BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2010 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME 
 
LAST TEN DAYS HAVE AVERAGED 6 DEGREES ON WARM SIDE
AND A COLD JANUARY HAS EDGED SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL
 
Yesterday's average temperature of 28 degrees
was three degrees above the 30-year normal. The
day became the 10th consecutive one during which we
have recorded warmer than normal temperatures.
The average departure of plus 6 degrees for six days
has turned a cold January into a slightly milder than
normal one. Not melting much due to an icy top from the
one inch of sleet which fell on January 18 is a 5-inch
average depth snow cover which has remained in place
for the past 4 days.  The water content of the snow
measured 2.1 inches late last week.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus translucidus, broken cirrus including 
dense cirrus radiatus to the south-southeast thru west
Temperature: 27F, Dew point: 12F, Wind: SSW at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.27 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog below inversion
6-hour minimum temp: 25F
Average snow depth: 5 inches
BHO SA 1155 E130 BKN 220 BKN 250 BKN 20 250/27/12/2110/027/
CI/DENS CI LYR XTDNG SSE-SW-W THN FG BLO INVSN/
8/032 4/005 53013 10031 20025
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus (3 levels), broken dense
cirrus, higher cirrus partly thin, break in overcast
in the distant north thru northeast
Temperature: 31F, Dew point: 21F, Wind: S at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.25 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 25 miles, hazy, thin smoke layer below an
inversion estimated top one thousand feet NW-E 
BHO SA 1455 160 SCT 180 SCT E200 BKN 220 OVC 25 242/31/21/1909/025/
FEW LWR AC ALQDS BKN DENS CI ALQDS OVC PTLY THIN HIER CI VSBL BINOVC 
DSNT N-NE INVSN ESTMTD TOP ONE THSND NW-E THN/K LYR BLO HAZY ALQDS/ 
8/072 56008
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 23
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....36     NORMAL.....33
MIN.....19     NORMAL.....18
MEAN....28     NORMAL.....25
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR AVERAGE.............+3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.............+12 [+0.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............37    DEPARTURE........-3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........885    DEPARTURE.......-11
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........3129    DEPARTURE.......-94
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....3226    DIFFERENCE......-97
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY.............24 N   AT  1:02 A.M.
                   AEROVANE..............22 N   AT  1:18 A.M. *
                   ASOS..................23 N   AT  1:18 A.M. 
                   DAVIS.................26 N   AT  1:09 A.M.
THE FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY...........14 N   AT  1:10 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE............15 N   AT  1:28 A.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE...........15 N   AT  1:03 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........ 8.1 NNW
                   ASOS..................8.2
                   DAVIS.................7.4  NW [320 DEG.]
* last of several occurrences
    
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE....-0.15
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........2.67   DEPARTURE....-0.91
                         ASOS..............2.62 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........2.67   DEPARTURE....-0.91
                         ASOS..............2.62
                 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.....-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH...............13.7  DEPARTURE.....+2.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............43.5  DEPARTURE....+18.4
                                               
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 2010 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
1/1  31/23/27/0/0.01/0.1/005/01    24 NW 
1/2  28/19/24/-3/0.45/5.7/000/00   53 W    AERO 55 MPH W
1/3  25/13/19/-8/0.34/4.3/000/00   45 W    AER0 44 MPH W
1/4  32/20/26/-1/0/0/397/72        35 W    AERO 28 MPH W
1/5  29/18/24/-3/0/0/000/00        29 WNW
1/6  30/17/24/-2/0/0/554/100       33 W
1/7  37/21/29/+3/0/0/549/99        31 W
1/8  25/16/21/-5/0.04/0.6/000/00   22 WNW
1/9  25/10/18/-8/0/0/557/100       31 WNW
1/10 26/5/16/-10/0/0/508/91        23 WNW
1/11 33/12/23/-3/0/0/526/94        21 W
1/12 32/12/22/-4/0/0/146/26        36 WNW  AERO 33 MPH WNW 
1/13 28/9/19/-7/T/T/303/54         28 WNW  AERO 31 MPH WNW
1/14 36/19/28/+2/0/0/486/86        25 S
1/15 44/28/36/+10/0/0/153/27       35 W
1/16 45/29/37/+11/0/0/488/86       28 WSW
1/17 40/30/35/+9/0.52/T/011/02     36 NNE
1/18 34/28/31/+5/1.04/1.9/000/00   45 N    AERO 46 MPH N 
1/19 33/28/31/+6/0.27/1.1/000/00   16 SSE
1/20 34/28/31/+6/T/T/.../..        34 NW
1/21 38/24/31/+6/0/0/.../..        24 WNW
1/22 37/23/30/+5/0/0/.../..        35 NNE  AERO 33 MPH NNE
1/23 36/19/28/+3/0/0/.../..        24 N
 
1/24 our morning low temp: 25F; the normal low is now 18F
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 24
HIGH 60F IN 1967
LOW -12F IN 1907
PRECIP 2.04 INS. IN 1998
SNOWFALL 11.3 INS. IN 1935
PEAK GUST 82 MPH S IN 1996
 
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 25
HIGH 55F IN 1990
LOW -10F IN 1935
PRECIP 2.24 INS. IN 1979
SNOWFALL 12.5 INS. IN 1941
PEAK GUST 81 MPH WNW IN 1972
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling