6 December, 2001

November Climate Summary, South Pole Station, Antarctica

Temperature:

Average temp............ -35.6°C/-32.1°F

Departure from normal... +2.7°C/+4.8°F

Maximum temp............ -22.6°C/-8.7°F on day 7

Minimum temp............ -43.5°C/-46.3°F on day 14

Wind:

Average wind speed.......... 13.0 mph or 11.3 knots

Prevailing wind direction... Grid Northeast or 060 degrees

Maximum wind speed.......... 36 mph or 31 knots on day 17

Maximum wind direction...... Grid North

Average vectored wind....... 026 degrees at 8.2 knots

Station Pressure:

Average pressure........ 682.3 mb or 20.148 in. Hg

Departure from normal... -0.7 mb or -0.021 in. Hg

Highest pressure........ 691.3 mb or 20.414 in. Hg on day 08

Lowest pressure......... 672.1 mb or 19.847 in. Hg on day 30

Physio-altitude:

Average physio-alt = 10542 ft/ 3213 m

Highest physio-alt = 10928 ft/ 3331 m on day 30

Lowest physio-alt = 10205 ft/ 3110 m on day 08

Sky Cover:

Average cloud cover (8ths)... 05

Days clear................... 10

Days partly cloudy........... 05

Days cloudy.................. 15

Sunshine:

Sunset on 20 March 2002

Average hours per day... 17.8

Percent of possible..... 74

Visibility... 5 days with a visibility of 1/4 mile or less.

Snowfall..... TRACE; average net change at snow stakes +0.705 inches.

Balloon flight data:

Number of soundings for the month... 60

Average height of sounding.......... 21.7 mb or 29580 meters above msl Highest sounding.................... 3.8 mb or 37795 meters above msl on the day 17/12Z sounding

Remarks:

00 soundings were missed.

49 soundings were terminated above 50 mbs.

10 soundings were terminated between 50 and 100 mbs.

01 soundings were terminated below 100 mbs.

**RECORDS**

Day 2 - The maximum temperature of -30.1C/-22.2F broke the previous daily record high of -30.5C/-22.9F set in 1982.

Day 4 - The maximum temperature of -30.1C/-22.2F broke the previous daily record high of -32.6C/-26.7F set in 1999.

Day 7 - The maximum temperature of -22.6C/-8.7F broke the previous daily record high of -28.6C/-19.5F set in 1997.

Day 8 - The maximum temperature of -30.8C/-23.4F broke the previous daily record high of -32.2C/-26.0F set in 1978.

Day 9 - The maximum temperature of -32.6C/-26.7F broke the previous daily record high of -32.7C/-26.9F set in 1982.

Day 17 - The peak wind speed of 31 kt/36 mph broke the previous daily record of 29 kt/33 mph set in 1997.

Day 17 - The average wind speed of 19.3 kt/22.2 mph tied the previous daily record set in 1997.

Day 18 - The peak wind speed of 30 kt/35 mph broke the previous record of 28 kt/32 mph set in 1990.

Day 18 - The average wind speed of 20.1 kt/23.1 mph broke the previous record of 19.1 kt/22.0 mph set in 1990.

Day 29 - The peak wind speed of 23 kt/26 mph broke the previous daily record of 22 kt/25 mph set in 1995.

PREPARED BY: Dar Gibson and John Gallagher

Katie Wallet

Supervisor of Science

Spotsylvania County Schools