1 June, 2003

May South Pole Weather Report

Monthly Climate Summary for May 2003

South Pole Station, Antarctica

Temperature:

Average temp............ -59.2イ / -74.6ェ Departure from normal... -1.0イ / -1.8ェ

Maximum temp............ -43.8 イ / -46.8ェ on day 8 Minimum temp............ -72 イ / -97.6ェ on day 17

Wind:

Average wind speed.......... 11.8 mph or 10.2 knots Prevailing wind direction... Grid North or 360 degrees Maximum wind speed.......... 31 mph or 27 knots on day 07 Maximum wind direction...... Grid North

Average vectored wind....... 040 degrees at 8.0 knots

Station Pressure:

Average pressure........ 680.9 mb or 20.107 in. Hg Departure from normal... +0.6 mb or +0.018 in. Hg Highest pressure........ 698.7 mb or 20.633 in. Hg on day 24 Lowest pressure......... 662.1 mb or 19.552 in. Hg on day 13

Physio-altitude:

Average Physio-alt = 10594 ft / 3229 m

Highest Physio-alt = 11311 ft / 3448 m

Lowest Physio-alt = 9931 ft / 3027 m

Sky Cover:

Average cloud cover (8ths)... 05

Days clear................... 08

Days partly cloudy........... 16

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

Sunshine:

Sunrise on 21 September 2003

Average hours per day... 0.0

Percent of possible..... 0

Visibility... 10 days with a visibility of 1/4 mile or less.

Snowfall..... TRACE; average net change at snow stakes +0.926 inches.

Balloon flight data:

Number of soundings for the month... 31

Average height of sounding.......... 80.2 mbs or 18020 meters above msl Highest sounding.................... 6.9 mbs or 29820 meters above msl on the day 31/00Z sounding

Remarks:

00 soundings were missed.

11 soundings were terminated above 50 mbs.

07 soundings were terminated between 50 and 100 mbs. 13 soundings were terminated below 100 mbs.

**RECORDS**

No records were tied or broken this month.

PREPARED BY: K. Hess