SOUTH POLE STATION ANTARCTICA. FEBRUARY 2001 CLIMATE SUMMARY.

Temperature:
Avg temp................ -39.0(C)/-38.2(F)
Departure from normal... + 2.0(C)/+3.6(F)
Maximum temp............ -26.2(C)/-15.2(F) on day 21 
Minimum temp............ -54.1(C)/-65.4(F) on day 28 

Sky cover:
Avg cloud cover (8ths).... 06
Days clear................ 03
Days partly cloudy........ 12
Days cloudy............... 13

Wind:
Average wind speed.......... 9.0 mph or 7.8 kts.
Prevailing wind direction... Grid East or 080 degrees.
Maximum wind................ 24 mph or 21 kts on day 01.
Max wind direction.......... Grid Northwest or 320 degrees.
Avg vectored wind........... 049 degrees at 5.1 knots.

Station pressure:
Avg pressure............ 689.4 mbs or 20.358 In. Hg.
Departure from normal... + 3.7 mbs or +0.109 In. Hg.
Highest pressure........ 697.2 mbs or 20.588 In. Hg. on day 04
Lowest pressure......... 677.9 mbs or 20.018 In. Hg. on day 28

Sunshine:
Sunset on 21 March
Average hours/day........ 14.9
Percent of possible...... 62%

Snowfall..... Trace; average net change at snow stakes +1.294 inches.

Visibility... 0 days with a visibility of 1/4 mile or less.

Balloon flight data:
Number of Soundings for the month... 51 
Avg height of Soundings............. 11.0 mbs or 33205 meters above msl.
Highest Sounding.................... 2.4 mbs or 41410 meters above msl.
                                     on the day 19/00z Sounding.

Remarks:
50 Soundings were terminated above 50 mbs.
 0 Soundings were terminated between 50 and 100 mbs.
 1 Sounding was terminated below 100 mbs.

Records:
The average monthly cloud cover of 6 oktas tied the previous record for maximum
average cloud cover for February set in 1996.
Day 22 - A new daily maximum temperature of -26.4 C broke the previous daily record
         of -28.1 C set in 1986.
Day 24 - A new lowest daily average windspeed record of 2.6 kts / 3.0 mph broke the
         previous record of 3.3 kts set in 1966.
Day 27 - The lowest daily average windspeed of 2.9 kts / 3.3 mph tied the previous
         record set in 1996.

Prepared by: Nathan Tift and Meghan Prentiss