BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
  
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2008
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME UNLESS NOTED
  
Today's observations:
 
8 A.M. EDT
Weather: Obscurement with fog 
Temperature: 36F, Dew point: 36F  Wind: NNW at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.32 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 1/16 mile  
6-hour min temp: 36F
24-hour precip: 0.77 in.
24-hour snowfall: 0.3 in.   
BHO SA 1155 W2 X 1/16F 928/36/36/3409/932/ 
TOTAL NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 0.3 INS/ 8//// 50006 
MANUAL 60XX/ ASOS 60023 MANUAL 70077 ASOS 70078 10050 20036
 
11 A.M. EDT
Weather: Broken stratus, overcast stratocumulus
Temperature: 38F, Dew point: 38F, Wind: WNW at 14 kts 
Sea-level pressure: 29.36 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 75 miles 
3-hourly precip. trace
BHO SA 1455 E15 BKN 40 OVC 75 944/38/38/2914/936/ 
8/6// 51016 MANUAL 6000/
 
2 P.M. EDT
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus
Temperature: 40F, Dew point: 33F, Wind: W at 18G27 kts 
Wind: Peak gust past hour 37 kts W at 12:55 P.M. EDT
Wind: Variable in direction SW-NW
Sea-level pressure: 29.38 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles   
6-hourly max. temp. 41F
6-hourly precip: trace
BHO SA 1755 25 SCT E60 OVC 70 950/40/33/2818G27/938/ 
PK WND 2837/1655 WND 22V32/ 8/5// 53006 MANUAL 6000/ 
10041 20035
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....43    NORMAL.....46
MIN.....30    NORMAL.....29
MEAN....37    NORMAL.....37
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL............0 
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..........+37 [+1.7 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............28  DEPARTURE.......  0
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........544  DEPARTURE.......-42 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4792  DEPARTURE......-362 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....4709  DIFFERENCE......+83  
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............28 ESE AT 10:23 A.M. *        
                   AEROVANE.............29 ESE AT 10:23 A.M.       
                   ASOS.................25 SE  AT 12:25 P.M.      
                   DAVIS................29 ESE AT  5:41 A.M.        
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............21 ESE AT  5:39 A.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........20 SSE AT  5:42 A.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........23 SE  AT  5:41 A.M.    
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION......  11.3 ESE
                   ASOS................ 10.1      
                   DAVIS................11.5 ESE [123 deg]     
* last of several occurrences
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M... 0.77   DEPARTURE......+0.61  
                         ASOS..............0.78
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........5.14   DEPARTURE......+2.23 
                         ASOS..............5.11  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........17.18   DEPARTURE......+5.43  
                         ASOS.............19.41 #
# Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 2/13/08.
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M......... 0.3   DEPARTURE.....-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................6.3   DEPARTURE.....-1.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............66.4   DEPARTURE....+12.8
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 2008 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane recording wind system when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
3/1  37/20/29/-3/0.34/3.2/034/05   38 W     Aero 40 MPH W
3/2  37/23/30/-2/0/0/564/83        40 WNW 
3/3  46/24/35/+3/0/0/327/48        42 S     Aero 43 MPH S 
3/4  58/36/47/+14/0.41/0/089/13    42 S     Aero 43 MPH S
3/5  57/33/45/+12/0.31/0/199/29    45 S
3/6  46/27/37/+4/0/0/573/83        27 WSW 
3/7  44/31/38/+5/0.28/0/395/57     29 NE
3/8  61/35/48/+14/2.20/0/000/00    69 SSW   Aero 70 MPH S
3/9  47/24/36/+2/0/0/698/100       65 W     Aero 65 MPH W 
3/10 38/19/29/-5/0/0/687/98        31 W 
3/11 42/19/31/-4/0/0/690/98        31 S 
3/12 40/30/35/0/0.26/0.6/120/17    41 WNW
3/13 43/25/34/-1/T/T/490/69        31 W
3/14 53/30/42/+6/0.01/0/135/19     24 ENE 
3/15 37/32/35/-1/0.51/1.9/000/00   39 NNE
3/16 40/31/36/0/T/T/014/02         42 WNW   Aero 42 MPH WNW
3/17 41/25/33/-4/0/0/692/96        42 WNW   Aero 39 MPH WNW
3/18 43/24/34/-3/0.02/0.1/.../..   22 NNE
3/19 43/30/37/0/.../0.5/000/00     28 ESE
 
3/20 morning low temp. 36F; normal low now 29F
 
 NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2008
 
3/8 PEAK WIND GUST - 69 MPH SSW; PREVIOUSLY 68e MPH NE, 1941
 
3/8 NEW RECORD MAXIMUM DAILY RAINFALL of 2.20 inches; 
the previous record was 1.73 inches in 1933. 
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 20
HIGH 79 IN 1945
LOW 4 IN 1885
PRECIP 1.39 INS. IN 1957
SNOWFALL 11.4 INS. IN 1957
PEAK GUST 63 MPH SE IN 1975
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 21
HIGH 81 IN 1921
LOW 2 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.67 INS. IN 1974
SNOWFALL 10.6 INS. IN 1958
PEAK GUST 72 MPH NE IN 1958
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Stephanie Radner