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February 2017

February 2017

Temperatures
(all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1961 – 1990)

Mean daily maximum: 8.1
Difference from average: +2.1

Mean daily minimum: 3.2
Difference from average: +2.9

Mean air temperature: 5.7
Difference from average: +2.5

Absolute maximum: 13.5 (20th)

Absolute minimum: -1.0 (6th)

Mean grass minimum: 1.5

Absolute grass minimum: -4.0 (6th)

Mean concrete minimum: 1.8

Absolute concrete minimum: -1.7 (28th)

Number of ground frosts: 9

Number of air frosts: 3

Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 5.7

Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 6.5

Rainfall
(all totals in millimetres; all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 64.0
Difference from average: +22.4

Percentage of the average: 154%

Wettest day: 18.2 (15th)

Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 11

Number of wet days (=> 1mm): 7

3-month total rainfall to 28th February: 141.8
Difference from average: -30.2

6-month rainfall total to 28th February: 324.2
Difference from average: -22.0

12-month rainfall total to 28th February: 659.5
Difference from average: 10.5

Humidity
(averages for 09:00 hours GMT)

Relative Humidity: 84%

Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 59.6 hours
Difference from average: -5.8

Percentage of the average: 91%

Mean daily sunshine: 2.1 hours
Difference from average: -0.2

Sunniest day: 7.0 hours (9th)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 3

Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 130.4 hours
Difference from average: 11.2

ISSN1350-483

Comments on February 2017
February experienced well above average temperatures, at night in particular. The mean air temperature was just below last year’s, equal 60th warmest since 1850. The mean maximum was equal 27th warmest since 1900 and the mean minimum was 4th equal highest since 1900.

Rainfall was above average for February but not remarkably so, the 27th wettest since 1850.

Not surprisingly, sunshine hours were just a little below average for February therefore.

I am grateful to Ken Cook from Copley for providing his data from which I could estimate missing data for the first 7 days of the month.

Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University