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Temperatures well above normal at the beginning, a brief cold spell mid-month, drier with temperatures near normal at the end. The mean temperature 6.2C (+0.6) & [+0.8] of averages was lowest since 2021, but ranked 10th highest in station records that commenced in 1979. The mean maximum 8.6C equal highest since 2020 ranked 8th. The highest maximum 11.7C (-0.4) was on the 10th and the lowest 5.3C on the 19th (+1.4). The highest minimum 9.4C (+0.9) was on the 4th and the lowest minimum -2.4C (-1.2) on the 17th . There were 5 days of air frost over 45.7h duration and 13 (-4.6) ground frosts. The lowest grass minimum was -6.0C (+0.2) on the 19th. In contrast there were no air frosts at Gorwel Heights in Llanfairfechan where the mean temperature was 7.3C (+0.8) & [+1.1] of averages highest since 2020. The mean maximum 9.5C was highest since 2020 and the mean minimum 5.0C lowest since 2021. The highest maximum was 14.3C on the 3rd was lowest since 2021 and the lowest minimum 0.5C highest since 2021. Rainfall in Llansadwrn totalled 137.9 mm (120%) & [133%] of averages largest since 2021 and ranked 27th in records kept since 1928. The wettest day was on the 13th having a modest for January 17.5 mm. There were 4 days without any precipitation and 7 dry days (<0.2 mm). Rain days (>=0.2 mm) were 24 (+1.0); wet days (>=1.0 mm) 18 (+1.6); and days with 5 mm, or more were 11 (+3.3). Rainfall duration (wet hours) were 138h. Rainfall at Gorwel Heights totalled 120.2 mm (114%) & [135%] of averages most since 2021 with the largest 12.8 mm falling on the 10th. Here there were 9 dry days; 22 rain days; 16 wet days; and 11 had 5 mm, or more. Rainfall duration (wet hours) were 123h. Sunshine at RAF Valley was a provisional 66.5h with 8 sunless days. The sunniest day was on the 20th with 7.6h.
February 2023Dry with temperatures well above normal, rather dull and lack of wintry weatherColdest at the beginning with warmer spell beginning of second half The mean temperature 7.2C highest since 2019 (+1.3) & [+1.6] of averages ranked 3rd highest in station records began in 1979. The mean maximum 9.6C ranked 7th (+0.9) & [+1.2] of averages, the highest 13.6C was on the 14th and the lowest 7.1C on the 22nd. The mean minimum 4.8C was (+1.7) & [+2.0] of averages. There were no air frosts, but 13 (-2.3) ground frosts with the lowest -5.0C on the 6th. At Gorwel Heights in Llanfairfechan the mean temperature was 8.2C (+1.7) & [+2.1] of averages was highest since 2019. The mean maximum 10.4C was lowest since 2021 with the highest 16.1C on the 14th highest since 2019. The mean minimum 6.0C was highest on record since 2011 with the highest 10.1C on the 18th equal highest since 2019. The lowest 2.2C on the 6th lowest since 2019. It was the driest February on record at Gorwel Heights with 15.4 mm (18%) & [21%] of averages. The wettest day was on the 20th with just 2.8 mm. There were only 22 h rainfall duration and 5 wet days. Similarly in Llansadwrn rainfall 28.7 mm (26%) & 32%] of averages lowest since 2009 ranked 13th lowest in records back to 1928. The wettest day on the 15th had 9.8 mm. There were 11 days with no precipitation; 17 rain days; and 8 wet days.
A fairly dull month with 69.7 h of sunshine recorded at RAF Valley (81%) & [89%] of averages. The sunniest day was on the 13th with 8.6h and there were 6 sunless days. Winter 2022/23Winter was warmer than average the mean temperature 6.1C (+0.0) [+0.6] lowest since 2021 but ranking 10th highest in station records. Rainfall 35.0 mm was well below the average of the last 10-y (85%) and just above [102%] ranking 32nd largest in Llansadwrn records since 1928.
