A DECEMBER MARKED WITH WINTER STORMS ENDS A WARM, RAINY YEAR AT GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN
GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, NC – Due to winter weather, staff members at Grandfather Mountain were only able to record weather 20 of the 31 days in December at the official U.S. Weather Service reporting station next to the Mile High Swinging Bridge.
While not officially recorded, the Mountain experienced a large snow storm that brought approximately two feet of snowfall December 18-20. An ice storm followed December 25 and coated Grandfather's trees with thick ice. Hundreds of limbs and trees in the park fell under the weight of the ice and the Mountain was without electricity for six days.
During the 20 days that weather was recorded, 13.8 inches of snow were measured, which is 4.86 inches or 54 percent above normal.
The average high temperature for December of 39.68 degrees was 1.67 degrees warmer than normal. The average low temperature was 22.32 degrees, 1.36 degrees colder than the 54-year average for the month.
Wind gusts over 60 mph were recorded five times. The highest three-second gust recorded for the month was 96 mph December 29.
The December rainfall total of 10.37 inches was 6.33 inches, or 64 percent, above normal.
The rainfall total for the year was 78.76 inches. The average annual rainfall at the Mountain is 61.91 inches, making the 2009 total 16.85 inches, or 27 percent, above normal.
In 2009, the month with the most rain was May with 13.59 inches and the month with the least rain was February with 1.91 inches. May's rainfall total made it the wettest May ever by shattering the previous record of 9.76 inches set in 1976. The most rain to fall in one day during 2009 was 2.89 inches on December 31. The rainiest day ever at Grandfather Mountain was September 8, 2004 when 11.3 inches of rain fell.
Temperatures were slightly warmer than usual at Grandfather Mountain in 2009. The average mean temperature was 47.56 degrees, which was 2.06 degrees warmer than normal. The average high temperature for the year of 55.07 degrees was 2.55 degrees warmer than normal and the average low temperature of 40.04 was 1.57 degrees warmer than normal.
Seven new daily high temperature records and three new daily low temperature records were established in 2009. Six daily high records and one daily low record were tied.
The warmest temperature in 2009 was 78 degrees on August 11. The warmest temperature ever recorded on the Mountain is 83 degrees set on August 22, 1983 and tied July 26, 2005.
The coldest temperature in 2009 was minus 11 degrees on January 16. The coldest temperature ever recorded at Grandfather is minus 32 degrees on January 21, 1985.
In 2009 wind speeds recorded by the new anemometer exceeded 60 mph 44 times and exceeded 100 mph on one occasion. The highest three-second gust recorded was 105.7 mph January 1. The highest gust ever recorded on Grandfather's Swinging Bridge anemometer, which was installed February 2007, is 106.95 mph on February 11, 2008.
Total snowfall for 2009 was 48.05 inches compared to a 54-year average of 52.22 inches, down eight percent.
For more information on the 54 years of weather data from Grandfather Mountain, see the interactive weather database at www.grandfather.com
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