF
0.01 INCH OR LESS THROUGH THE FIRST 15 DAYS OF THE MONTH. A RARE
SNOW EVENT OCCURRED ON THE 17TH INTO THE 18TH...WITH A TRACE TO AS
MUCH AS 2 INCHES OF SNOW AROUND THE ASTORIA AREA. BUT THE SWITCH
BACK TO MORE SEASONABLE WEATHER WAS FLIPPED OVER THE SECOND HALF
OF JANUARY. SEVERAL SYSTEMS BROUGHT HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS.
ALMOST 9 INCHES OR RAIN WERE RECORDED OVER THE SECOND HALF OF THE
MONTH. THE MONTHLY RAINFALL TOTAL ENDED UP BEING JUST ABOVE NORMAL.
THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE OF THE YEAR WAS RECORDED ON JAN 16 AT 24 DEG.

FEBRUARY...NOT MUCH TO SAY ABOUT FEBRUARY. IT WAS ABOUT AVERAGE BY
MOST MEASURES. THE MONTH DID START OUT A BIT ON THE MILD SIDE...WITH
THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE AT OR ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE FIRST 11
DAYS OF THE MONTH. THE MONTH ENDED ON THE COLDER SIDE WITH LOWS NEAR
OR BELOW FREEZING SEVERAL NIGHTS.

MARCH...IT WAS A VERY ACTIVE MONTH...WITH PRECIPITATION WELL ABOVE
NORMAL AND TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL. SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT
RAINFALL EVENTS CONTRIBUTED TO A MONTHLY TOTAL OF 14.13 INCHES...
WHICH WAS THE 4TH WETTEST MARCH ON RECORD. RAINFALL TOTALS EXCEEDED
2 INCHES ON BOTH THE 12TH AND THE 29TH. THE AVERAGE DAILY HIGH
TEMPERATURE WAS OVER 4 DEG BELOW NORMAL.

APRIL...IT WAS A FAIRLY UNEVENTFUL MONTH...ALTHOUGH THE WET START TO
THE SPRING CONTINUED. THE MONTHLY RAINFALL TOTAL OF 7.40 INCHES WAS
OVER 2 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. TEMPERATURES WERE CLOSE TO SEASONAL
NORMALS.

MAY...THE COOL AND WET SPRING CONTINUES. PRECIPITATION WAS ABOUT
50 PERCENT ABOVE NORMAL. THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE WAS 1.5 DEG
BELOW NORMAL...WITH 22 OUT OF THE 31 DAYS COMING IN BELOW NORMAL.
THE FIRST 70 DEG DAY OF THE YEAR OCCURRED ON MAY 7...WHICH IS NEARLY
A MONTH LATER THAN NORMAL.

JUNE...THIS MONTH PICKED UP RIGHT WHERE MAY LEFT OFF. PRECIPITATION
RAN ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE 4TH CONSECUTIVE MONTH. JUNE CLOCKED IN WITH
4.82 INCHES OF RAIN...WHICH IS THE 10TH WETTEST JUNE ON RECORD. THE
PERIOD FROM MARCH THROUGH JUNE BROUGHT 31.29 INCHES OF RAIN...WHICH
IS THE SECOND WETTEST MARCH TO JUNE SINCE RECORD KEEPING BEGAN.
MEANWHILE TEMPERATURES RAN ALMOST 2 DEG BELOW NORMAL.

JULY...AFTER A VERY WET SPRING...JULY STARTED THE SUMMER OFF
ON A DRY NOTE. MONTHLY RAINFALL WAS ABOUT HALF OF NORMAL. HOWEVER...
COOL TEMPERATURES PERSISTED. NOT A SINGLE 70 DAY WAS RECORDED. IN A
TYPICAL JULY...ASTORIA SEES ABOUT 10 DAYS ABOVE 70 DEGREES.

AUGUST...WHAT BEGAN AS A DRY SUMMER IN JULY BECAME EVEN DRIER DURING
AUGUST. THE MONTHLY RAINFALL TOTAL WAS ONLY 0.06 INCHES...WHICH WAS
THE DRIEST AUGUST EVER RECORDED. AFTER A COOL JULY...TEMPERATURES
RETURNED TO NEAR NORMAL. THE WARMEST TEMPERATURE OF THE YEAR WAS
RECORDED ON THE 4TH...WHEN THE AFTERNOON HIGH REACHED 92 DEG.

SEPTEMBER...THE DRY SUMMER CONTINUES. THE MONTLY RAINFALL OF 0.22
INCHES WAS ALMOST 2 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. THIS WAS THE 6TH DRIEST
SEPTEMBER ON RECORD. THE PERIOD FROM JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER WAS THE
DRIEST SUMMER EVER RECORDED. TEMPERATURES WERE CLOSE TO SEASONAL
NORMALS.

OCTOBER...PLEASANT EARLY FALL WEATHER CONTINUED FOR THE EARLY PART
OF THE MONTH. HOWEVER...THE RAIN STARTED AGAIN RIGHT ON SCHEDULE
DURING THE SECOND WEEK OF THE MONTH AND CONTINUED NEARLY WITHOUT
STOP FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH. FROM THE 11TH ON THERE WERE ONLY 3
DRY DAYS. SEVERAL VERY WET SYSTEMS TOWARDS THE END OF THE MONTH
HELPED BOOST THE MONTHLY RAINFALL TOTAL TO 13.15 INCHES...WHICH WAS
THE 3RD WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD.

NOVEMBER...THIS MONTH CONTINUED THE WET FALL. A STRONG FRONTAL
SYSTEM BROUGHT VERY STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ON THE 18TH AND
19TH. OVER 4 INCHES OF RAIN FELL OVER THESE 2 DAYS AND A WIND GUST
OF 74 MPH ON THE 19TH ENDED UP BEING THE STRONGEST WIND RECORDED
DURING THE YEAR. TEMPERATURES WERE A BIT ABOVE NORMAL AND RAINFALL
ENDED UP ABOVE NORMAL.

DECEMBER...ANOTHER WET MONTH. THE TOTAL RAINFALL WAS 14.63
INCHES...WHICH WAS ALMOST 5 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL. THERE WERE ONLY 3
DAYS WITH LESS THEN 0.01 RECORDED OVER THE MONTH. TEMPERATURES
REMAINED A BIT ABOVE NORMAL AS SEVERAL WARM RAIN SYSTEMS CAME
THROUGH. DECEMBER CONCLUDED A ROLLERCOAST YEAR THAT INCLUDED VERY
WET WEATHER IN THE WINTER...FALL...AND SPRING MONTHS...AND A RECORD
DRY SUMMER.

================================================================
RECORDS SET IN 2012 (PERIOD OF RECORD IS 1890 TO 2012)...
(PREVIOUS RECORD IN PARENTHESES)

