2001 Worcester, Massachusetts (ORH)

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2001 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS (ORH)

Worcester Municipal Airport is located on the crest of a hill, 1,000 feet above sea level. It is about 500 feet above and 3 1/2 miles northwest of the city proper. The airport is surrounded by ridges and valleys with many of the valleys containing reservoirs. Only two of the ridges extend above the airport elevation. One is 400 feet higher and 2 1/2 miles to the northwest, and the other is 1,000 feet higher and 15 miles to the north.

The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island Sound, and the Berkshire Hills plays an important part in determining the weather and, hence, the climate of Worcester. Rapid weather changes occur when storms move up the east coast after developing off the Carolina Coast. In the majority of these cases, they pass to the south and east, resulting in northeast and easterly winds with rain or snow and fog. Storms developing in the Texas–Oklahoma area normally travel up the St. Lawrence River Valley and, depending on the movement and intensity, usually deposit little precipitation over the area. However, they do bring an influx of warm air into the region. Wintertime cold snaps are quite frequent, but temperatures are usually modified by the passage of the air over land and mountains before reaching the county. Summertime thunderstorms develop over the hills to the west, with a majority moving toward the northeast. From the use of radar, we find many break up just before reaching Worcester, or pass either north or south of the city proper.

Airport site temperatures are moderate. The normal mean for the warmest month, July, is around 70 degrees. Though winters are reasonably cold, prolonged periods of severe cold weather are extremely rare. The three coldest months, December through February, have an average temperature of over 25 degrees. A review of Worcester Cooperative records since 190l shows maximum temperatures above 100 degrees and minimum temperatures below −24 degrees.

Precipitation is usually plentiful and well distributed throughout the year. The annual snowfall for all Worcester sites since 1901, averages slightly less than 60 inches. The airport location averages slightly higher.

Based on the 1951–1980 period, the average first occurrence of 32 degrees Fahrenheit in the fall is October 17 and the average last occurrence in the spring is April 27.

NORMALS, MEANS, AND EXTREMES

WORCESTER, MA (ORH)

LATITUDE:    LONGITUDE:    ELEVATION (FT):    TIME ZONE:    WBAN: 94746

42 16′ 02″ N  71 52′ 34″ W  GRND: 963 BARO: 966  EASTERN (UTC + 5)

ELEMENTPORJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECYEAR
TEMPERATURE FNORMAL DAILY MAXIMUM3030.733.042.454.065.974.579.377.369.759.547.434.755.7
MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM4731.633.942.154.566.174.777.677.169.359.347.235.855.8
HIGHEST DAILY MAXIMUM4560678491929496969185787296
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199519851998197619621988198819751983196319821998JUL 1988
MEAN OF EXTREME MAXS.4851.352.265.176.084.188.188.287.784.076.066.556.973.0
NORMAL DAILY MINIMUM3015.016.524.934.745.153.960.158.650.540.531.320.137.6
MEAN DAILY MINIMUM4815.617.225.535.646.055.359.559.351.541.432.221.538.4
LOWEST DAILY MINIMUM46-19-12-4112836433830206-13-19
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195719671986198219701986198819651992196919891962JAN 1957
MEAN OF EXTREME MINS.48-2.7-1.67.722.734.443.250.148.137.627.317.22.623.9
NORMAL DRY BULB3022.824.833.744.455.564.269.768.060.250.039.427.446.7
MEAN DRY BULB4723.825.833.845.055.965.068.668.260.350.439.628.547.1
MEAN WET BULB1522.323.930.439.549.758.759.462.450.745.436.124.942.0
MEAN DEW POINT1515.115.922.031.142.453.655.458.346.439.329.918.435.6
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
MAXIMUM 90300.00.00.00.10.10.71.50.8*0.00.00.03.2
MAXIMUM 323017.613.95.10.20.00.00.00.00.00.01.713.652.1
MINIMUM 323029.526.424.911.10.60.00.00.0*4.917.027.9142.3
MINIMUM 0303.11.90.20.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.96.1
H/CNORMAL HEATING DEG. DAYS30130811269706183016962515746576811666979
NORMAL COOLING DEG. DAYS30000064515111813000333
RHNORMAL (PERCENT)3065646360646870737569717068
HOUR 01 LST3068686868737879828377757474
HOUR 07 LST3070717068707476798178777574
HOUR 13 LST3058575450525757606156616257
HOUR 19 LST3064626057606668727568706966
SPERCENT POSSIBLE SUNSHINE
W/OMEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
HEAVY FOG (VISBY 1/4 MI)296.05.87.86.67.17.76.06.17.66.87.46.881.7
THUNDERSTORMS290.00.10.71.22.53.64.43.51.31.00.40.118.8
CLOUDINESSMEAN:
SUNRISE-SUNSET (OKTAS)
MIDNIGHT-MIDNIGHT (OKTAS)
MEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
CLEAR11.05.9
PARTLY CLOUDY11.01.02.012.1
CLOUDY11.01.01.013.0
PRMEAN STATION PRESSURE(IN)2828.8728.8728.8628.8528.8828.8828.9128.9528.9728.9628.9228.8928.90
MEAN SEA-LEVEL PRES. (IN)1630.0330.0029.9829.9429.9829.9529.9930.0530.0830.0830.0630.0230.01
WINDSMEAN SPEED (MPH)2912.212.412.611.610.69.99.28.99.510.211.211.810.8
PREVAIL. DIR (TENS OF DEGS)1628282929282826262527272928
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE:
SPEED (MPH)541494743513633414138414551
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)30282721313130313231292731
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE200019961997200019982001200119961999199919972000MAY 1998
MAXIMUM 5-SECOND:
SPEED (MPH)557706158944743495252525994
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)30292719260528302929291926
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE200019961997200019982000199619961999199819972000MAY 1998
PRECIPITATIONNORMAL (IN)303.683.463.953.914.333.883.853.824.014.324.494.0547.75
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)4611.168.377.968.799.9412.178.118.0113.1310.1910.409.8313.13
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE197919811972198719841982195919911974199019721973SEP 1974
MINIMUM MONTHLY (IN)460.890.250.740.750.860.320.741.030.690.700.670.740.25
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE197019871981200119591999198719811986200119761989FEB 1987
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)462.972.464.563.343.033.983.875.004.793.912.983.005.00
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE197819731987200019671986308719911960199019721986AUG 1991
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
PRECIPITATION 0.013011.510.612.011.412.211.69.510.19.28.711.912.7131.4
PRECIPITATION 1.00300.91.01.01.11.20.91.21.11.21.41.21.213.4
SNOWFALLNORMAL (IN)3016.616.410.93.60.40.00.00.00.00.54.212.965.5
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)4046.845.244.121.012.70.10.0TT7.520.737.046.8
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19871962199319871977199219941994197919711992JAN 1987