March 2023A dull and wet month with some snowA spell of wintry weather before the middle of the month, a wet and windy beginning the second half. A spell of wintry weather 7-11th with snow each day at the weather station and gave lying snow at 0900 GMT on the 10th, the first in four years the last was in January 2019. The 5 days with snow was the most in March since 2018 (6). A wet month, particularly at Gorwel heights in Llanfairfechan, where 155.2 mm fell, third highest in March since 2011, (164%) & [187%] of averages. The wettest day on the 9th had 31.0 mm, there were 169 h rain duration with 11 days recording 5 mm, or more. Rain days numbered 25 and wet days 20, but there were 6 dry days. In Llansadwrn rainfall was 146.6 mm (161%) & [187%] of averages, largest since 2019 ranking one of the 6 wettest Marches since 1928. The wettest day was on the 12th having 22.8 mm. Four days had no precipitation; 5 days were dry. Rain days numbered 26 (+8.6); wet days 21 (+8.1); and 8 days (+2.0) had 5 mm, or more. Rainfall duration was 175 h. With four days of air frost most since 2019, but way behind the 14 in March 2013, the mean minimum was 7.1C (+0.3) & [+0.5] of averages and lowest since 2020. The lowest minimum was -1.6C on the 8th. Maxima were lowest the mean 9.8C (-0.1) & [-0.4] and the highest 14.2C on the 17th was (-1.9), the lowest maximum 3.6C on the 8th was (-1.0). The monthly mean 7.1C lowest since 2020 was close to averages (+0.3) & [+0.1] ranking 22nd lowest since 1979. At Gorwel Heights the mean maximum was 10.4C with the highest 16.9C on the 29th lowest since 2018. The mean minimum 5.2C the lowest 0.0C on 11th so no air frost was recorded, the highest 10.4C was on the 17th with 10.0C on the 21st. The monthly mean 7.8C (0.4) & [0.2] of averages. Sunshine at RAF Valley was a provisional 85.6h lowest since 1998 and 9th lowest on the Anglesey record since 1931. There were 9 sunless days, but the sunniest on the 27th had 8.4h.
April 2023A fairly average month with fewer ground frosts than usual and no very heavy rainAverages hid a mixture of fine and wet days, a wintry day on the 12th and spells of dry sunny weather on the 17-20th and 24-26th.Temperatures were a little above the averages the mean 9.4C (+0..2) & ]+0.3] lowest since 2921 ranked 16th highest in station records since 1979. The mean maximum was 13.2C with the lowest 8.8C on the 12th and the highest 19.1C on the 29th . The mean minimum was 5.5C with the lowest 1.6C on the 25th followed by the highest 10.2C on the 30th. There were only 2 ground frosts 6.3 days below average, the lowest was -1.7C on the 3rd and -0.8C on the 25th. At Gorwel Heights the mean temperature was 9.9C lowest since 2021. The highest maximum 18.0C was on the 30th and the lowest 8.0C on the 12th. The highest minimum was 10.5C on the 30th and the lowest 3.1C on the 30th. Rainfall was 53.0 mm (118%) & [81%] of averages most since 2019. The wettest day was on the 12th with just 9.2 mm. Days with no precipitation numbered 13 (-0.9) and dry days were 14 (-2.6). Rain days were 16 (+2.6); wet days 10 (+0.4); and 5 days had 5 mm or more (+1.9). At Gorwel Heights 68.2 mm of rain fell with the wettest day on the 11th having 14.2 mm. There were 15 dry days and 15 rain days. Wet days were 13 and 6 had 5 mm, or more. Rainfall duration (wet hours) was 72h in Llansadwrn at an average rate of 0.7 mm/ h and 65h in Llanfairfechan at an average rate of 1.0 mm/h. The cold wintry day on the 12th brought hail, sleet and snow in Llansadwrn and snow on the mountains of Eryri. Sunshine at RAF Valley was 166.1h (provisional) least since 2019 (90%) & [101%] of averages. The sunniest day was on the 20th with 13.3h and there were 2 sunless days.
Monthly data 2023
Llanfairfechan, Gorwel Heights observations
AcknowledgementsThe Met Office at RAF Valley kindly supplied observational data from 1942 to 2011. Current data (provisional) are gathered from SYNOP reports and METAR, any missing observations are initially derived from nearby stations to complete the record, up to date figures are later gathered from the Met Office website. I am grateful Ivor McLean former Met Officer at RAF Valley for early Holyhead sunshine and various other observations; David Lee for use of his observations from Gorddinog; and Gordon Perkins (BlueTractorSoftware) for observations at Gorwel Heights, programming and additional observations.
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