Very high pressure has been over the SE US for New Year's Day. I'll have a report on this up on the website eventually with
some pressure charts and observations... as soon as I get the *last* interesting weather event recorded ;) The higest
recorded pressure in the last 24 hours from official reporting stations in the Carolinas or Georgia was Kinston, NC at 10am
this morning (AccuWeather is calling this station KINGSTON, but having lived in NC for 23 years I know better and I have
corrected it to KINSTON):
KINSTON, NC (ISO)
10am 32 40 NNE/9 30.75 20 SUNNY
although a handful of stations made of over 30.70"Hg. I have to admit that that is the highest pressure I remember seeing in
the area. After some research I have found that rare thought it is, it's a far cry from the world record I'm afraid. The
word on the US and World Records are as follows (excerpt (C) Copyright 1994 by Guinness Publishing Ltd):
The highest barometric pressure ever recorded was 32.00 in at Agata, Siberia, Russia (alt. 862 ft) on 31 Dec 1968.
The highest barometric pressure recorded in the United States was 31.43 in at Barrow, AK on 3 Jan 1970. The highest in the
coterminus states was 31.40 in, at Helena, MT on 9 Jan 1962.
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Couple messages still coming in about the storm this past weekend:
1. Here in State College PA we were a nice 7 degrees this morning. This evening gusty winds have caused the 6-10" of snow
left on the ground to drift into several feet in areas and recover roads that had been cleared.
2. The NWS in GSP has corrected an errant snowfall report from a Public Information Statement that they had issued. CASI
Members, if you read this statement that I had forwarded from the NWS (Subject: CASILIST : Final Storm Reports & Happy New
Year | Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 08:23:45 -0500), please be sure to reverse the snowfalls for counties Habersham and Franklin in
GA before you archive it. Thanks to Shane Adams for bringing it to their attention... this is what Storm Investigation is all
about, folks!
> Subject: Re: Snow
> Date: 01 Jan 1998 17:58:34 -0500
> From: Christopher Horne <Christopher.Horne{at}noaa.gov>
> Be assured though that our official storm data report for this storm
> will have the proper snowfall total for the appropriate county even
> though that one report was sent out with incorrect data.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chris Horne, Webmaster, NWSO GSP
>
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3. Next a report from Member J.L. Parks from Boone, NC on the final totals for that area:
Thursday 01/01/98...Todd, NC
Final snow report from western North Carolina for the storm (Dec 27-30,
1997.....
Total snow fall 14 inches with 10 inches on the ground Jan 01, 1998....
Temp this morning -(2.6) at 7 AM wind SW at 5 mph Barometer 30.49 R....
Had snow all day Wednesday with some moderate snowfall...Has not been
above 32 degrees since 1 PM Saturday Dec 27, 1997 with 34 degrees...
Looks like the snow will remain for a few days.
During the storm the lowest barometric pressure recorded was 29.46 on
Dec 29, 1997 at 1 PM with highest wind gust recorded at 38 mph.
jp
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Jesse Ferrell - Meteorologist - j{at}weatherwatchers.org
Central Atlantic Storm Investigators - www.weatherwatchers.org
"A tornado? Why wasn't it dissipated by the weather
modification net?" --Jean-Luc Picard || ICQ No. 136862 ||