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)4018.724.019.717.012.70.10.0TT7.514.828.128.1
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19611962199319871977199219941994197919711992DEC 1992
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH (IN)42354233171000008152942
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE19661961196919871977197919711992FEB 1961
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
SNOWFALL 1.0304.23.52.70.90.10.00.00.00.00.11.03.616.1
PRECIPITATION (inches) 2001 WORCESTER, MA (ORH)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19722.344.917.964.297.839.256.392.894.984.9310.405.4971.66
19734.043.303.506.334.736.983.824.293.804.632.009.8357.25
19743.542.755.053.245.154.353.223.5013.133.453.066.0456.48
19755.353.523.372.662.073.323.924.597.216.065.284.6151.96
19766.032.572.742.453.462.953.285.722.384.990.673.2040.44
19772.762.465.753.692.204.003.842.736.546.333.694.9948.98
19789.902.083.222.243.691.573.575.001.023.852.073.5641.77
197911.162.643.714.494.140.795.747.393.804.363.581.8953.69
19800.950.736.864.772.234.553.591.951.826.164.581.0639.25
19810.938.370.743.854.482.457.901.034.665.493.135.9448.97
19825.003.223.674.302.9612.173.613.362.692.674.321.7049.67
19834.854.677.848.595.972.561.326.261.385.778.756.3764.33
19842.445.785.474.239.942.855.691.171.683.992.712.8448.79
19851.162.722.891.265.465.246.353.743.773.126.411.9344.05
19865.563.142.931.593.147.214.833.200.692.725.637.2547.89
19875.520.256.578.791.554.550.744.616.374.182.771.8547.75
19882.712.783.463.454.471.256.272.192.703.667.911.4242.27
19891.182.472.664.256.175.275.675.654.718.214.000.7450.98
19903.753.881.524.787.651.742.446.841.7310.192.415.4652.39
19912.982.084.925.044.163.062.788.016.403.445.472.8951.23
19923.012.514.152.592.544.685.254.833.582.364.944.6145.05
19932.562.385.464.001.792.363.341.908.853.884.855.1146.48
19944.781.865.382.735.872.483.097.644.841.244.544.8149.26
19953.712.861.852.192.391.514.332.023.158.654.611.0438.31
19966.302.662.206.703.343.016.503.996.075.812.936.9156.42
19973.251.714.663.222.721.602.974.341.442.115.502.3235.84
19984.593.175.823.305.899.681.762.381.694.932.281.4646.95
19996.013.384.090.922.770.324.141.878.813.573.382.5541.81
20003.112.593.826.853.515.844.042.093.012.053.613.6244.14
20011.642.406.530.752.266.271.912.313.420.701.362.7732.32
POR=53 YRS3.733.214.103.933.953.673.564.063.954.094.373.8346.45
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (F) 2001 WORCESTER, MA (ORH)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197226.423.330.440.455.762.271.166.959.744.734.927.645.3
197326.124.740.946.354.267.471.171.760.151.339.831.948.8
197426.423.933.547.552.464.069.769.759.745.839.430.446.9
197527.525.231.340.860.163.671.867.557.351.545.227.347.4
197619.231.235.149.155.068.067.867.258.946.434.621.946.2
197716.224.939.145.958.162.469.368.659.649.341.126.046.7
197820.920.030.842.456.664.368.268.157.648.439.228.845.4
197925.316.538.244.757.763.671.267.760.049.044.331.947.5
198025.022.233.146.057.061.571.369.961.147.336.424.246.3
198115.932.834.747.457.966.070.767.458.246.739.127.847.1
198217.125.733.843.658.361.571.565.961.350.843.834.847.3
198326.129.136.646.654.767.972.370.264.950.342.027.349.0
198422.734.029.245.655.468.170.071.459.653.941.134.948.8
198520.128.637.247.457.861.470.467.962.051.740.925.347.6
198625.923.136.448.157.962.668.266.859.449.637.130.347.1
198724.024.536.845.757.665.870.766.660.648.839.430.847.6
198823.026.635.043.857.364.672.672.360.245.541.727.247.5
198928.524.433.042.457.064.068.767.360.650.736.515.145.7
199031.328.836.243.951.564.669.268.859.353.042.134.048.6
199123.830.336.548.261.264.770.069.158.751.940.229.748.7
199225.327.130.742.355.563.565.965.559.246.837.828.745.7
199326.019.631.345.757.864.570.470.059.547.239.728.946.7
199415.921.133.547.754.367.272.966.359.050.943.533.347.1
199529.823.036.142.654.465.559.453.535.524.1
199623.424.931.645.354.965.968.961.149.735.933.2
199723.60.031.943.552.265.869.167.660.348.836.230.044.1
199832.937.047.259.762.970.070.363.150.340.235.7
199926.031.336.346.758.168.272.468.564.649.144.532.949.9
200023.030.040.444.756.264.666.566.959.550.139.223.747.1
200124.726.131.146.858.167.066.672.262.252.544.535.448.9
POR=53 YRS23.225.333.745.156.064.968.668.360.450.339.628.347.0

