An Average February in San Jose.

Our weather continues it's warming trend in February. The average high on the first is 60 degrees and 64 on the 28th and the lows start at 42 degrees and end at 47 degrees. The record high temperature for the month is 81 degrees on the 26th of 1986. The record low is 26 degrees on the 7th of 1989.

On average, February's 2.57 inches of rain, behind January, is the second wettest month in San Jose with at least 9 days of measurable rain. The highest February rainfall was 10.23 inches from 1998 and the 2.23 inches of the 3rd that year is the highest one day total. The least amount of rain is 0.02 inches in 1953.

Fastest Wind Speed

In the weather world, it is widely agreed upon that the 231 mph wind speed from Mount Washington, New Hampshire is the fastest non-storm related wind. It was measured on April 12, 1934. Tornado researchers measured a 318 mph wind in a May 3, 1999 tornado in Oklahoma.

Winter Spare the Air Tonight

Winter Spare the Air Alert in effect today
Use of wood-burning devices is prohibited

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is issuing the ninth Winter Spare the Air Alert today which bans burning wood, manufactured firelogs or any other solid fuel, both indoors and outdoors, until the alert is lifted.

Air quality in the Bay Area is forecast to be unhealthy.  During this Winter Spare the Air Alert, it is illegal for Bay Area residents and businesses to use their fireplaces, woodstoves and inserts, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits, or any other wood-burning devices.

Please check before you burn each day by calling 1-877-4-NO-BURN or you can sign up for email AirAlerts at www.sparetheair.org or phone alerts by calling 1-800-430-1515.  You can also find daily air-quality status and details on exemptions from the Wood Burning Rule.

Greatest 24-hour Rainfall Total

Q: What is the most rainfall received in a 24-hour time period?

A: According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 73.62 inches of rain fell at La Reunion Island, Indian Ocean on March 15- 16, 1952. Alvin, Texas owns the U.S. record with 43 inches on July 25-26, 1979.

Greatest One-month Rainfall Total

Q: What is the greatest one-month rainfall in the world?

A: According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 366 inches of rain fell in Cherrapunji, India in July of 1861. For the U.S., Kukui, Hawaii received 107 inches of rain in March of 1942.

Greatest 12 Month Rainfall Total

Q:  What is the single greatest rainfall in a 12 month time period?   

A:  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the August 1860 to July 1861 Indian monsoons brought 1,042 inches of rain to the village of Cherrapunji, India.  In the United States, 739 inches fell in Kukui, Hawaii, from 1981 to 1982.

Yearly Changing Sunrise and Sunset Times

Q: Why, sometimes, are sunrise and sunset times different from year to year?

A:  Sunrise and sunset times can vary up to a minute for the same date from year to year.  According to the Gregorian Calendar a year is 365.2425 days.  If almost every fourth year is a leap year (366 days in 2008) the first three years fall short of being a complete year.  Therefore, the Earth's position from year to year is not exact.

Most Annual Rainfall?

Q:   What is the wettest place on Earth? 

A:  The human variable of record keeping makes this an arguable answer.  Lloro, Colombia averages 523.6 inches of rainfall a year, or more than 43 feet.  Close behind is Cherrapunji, India and Mount Waialeale, Hawaii with about 460 inches per year.

Coldest Time of Night

Q: When I get up at 4AM the outside temperature is warmer than at 8AM. Why does it drop?

A: During a clear and calm night the earth looses heat. The longer this process runs, the more the Earth cools. The Earth keeps cooling until the sun's rays are strong enough to begin warming it, usually an hour after sunrise.

More Details and Illustrations

Putting a Price on Weather Forecasts

What is a weather forecast worth to you? A National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) national survey found the average household consulted a U.S. weather forecast 115 times per month, more than 300 billion per year. These forecasts have a value of $285 per household per year, or about $32 billion nationwide.