1 April, 2003

March 2003, South Pole Weather

Monthly Climate Summary for March 2003

South Pole Station, Antarctica

Temperature:

Average temp............ -54.3イ / -65.7ェ Departure from normal... -0.4イ / -0.7ェ

Maximum temp............ -33.9 イ / -29.0ェ on day 1 Minimum temp............ -65.8 イ / -86.4ェ on day 16

Wind:

Average wind speed.......... 12.4 mph or 10.8 knots Prevailing wind direction... Grid East or 090 degrees Maximum wind speed.......... 30 mph or 26 knots on day 19 Maximum wind direction...... Grid Northeast Average vectored wind....... 065 degrees at 8.5 knots

Station Pressure:

Average pressure........ 680.5 mb or 20.095 in. Hg Departure from normal... -1.1 mb or -0.032 in. Hg Highest pressure........ 695.4 mb or 20.535 in. Hg on day 04 Lowest pressure......... 665.6 mb or 19.655 in. Hg on day 20

Physio-altitude:

Average Physio-alt = 10609 ft / 3234 m

Highest Physio-alt = 11176 ft / 3406 m

Lowest Physio-alt = 10053 ft / 3064 m

Sky Cover:

Average cloud cover (8ths)... 05

Days clear................... 05

Days partly cloudy........... 19

Days cloudy.................. 07

Sunshine:

Sunset on 22 March 2003

Average hours per day... 10.7

Percent of possible..... 44

Visibility... 6 days with a visibility of 1/4 mile or less.

Snowfall..... TRACE; average net change at snow stakes +2.648 inches.

Balloon flight data:

Number of soundings for the month... 31

Average height of sounding.......... 22.1 mbs or 28337 meters above msl Highest sounding.................... 5.8 mbs or 33874 meters above msl on the day 21/00Z sounding

Remarks:

00 soundings were missed.

28 soundings were terminated above 50 mbs.

01 soundings were terminated between 50 and 100 mbs. 02 soundings were terminated below 100 mbs.

**RECORDS**

Day 2 - The maximum temperature of -34.8 C/-30.4 F broke the previous record high of -38.2 C/-36.8 F set in 1986.

PREPARED BY: K. Hess