Friday, February 24, 2017

BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2017
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURES AND MODERATE WINDS

The temperatures have been well above normal the past two days.
Yesterday we broke a maximum temperature record with a high of
67F. The previous record of 62F was set in 1990. The high for today
at the 1PM EST observation was 70F. Winds continue to be from the SW and
have been moderate with a strong gust of 41 MPH. The morning was
humid with distant fog in all directions keeping visibility at 40
miles. The humidity fell throughout the day and at the 1PM observation
visibility was 70 miles.

The 70F reading today establishes a new maximum temperature record for
this date and for the entire month of February at BHO. This is also
the warmest temperature ever measured this early in the season. The
previous date for the earliest 70F+ was 71F on March 9, 2000.

Highest February Daily Maximum Temperature, deg F (1885-2017)

1) 70 on 24 Feb 2017 (through 1 P.M.)
2) 68 on 24 Feb 1985
3) 67 on 26 Feb 1957
67 on 25 Feb 1976
67 on 23 Feb 2017
6) 66 on 20 Feb 1930
66 on 19 Feb 1981
8) 65 on 18 Feb 1981
65 on 1  Feb 1989
65 on 5  Feb 1991

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, distant fog all directions
Temperature: 51F; Dew Point: 47F; Wind: SW at 11 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.93 ins. Hg, rising then steady
Visibility: 40 miles
6-hr Max temp: 51F
6-hr Min temp: 47F
24-hr precip: 0.0 in.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 in.
BHO SA 1155 100 SCT 40 137/51/47/2211/993/ DSNT FG ALQDS/
8/090 51009 10051 20047

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, few altostratus SW-NW,
distant haze all directions
Temperature: 60F; Dew Point: 51F; Wind: SSW at 8 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg, rising then steady
Visibility: 40 miles
BHO SA 1455 E190 BKN 50 145/60/51/2008/996/ FEW AS SW-NW
DSNT HZ ALQDS/ 8/070 51008

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken cirrus, scattered altocumulus, few cumulus
all directions, light distant haze all directions
Temperature: 69F; Dew Point: 50F; Wind: SSW at 17G27 kts,
Peak Wind: 35 MPH at 12:08 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.90 ins. Hg, falling then more rapidly
Visibility: 70 miles
BHO SA 1755 E250 BKN 180 SCT 70 125/69/50/2017G27/990/
FEW DSNT CU ALQDS LT HZ ALQDS PK WND 2130/08/ 8/194 58020

SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..67   NORMAL…..39
MIN…..40   NORMAL…..21
MEAN….54   NORMAL…..30

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………………+24
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..+100 [+4.1 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..11   DEPARTURE………-24
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….762   DEPARTURE……..-102
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..3789   DEPARTURE……..-605
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……3544   DIFFERENCE…….+245

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….36 SSW AT  3:26 P.M.
AERO……………………35 SSW AT  3:18 P.M.
ASOS……………………36 SSW AT  3:26 P.M.
DAVIS…………………..36 SW  AT  3:25 P.M. RMY 37
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………26 SSW AT  3:44 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………28 SSW AT  3:50 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..28 SW  AT  3:50 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….14.5 SSW
ASOS………………….15.0
DAVIS…………………13.6 SW [234 deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00  DEPARTURE……-0.16
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….3.63  DEPARTURE……+0.37
ASOS…………….NA
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..9.13  DEPARTURE……+1.52
ASOS…………….NA

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………31.5  DEPARTURE……+20.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..52.3  DEPARTURE…….+7.7

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/AERO/RMY GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust
RMY:  R.M. Young wind gust recording system
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized
M:    Missing data

2/1   40/25/33/+7/0.03/0.4/228/38           43 W   AERO 44 W   RMY 47
2/2   38/25/32/+6/T/T/265/44                36 WNW AERO 37 WNW RMY 36
2/3   30/19/25/-1/0.00/0.0/351/58           28 WNW AERO 29 WNW RMY 31
2/4   31/15/23/-3/0.00/0.0/590/97           31 WNW AERO 30 WNW RMY N/A
2/5   43/22/33/+7/0.00/0.0/092/15           38 SSW AERO 41 SSW RMY N/A
2/6   37/28/33/+7/0.00/0.0/503/82           41 WNW AERO 41 WNW RMY 43
2/7   37/30/34/+7/0.54/0.7/000/00           32 ENE AERO 31 ENE RMY 32
2/8   49/25/37/+10/T/0.0/136/22             25 W   AERO 25 W   RMY 31
2/9   35/8/22/-5/1.60/16.9/000/00           54 NNE AERO 53 NNE RMY 54 TSTM
2/10  24/7/16/-11/T/T/623/100               43 WNW AERO 50 WNW RMY 48
2/11  27/15/21/-6/0.14/2.9/000/00           21 SE  AERO 20 SE  RMY 19
2/12  32/17/25/-2/0.71/5.6/000/00           22 ENE AERO 28 ENE RMY N/A
2/13  32/20/26/-2/0.27/2.2/032/05           48 NW  AERO 60 NW  RMY 61
2/14  35/16/26/-2/0.00/0.0/…/..           23 NW  AERO 24 NW  RMY 24
2/15  40/25/33/+5/0.17/1.2/…/..           31 SE  AERO 33 NW  RMY N/A
2/16  33/23/28/0/0.17/1.6/…/..            38 WNW AERO 38 WNW RMY 40
2/17  38/19/29/+1/0.00/0.0/…/..           36 WNW AER0 35 WNW RMY 35
2/18  50/24/37/+8/0.00/0.0/…/..           31 SSW AERO 33 SSW RMY 34
2/19  58/42/50/+21/0.00/0.0/…/..          32 W   AERO 33 W   RMY 32
2/20  42/29/36/+7/0.00/0.0/…/..           25 NW  AERO 28 NW  RMY 27
2/21  44/25/35/+6/0.00/0.0/…/..           24 SSE AERO 22 SSW RMY 24
2/22  56/34/45/+16/T/0.0/…/..             24 SSW AERO 24 SSW RMY N/A
2/23  67/40/54/+24/0.00/0.0/…/..          36 SSW AERO 35 SSW RMY 37

2/24  Low temp since midnight is 47F; normal low is now 21F

DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2017

2/09/17: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM SNOWFALL OF 16.9 INS.
PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 14.0 INS. SET IN 2015
2/23/17: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 67F
PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 62F SET IN 1990

DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 24
HIGH 68F IN 1985 [RECORD FOR MONTH] LOW -11F IN 1894
PRECIP 3.10 INCHES IN 1969
SNOWFALL 27.4 INCHES IN 1969 [HIGHEST CALENDAR DAY AMOUNT ON RECORD] PEAK GUST 63 MPH NE IN 1998

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 25
HIGH 67F IN 1976
LOW -10F IN 1894
PRECIP 2.40 INCHES IN 1981
SNOWFALL 13.6 INCHES IN 1966
PEAK GUST 76 MPH S IN 2016

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Cecilia Borries-Strigle and Kaitlin Geagan