BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY, MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186 ELEVATION 635 FT. ABOVE MSL....10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA TUESDAY DECEMBER 11 2001 PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT: http://www.bluehill.org/ DAILY DISCUSSION.....12/11/2001...@ 1 P.M. AFTER ONE COLDER THAN NORMAL DAY TEMPERATURES ARE HEADED BACK UP WELL ON THE WARM SIDE OF NORMAL AGAIN...SNOW ON THE GROUND MELTS RAPIDLY DOWN TO AN AVERAGE OF 2 INCHES FROM 7 INCHES YESTERDAY .... December 9th was the first day to average colder than normal since November 21st be it only by 2 degrees. But that was erased yesterday when the day wound up 2 degrees on the plus side. We already have totaled up a huge temperature departure for December of plus 124 degrees and so we're averaging 12 degrees warmer than normal for December and the winter to date. Who said we were in for a cold winter? But, wait, how many of us have forgotten January 2000. An enormous temperature departure of plus 168 degrees was accumulated during the first twelve days. Then, suddenly, a complete reversal in the weather pattern sent thermometers skidding. The entire positive departure was erased in the final two weeks of the month and January 2000 ended up a fraction of a degree colder than normal! Eleven days had departures of more than ten degrees on the cold side and two days were 20 degrees colder than normal. It was brutally cold with high temperatures in the teens on ten days! Could the same thing be about to happen again this winter? Time will tell. Meanwhile, our snowcover is melting away rapidly and is down to zero to 3 inches at the summit this morning after temperatures remained in the upper 30's to near 40 degrees throughout last night. TODAY'S OBSERVATIONS.... 12/11/2001 TUE 7 a.m. BHO SA 1155 E180 OVC 10 261/41/40/2209/030/ STRA/SC LYR E-S THN F ALQDS VSBY SE-S 6/ 8/51 / 4/002 53005 10041 20038 10 a.m. BHO SA 1455 E180 OVC 15 274/41/37/2706/034/ FEW SC DSNT SE-S BINOVC/ LINE OF CLRG XTDNG W-NNE SUN DMLY VSB THN F BLO INVSN VSBY WNW 45 ABV INVSN/ 8/511/ 51013 1 p.m. BHO SA 1755 200 SCT 250 -BKN 25 266/42/33/3305/032/ DENSE CI SE-SW CC ALQDS LINE OF CLRG/CLR SKY XTDNG W-NNE THN K LYR ALG HRZNS HAZY ALQDS/ 8/009/ 56008 10043 20041 DATA RECORDED FOR MONDAY DECEMBER 10.. TEMPERATURES.... MAX : 40 MIN: 27 // ASOS MAX: 40 ASOS MIN: 27 NORMAL HIGH AND LOW: 39/24 MEAN 34 [+ 2 ] TOTAL DEP FOR MONTH TO DATE: + 124 degrees DECEMBER is averaging 12 degrees WARMER THAN NORMAL.... PRECIPITATION....ON 12/11 AS OF 7 A.M. 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M. ... 0.00 IN. ASOS......................0.00 IN. STORM TOTAL STD GAGE......0.85 IN. STORM TOTAL ASOS..........0.78 IN. DEC. TOTAL................0.86 IN. (STD GAGE) DEP. FROM NORMAL........- 0.75 IN. Dec. snowfall: 8.5 IN. PRECIP. TOTAL YEAR 2001 TO DATE: 42.83 {- 2.91 IN. ] [corrected ] WIND DATA....FOR 12/10 PEAK GUST ASOS: 20 MPH S AT 6:28 P.M. PEAK GUST 420C: 20 MPH S AT 6:28 P.M. PEAK GUST AERO: 22 MPH S AT 6:28 P.M. DAILY DEC. 2001 DATA....AT BLUE HILL... max/min/mean/dep/precip/snowfall/sun mins/%/pk gust/TSTM = thunderstorm day Aero = the aerovane wind system ) 12/1 70/45/58/+23/0/0/536/96/ 36 WSW (Aero 36 MPH SW ) [corrected wind gust ] 12/2 49/38/44/+9/0/0/006/01/ 21 WNW 12/3 52/35/44/+10/0/0/556/100/ 31 MPH SSW (Aero 33 MPH SSW ) 12/4 56/41/49/+15/T/0/516/93/ 24 SW 12/5 65/46/56/+22/0.01/0/.../../ 24 SSW 12/6 70/52/61/+28/0/0/.../../ 40 SW (Aero 42 MPH SW ) 12/7 55/39/47+14/0/0/.../../ 22 ENE 12/8 40/30/35/+3/0.23/2.5/.../../ 20 NNW 12/9 32/27/30/-2/0.62/6.0/011/02/ 22 ENE 12/10 40/27/34/+2/0/0/.../../ 20 S 12/11 morning lo temp. 38 degrees..; high thru 1 p.m. 43 degrees... RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 11 HIGH 63 IN 1911 LOW -01 IN 1988 PRECIP 2.36 INS 1992 SNOWFALL: 6.0 INS. 1894 PEAK GUST 78 MPH S IN 1969 RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 12 HIGH 67 IN 1979 LOW -03 IN 1988 PRECIP 3.94 INS 1992 SNOWFALL: 20.3 INS. 1960 PEAK GUST 74 MPH W IN 2000 RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 13 HIGH 60 IN 1984 LOW 00 IN 1893 PRECIP 1.45 INS 1983 SNOWFALL: 9.0 INS. 1902 PEAK GUST 81e MPH WNW IN 1976 e = estimated Robert Skilling