REFERENCE NOTES:

PAGE 1:

THE TEMPERATURE GRAPH SHOWS NORMAL MAXIMUM AND NORMAL MINIMUM DAILY TEMPERATURES (SOLID CURVES) AND THE ACTUAL DAILY HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES (VERTICAL BARS).

PAGE 2 AND 3:

H/C INDICATES HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

RH INDICATES RELATIVE HUMIDITY

W/O INDICATES WEATHER AND OBSTRUCTIONS

S INDICATES SUNSHINE.

PR INDICATES PRESSURE.

CLOUDINESS ON PAGE 3 IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA NOT TO EXCEED EIGHT EIGHTHS (OKTAS).

GENERAL:

T INDICATES TRACE PRECIPITATION, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN ZERO BUT LESS THAN THE LOWEST REPORTABLE VALUE.

+ INDICATES THE VALUE ALSO OCCURS ON EARLIER DATES.

BLANK ENTRIES DENOTE MISSING OR UNREPORTED DATA.

NORMALS ARE 30–YEAR AVERAGES (1961–1990).

ASOS INDICATES AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM.

PM INDICATES THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

POR (PERIOD OF RECORD) BEGINS WITH THE JANUARY DATA MONTH AND IS THE NUMBER OF YEARS USED TO COMPUTE THE MEAN. INDIVIDUAL MONTHS WITHIN THE POR MAY BE MISSING.

WHEN THE POR FOR A NORMAL IS LESS THAN 30 YEARS, THE NORMAL IS PROVISIONAL AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS INDICATED.

0.* OR * INDICATES THE VALUE OR MEAN–DAYS–WITH IS BETWEEN 0.00 AND 0.05.

CLOUDINESS FOR ASOS STATIONS DIFFERS FROM THE NON–ASOS OBSERVATION TAKEN BY A HUMAN OBSERVER. ASOS STATION CLOUDINESS IS BASED ON TIME–AVERAGED CEILOMETER DATA FOR CLOUDS AT OR BELOW 12,000 FEET AND ON SATELLITE DATA FOR CLOUDS ABOVE 12,000 FEET.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS WITH CLEAR, PARTLY CLOUDY, AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS FOR ASOS STATIONS IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA FOR THE SUNRISE TO SUNSET PERIOD.

GENERAL CONTINUED:

CLEAR INDICATES 0–2 OKTAS, PARTLY CLOUDY INDICATES 3–6 OKTAS, AND CLOUDY INDICATES 7 OR 8 OKTAS. WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS (CEILOMETER OR SATELLITE) IS MISSING, THE DAILY CLOUDINESS IS NOT COMPUTED.

WIND DIRECTION IS RECORDED IN TENS OF DEGREES (2 DIGITS) CLOCKWISE FROM TRUE NORTH. "00" INDICATES CALM. "36" INDICATES TRUE NORTH.

RESULTANT WIND IS THE VECTOR AVERAGE OF THE SPEED AND DIRECTION.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS THE SUM OF THE MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIVIDED BY 2.

SNOWFALL DATA COMPRISE ALL FORMS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION, INCLUDING HAIL.

A HEATING (COOLING) DEGREE DAY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE AND 65 F.

DRY BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AMBIENT AIR.

DEW POINT IS THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE AIR MUST BE COOLED TO ACHIEVE 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

WET BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE THE AIR WOULD HAVE IF THE MOISTURE CONTENT WAS INCREASED TO 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

