30 August, 2002

August Monthly Climate Summary, South Pole

South Pole Station, Antarctica

Temperature:

Average temp............ -57.7°C / -71.9°F Departure from normal... +2.2°C / +4.0°F

Maximum temp............ -36.3°C / -33.3°F on day 16 Minimum temp............ -75.4°C / -103.7°F on day 9

Wind:

Average wind speed.......... 14.5 mph or 12.6 knots Prevailing wind direction... Grid North or 020 degrees Maximum wind speed.......... 39 mph or 34 knots on day 17 Maximum wind direction...... Grid North

Average vectored wind....... 031 degrees at 9.9 knots

Station Pressure:

Average pressure........ 670.0 mb or 19.785 in. Hg Departure from normal... -6.0 mb or -0.177 in. Hg Highest pressure........ 689.2 mb or 20.352 in. Hg on day 31 Lowest pressure......... 658.1 mb or 19.434 in. Hg on day 18

Physio-altitude:

Average physio-alt = 11008 ft/ 3355 m

Highest physio-alt = 11465 ft/ 3495 m on day 18 Lowest physio-alt = 10283 ft/ 3134 m on day 31

Sky Cover:

Average cloud cover (8ths)... 05

Days clear................... 07

Days partly cloudy........... 14

Days cloudy.................. 10

Sunshine:

Sunrise on 23 September 2002

Average hours per day... 0.0

Percent of possible..... 0

Visibility... 8 days with a visibility of 1/4 mile or less.

Snowfall..... TRACE; average net change at snow stakes +2.459 inches.

Balloon flight data:

Number of soundings for the month... 46

Average height of sounding.......... 128.8 mbs or 15031 meters above msl Highest sounding.................... 8.2 mbs or 28983 meters above msl on the day 24/12Z sounding

Remarks:

00 soundings were missed.

14 soundings were terminated above 50 mbs.

00 soundings were terminated between 50 and 100 mbs. 32 soundings were terminated below 100 mbs.

**RECORDS**

Day 9 - The minimum temperature of -75.4C/-103.7F broke the previous record low of -74.8C/-102.6F set in 1990.

Day 15 - The maximum temperature of -37.7C/-35.9F broke the previous record high of -41.1C/-42.0F set in 1966.

Day 16 - The maximum temperature of -36.3C/-33.3F broke the previous record high of -42.0C/-43.6F set in 1992.

Day 16 - The average wind speed of 22.3 kt/25.7 mph broke the previous daily record of 20.0 kt/23.0 mph set in 1964.

Day 24 - The average wind speed of 4.2 kt/4.8 mph broke the previous daily low of 4.5 kt/5.2 mph set in 1976.

PREPARED BY: Dar Gibson and Kris Perry