I (Heart) Delaware Weather

I (heart) Delaware Weather

By Joseph Parish

As most of my friends and family may already be aware of, I am a big fan of meteorology. In short, I am basically a weather nut. It all began when I needed a science class at the university. I didn’t want the usual chemistry or physics class, but something a bit more exciting and different. The class I would eventually decide upon had to provide me with a measure of interest to maintain my attention while at the same time affording me a means of wetting my curiosity with something new. In the end, I chose the meteorology course and have been hooked ever since. I have a completely automatic reporting weather system which I plan to install on the RV and use it as a mobile weather coverage base when we are traveling. In addition, I am a rain reporter for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS).

To anyone not familiar with CoCoRaHS, the agency is a non-profit network of volunteers who measure and map the amount of precipitation which occurs at various locations in the country. My location is in Seaford, Delaware – station number DE-SS-63. By the use of a fairly inexpensive rain gauge and being provided with proper training the volunteers utilize the CoCoRaHS website to report their daily rain readings. This process takes all of five minutes and provides a benefit to many data users.

The main location for the agency’s headquarters is in Colorado but they also have management groups located in all 50 states. They are always looking for new volunteers and everyone young, old, or in-between are welcome to assist in this project. The requirements for participation is an enthusiasm for watching and reporting various weather conditions as they take place and a dedicated desire to learn how the weather impacts our lives.

Imagine each time it rains, hails or snows in your area you go out and measure the amount of precipitation that has taken place. These reports are then recorded on the group's Web site (www.cocorahs.org) and the data is then organized and displayed for a host of eventual end users such as the National Weather Service, meteorologists, emergency managers, and an assortment of other users. The major sponsors of this program are the National science Foundation and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

I am often asked why would I want to do this? The inquisitive individual further states that I go out in rain, sleet, hail and snow and for what? It isn’t as if you get paid for these types of actions. I am a believer that money is not the only motivation for such procedures, one of the interesting reasons to participate in events like this is simply the personal feeling that I may have made a valuable contribution along the lines which just might help someone else. My daily observation may fill in a blank in the weather puzzle which affects all of us in one way or another. In addition, you have an opportunity to make new acquaintances and to learn valuable personal skills and techniques. My philosophy is that when you stop learning you are dead, pure and simple. With that said let me explain a little about our Delaware weather. We all know it rains, snows, storm and all other types of foul weather upon our little state but perhaps you might not realize some of these facts I am about to present.

The climate of the first state is frequently considered "humid temperate" which is influenced by our close proximity to the nearby Atlantic Ocean. My home is only about 10 to 15 minutes from the coast depending upon the amount of tourist traffic which might be on the roads. We do not have an assorted variety of topographic features here in Delaware such as mountains or valleys so the temperatures are somewhat consistent. The temperatures range from 55 degrees in the northern portion of the state to around 56 further South. Under normal conditions, our yearly precipitation varies little with the southern portion of Delaware (where I live) averaging around 47 inches per year to the northern locations receiving approximately 44 inches.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in the state was -17° F in 1893. During the summer we have the Gulf Stream’s warm waters flowing up here from the south and as they flow clockwise in the Atlantic it produces a high-pressure area bringing warm, humid days to our state. The warmest recorded temperature in the state was 110° F in Millsboro during July of 1930. I always tell people that the southern portion of Delaware is a closely guarded secret. We have fairly mild winters (for a northern state) and our summers are usually bearable. It is the influence of the Atlantic Ocean which contributes to not only the warm desirable climate here but also to the length of our growing season which is between 175 and 195 days per year. Various sea breeze conditions often contribute to vastly different temperature environments of from 10 to 15 degrees although measurements might only be separated by less than a mile.

Our state has never experienced a hurricane making direct landfall along its shoreline however it has seen its share of hurricanes tracking across the state after hitting nearby states. Although river and stream flooding is not one of our risks it is typically the end result of extended, heavy, downpours of rain or periods of quick melting snow. On occasion, the state will experience coastal flooding resulting from a tropical system which has pass by our coast.

Snowfall in northern Delaware is generally around 19 inches maximum while southern portions of the state will receive at most 14 inches. The worse snowfall recorded in Delaware took place in 2009 which dropped over six feet of the cold, white stuff in the city of Wilmington. We were not here to see this as when they first predicted the blizzard, we packed up the RV and headed to sunny North Carolina for several weeks.

No folks, I am not advertising to encourage people to move to the small state of Delaware as we enjoy our hidden paradise and don’t appreciate invasions. With all said and done, the weather in Lewes today is exceptional nice not too warm and certainly not too cold. Enjoy today’s weather as it is really great.

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