ON JULY 1, 1996, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEGAN USING THE "METAR" OBSERVATION CODE THAT WAS ALREADY EMPLOYED BY MOST OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THE MOST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ANNUAL PUBLICATION WILL BE THE CHANGE IN UNITS FROM TENTHS TO EIGHTS (OKTAS) FOR REPORTING THE AMOUNT OF SKY COVER.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 WORCESTER, MA (ORH)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-731641171622897115212001120738555338376887
1973-7468202420750101711911145969520391826701
1974-756919059276010631158111010377211801046930
1975-7624722341358611611412972920511310606617
1976-7717461925719051331150811157985712441157413
1977-7816321894817111202135912551054674288697330
1978-793338229511767111612251354824601243807021
1979-8025531805006141019123512339835622461486798
1980-8121916554085312591516894934521241426986
1981-821292045627721145147810949616392121277224
1982-837551404366329291199996871548318446175
1983-84520115459682116313038921099577300546669
1984-8591184338713928138210118555182301216290
1985-862251284067131223120611668795012621196630
1986-874849182471830106912661130867571273586814
1987-889561524957611052129811079226292531156849
1988-891932155597693116611231129984674257906919
1989-90738172436846154010351006884632413587067
1990-9122301923796839571270965877501167806123
1991-9213162224027391090122210921056676321826931
1992-9340552035588101117120412591039574229747162
1993-94105201545754111515151226968515337497240
1994-9554818243163697510861170887667329586474
1995-96191352877126012791158103158733136
1996-97141594678639801277102063839493
1997-9815181584988581079891872527180111
1998-9938984507369021201938882540226396023
1999-0072791486609989129510087586022891006261
2000-0126381904557691273124310811045544258446966
2001-381117391
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 WORCESTER, MA (ORH)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
1972000094121510920000394
197300011111820122462000617
1974000485915916436000430
1975000033692181320100453
197600037715411011916000443
19770024374415615032000425
19780000325713813714000378
197900002444225142381000483
1980000084820617857000497
19810000297818411010000411
198200008292169234000379
1983000441382381881181100701
198400021015617120930000578
19850000152217712047000381
19860000505415111121200389
19870000499019311025000467
198800002411226026617100680
19890000167013111647000380
19900006052159153251000405
19910004577917314940200504
199200003044757837000264
19930000126718116344000467
1994000012122260979000500
1995000067729300
19960002237014347000
1997000012314810625200
19980100215816518147000
199900001914224514086000632
2000000022958210431100335
20010004511099523241700539
SNOWFALL (inches) 2001 WORCESTER, MA (ORH)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-730.00.00.0T6.113.817.95.80.40.40.00.044.4
1973-740.00.00.00.0T0.912.515.01.73.70.00.033.8
1974-750.00.00.0T1.213.122.621.94.91.40.00.065.1
1975-760.00.00.0T1.518.121.64.716.4TT0.062.3
1976-770.00.00.0T3.013.521.713.821.51.012.70.087.2
1977-780.00.00.00.02.213.734.220.815.0TT0.085.9
1978-790.00.00.00.05.413.116.06.51.35.40.00.047.7
1979-800.00.00.07.50.02.10.86.59.7T0.00.026.6
1980-810.00.00.00.09.06.812.511.43.3TT0.043.0
1981-820.00.00.0TT24.616.76.511.015.10.00.073.9
1982-830.00.00.00.00.56.418.632.13.52.3T0.063.4
1983-840.00.00.0T1.117.224.13.330.9TT0.076.6
1984-850.00.00.00.0T7.09.711.07.24.90.00.039.8
1985-860.00.00.00.06.99.15.814.52.30.10.30.039.0
1986-870.00.00.00.011.54.946.83.06.421.00.00.093.6
1987-880.00.00.00.010.212.925.215.86.40.60.00.071.1
1988-890.00.00.00.4T5.02.87.78.53.70.00.028.1
1989-900.00.00.00.07.910.211.315.26.42.10.0T53.1
1990-910.00.00.00.00.75.011.39.19.30.20.00.035.6
1991-920.00.00.00.05.814.52.78.411.82.70.00.146.0
1992-930.00.0T0.01.937.014.619.744.12.80.0T120.1
1993-940.00.00.0T0.212.934.125.927.10.0T0.0100.2
1994-950.0TT0.02.93.24.514.3TT0.00.024.9
1995-960.00.00.00.0
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-
POR=40 YRS0.0TT0.53.613.215.915.713.73.50.30.066.4

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