JANUARY....
   NONE.
FEBRUARY...
   21ST   TIED RECORD WARM OVERNIGHT LOW    48 DEG (2002,1983,1968)
MARCH...
   18TH   RECORD COOL AFTERNOON HIGH TEMP   43 DEG (43 IN 1952)
   29TH   RECORD DAILY RAINFALL TOTAL       2.54 IN (1.26/1983)
          4TH WETTEST MARCH ON RECORD
APRIL...
   NONE.
MAY...
   3RD    RECORD DAILY TOTAL RAINFALL       1.33 IN (1.12 IN 1896)
   11TH   RECORD DAILY LOW TEMP             34 DEG (35 IN 1985))
   19TH   TIED RECORD DAILY LOW TEMP        37 DEG (1995,1982,1977)
JUNE...
   29TH   TIED RECORD WARM OVERNIGHT LOW    58 DEG (2004,1944,1923)
          10TH WETTEST JUNE ON RECORD
JULY...
   4TH    TIED RECORD DAILY LOW TEMP        45 DEG (201, 1957,1933)
AUGUST...
   4TH    RECORD DAILY HIGH TEMP            92 DEG (88 IN 1932)
   17TH   RECORD COOL AFTERNOON HIGH TEMP   60 DEG (62 IN 2008 1980)
          DRIEST AUGUST ON RECORD
SEPTEMBER...
   19TH   RECORD COOL AFTERNOON HIGH TEMP   57 DEG (58 IN 1970 1900)
          6TH DRIEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD
OCTOBER...
   21ST   RECORD COOL AFTERNOON HIGH TEMP   48 DEG (50 IN 1894)
   22ND   RECORD COOL AFTERNOON HIGH TEMP   49 DEG (50 IN 1956)
   29TH   RECORD WARM OVERNIGHT LOW TEMP    54 DEG (53 IN 1921)
          3RD WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD     13.15 IN
NOVEMBER...
   10TH   RECORD DAILY LOW TEMP             29 DEG (29 IN 1978)
DECEMBER...
   19TH   RECORD DAILY TOTAL RAINFALL       2.71 IN (2.02 IN 1934)

2012 IS THE 9TH WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD WITH 91.29 INCHES OF
RAIN. (RECORD WETTEST IS 1950 WITH 113.94 INCHES OF RAIN).

================================================================

2012 TEMPERATURE DATA...
       AVG   AVG    AVG  DEPARTURE      TEMP EXTREMES/ DATE
MONTH  HIGH  LOW    MEAN FROM NORMAL  HIGHEST       LOWEST
================================================================
JAN    49.0  35.5   42.3   -1.5    58 ON  4TH      24 ON 16TH
FEB    50.1  38.1   44.1   -0.3    60 ON  6TH      27 ON 27TH
MAR    49.5  37.8   43.7   -2.7    65 ON  8TH      26 ON  7TH
APR    55.7  41.8   48.8   +0.1    68 ON 21ST      35 ON 4TH,6TH
MAY    59.1  43.9   51.5   -1.5    76 ON 12TH      34 ON 11TH
JUN    61.7  48.5   55.1   -1.9    70 ON 27TH      42 ON  6TH
JUL    65.2  53.4   59.3   -1.0    69 ON 16TH      45 ON  4TH
AUG    68.2  53.2   60.7   -0.2    92 ON  4TH      44 ON 31ST
SEP    67.8  48.3   58.1   -0.4    85 ON 13TH      41 ON 30TH
OCT    59.7  44.6   52.2   -0.4    77 ON  7TH      34 ON 25TH
NOV    53.8  42.0   47.9   +1.1    61 ON  4TH      29 ON 10TH
DEC    47.5  37.5   42.5   +1.9    58 ON  4TH      26 ON 30TH,31ST

2012   57.4  43.9   50.6   -0.8    92 ON AUG 4     24 ON JAN 16
NORMAL 58.6  44.1   51.4 <-------- 1981-2010 CLIMATIC NORMALS


         DAYS WITH HIGHS OF...            DAYS WITH LOWS OF...
MONTH   <=32  60+  70+  80+  90+  100+   <=20  <=32   60+  70+
===============================================================
JAN       0    0    0    0    0    0       0     10    0    0
FEB       0    1    0    0    0    0       0      3    0    0
MAR       0    2    0    0    0    0       0      8    0    0
APR       0    7    0    0    0    0       0      0    0    0
MAY       0   11    3    0    0    0       0      0    0    0
JUN       0   18    1    0    0    0       0      0    0    0
JUL       0   31    0    0    0    0       0      0    0    0
AUG       0   31    7    2    1    0       0      0    0    0
SEP       0   28    8    3    0    0       0      0    0    0
OCT       0   12    5    0    0    0       0      0    0    0
NOV       0    1    0    0    0    0       0      3    0    0
DEC       0    0    0    0    0    0       0      2    0    0

2012      0  142   24    5    1    0       0     26    0    0
NORMAL    0  164   37    4    0    -       0     29    0

FIRST AND LAST OCCURRENCES OF...           IN 2012   NORMALLY
    LAST 32 DEG OR COLDER IN SPRING...      MAR 23     APR  7
    FIRST 70+ DEG IN SPRING...              MAY  7     APR 12
    FIRST 80+ DEG IN SPRING/SUMMER...       AUG  4     JUN 13
    FIRST 90+ DEG IN SPRING/SUMMER ...      AUG  4     JUL  3

    LAST 90+ DEG IN LATE SUMMER/FALL...     AUG  4     JUL 14
    LAST 80+ DEG IN LATE SUMMER/FALL...     SEP 17     SEP 11
    LAST 70+ DEG IN LATE SUMMER/FALL...     OCT  7     OCT 15
    FIRST 32 DEGREES OR LOWER IN FALL...    NOV  9     NOV 10

================================================================


2012 RAINFALL DATA...
       TOTAL  DEPARTURE  DAYS WITH AT LEAST...  GREATEST IN
MONTH   RAIN  FM NORMAL  0.01 0.10 0.50 1.00    24HRS & DATE
===========================================================
JAN    10.80   +0.60      21   18    6    4    1.88 /JAN 17-18
FEB     6.80   -0.39      22   18    5    1    1.35 /FEB 21-22
MAR    14.13   +6.68      26   22   10    3    2.67 /MAR 28-29
APR     7.40   +2.20      16   13    5    1    2.38 /APR 19-20
MAY     4.94   +1.62      12   10    3    1    1.55 /MAY 2-3
JUN     4.82   +2.27      21   15    2    1    1.19 /JUN 7
JUL     0.50   -0.53       8    2    0    0    0.34 /JUL 2-3
AUG     0.06   -1.10       2    0    0    0    0.05 /AUG 26
SEP     0.22   -1.92       3    1    0    0    0.20 /SEP 9-10
OCT    13.15   +7.17      18   16    8    5    2.65 /OCT 30-31
NOV    13.84   +2.69      24   17    7    5    3.43 /NOV 18-19
DEC    14.63   +4.74      28   23    9    3    2.94 /DEC 19-20

2012    91.29 +24.03     201  155   55   24    3.43 ON NOV 18-19
NORMAL  67.26   N/A      190  124   44   11      - - -

WATER YEAR 2011-12 TOTAL  (OCT 1 2011 THROUGH SEP 30 2012)
        68.89 INCHES      7.25 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL


============================================================

2012 WIND AND PRESSURE DATA...
        MEAN    CLIMATE NORMAL  STRONGEST PEAK WIND
MONTH   SPEED     MEAN SPEED     (SPEED, DIR AND DATE)
==============================================================
JAN      7.7 MPH      8.8 MPH   SOUTH      56 MPH   JAN 24
FEB      8.2          8.4       WEST       51 MPH   FEB 25
MAR      9.3          8.3       SOUTH      60 MPH   MAR 15
APR      7.0          8.2       SOUTH      38 MPH   APR 30
MAY      7.3          8.1       SOUTHWEST  40 MPH   MAY 22
JUN      6.0          8.3       SOUTHEST   30 MPH   JUN 30
JUL      6.9          8.5       WEST       46 MPH   JUL  6
AUG      7.1          7.7       SOUTH      48 MPH   AUG  7
SEP      5.8          7.0       NORTHWEST  31 MPH   SEP 11
OCT      7.8          7.1       SOUTH      54 MPH   OCT 15
NOV      7.3          8.3       SOUTHWEST  74 MPH   NOV 19
DEC      8.1          8.7       SOUTH      54 MPH   DEC 19

2012     7.3 MPH      8.0       WEST 74 MPH ON NOV 19

HIGHEST PRESSURE RECORDED IN 2012...    30.62 ON JAN 27
LOWEST PRESSURE RECORDED IN 2012...     28.99 ON DEC 16

==============================================================

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1892 TO 2012

$$

DATA COMPILED BY PYLE















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