Saturday, January 2, 2016

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

DECEMBER FINISHES AS THE WARMEST ON RECORD…NEARLY FIVE
DEGREES WARMER THAN PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE MONTH…
THIRD RECORD WARM MONTH IN 2015…GREATEST POSITIVE TEMPERATURE
DEPARTURE FOR ANY MONTH…DECEMBER ALSO AMONG CLOUDIEST ON RECORD…

Despite the cool feel to the weather in recent days, the temperatures
remain generally warmer than average for this time of year.  The low
this morning of 27F was well above the normal of 19F for January 2nd.
Highs have reached the middle 30s at mid-afternoon with dew points
in the upper teens.  Extensive cloudiness earlier this morning was
accompanied by a faint sun pillar as the sun came over the horizon,
and snow virga was visible for a short time from the north to the
east just after sunrise.

In addition to the 24-hour mean temperature for December setting a new
record, the average maximum and minimum temperatures for the month
were also new records. December was the third month this year, including
May and September, to set a new record for warmest month, The monthly
temperature departure (of the 24-hour mean relative to the long-term
average) of +13.1 degrees F is the largest positive temperature departure
for any month of the year on record.

Despite the warmth, sunshine was a scarce commodity during the December,
and the total sunshine duration of 93.3 hours, or 34 percent of possible
was the tenth lowest on record for the month and 12 percent less than
the long-term mean.

BHO Warmest Decembers (24-hour Mean), deg F (1885-2015)

1) 42.9 in 2015
2) 38.1 in 2006
3) 37.5 in 2011
4) 37.3 in 2001
5) 37.2 in 1891
6) 36.9 in 1998
7) 36.7 in 1990

BHO Largest Monthly 24-Hour Mean Temperature Departure from the Long-Term
Mean, deg F (1885-2015):

1)+13.1 in December 2015
2) +9.9 in January 1913
3) +9.3 in January 1932
4) +9.1 in March 1946
5) +9.0 in March 2012
6) +8.9 in January 1937
7) +8.5 in February 1984

BHO Lowest December Sunshine, hours (1885-2015):

1) 72.9 in 1972  [27%] 2) 81.0 in 1982  [29%] 3) 87.2 in 1933  [32%] 4) 88.2 in 1996  [32%] 5) 89.0 in 1922  [32%] 6) 89.5 in 1981  [33%] 7) 91.1 in 1906  [33%] 8) 92.0 in 2012  [34%] 9) 92.9 in 2013  [34%] 10) 93.3 in 2015 [34%]

PRELIMINARY STATS FOR DECEMBER 2015

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 50.5 [+11.4] Avg. Min. 36.9 [+13.3] Mean      43.7 [+12.4] 24-hour Corrected Mean: 42.9 [+13.1] Max. for month: 67 on 24th
Min. for month: 23 on 29th, 30th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total cooling units: 654 [-389] Total for the season: 1656 [-649] Total for last season: 2060

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 4.27 [-0.49] Greatest in 24 hrs: N/A
Snowfall: 1.3 [-12.1] Greatest in 24 hrs: 1.3 ins. on the 29th

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 11.3
Avg. corrected wind speed: 11.8
Prevailing wind direction: W @ 12%
Peak gust and direction: 48 W on the 15th

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 5598 mins. of possible 16470 or 34%
Astronomical total minutes:   5786 mins. of possible 17002 or 34%
Long-term average for December is 46%

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, broken altocumulus, few cumulus
distant E-S, few stratocumulus castellanus distant ENE-E, few
stratocumulus lenticularis SSW-NW, snow virga E-ESE, hazy
faint sun piller above rising sun
Temperature: 27F; Dew Point: 18F; Wind: WSW at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.95 ins. Hg, rising
Visibility: 45 miles, visibility NW 40
6-hr Max temp: 29F
6-hr Min temp: 27F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
Snow depth: Trace
BHO SA 1155 E50 BKN 85 BKN 45 141/27/18/2509/995/ FEW CU DSNT E-S
FEW SCCAS DSNT ENE-E FEW SCSL SSW-NW SNW VIRGA E-ESE HAZY VSBY NW
40 SUN PILLAR/ 8/53/ 53014 10029 20027

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus/cumulus fractus W, few stratocumulus
distant W-N and ENE-ESE, hazy
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: W at 9G16 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.98 ins. Hg, rising
Visibility: 45 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 45 152/32/19/2609G16/998/ FEW CU/CUFRA W FEW SC
DSNT W-N AND ENE-ESE HAZY VSBY ENE-SE 50/ 8/500 53011

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus fibratus, few cumulus fractus vicinity
station, few stratocumulus all quadrants, light distant haze
Temperature: 36F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: W at 12G21 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.91 ins. Hg, falling then falling more slowly
Visibility: 60 miles, visibility WNW-NW 50
6-hr Max temp: 37F
6-hr Min temp: 27F
BHO SA 1755 250 SCT 60 127/36/19/2812G21/991/ FEW CUFRA VCNTY STN
FEW SC ALQDS LGT DSNT HZ VSBY WNW-NW 50/ 8/501 56025 10037 20027

SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2016 NEW YEAR’S DAY

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..37   NORMAL…..35
MIN…..29   NORMAL…..19
MEAN….33   NORMAL…..27

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL………………….+6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………….+6  [+6.0 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..32   DEPARTURE……….-6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..32   DEPARTURE……….-6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..1688   DEPARTURE……..-655
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……2100   DIFFERENCE…….-412

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….29   W AT 11:34 A.M.
ASOS……………………26   W AT 11:35 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..23   N AT 11:35 A.M. RMY 29
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………24 WNW AT 11:36 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………23 WNW AT 11:36 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..20 WNW AT 11:36 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….12.0   W
ASOS………………….11.5
DAVIS…………………10.4   W [279 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……….0.00  DEPARTURE……-0.15
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..0.00  DEPARTURE……-0.15
ASOS…………..0.00

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON……………1.3  DEPARTURE……-15.3

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER/JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/RMY 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

12/1  42/30/36/-1/0.16/0.0/000/00           19 NNE RMY 19
12/2  53/37/45/+9/0.20/0.0/000/00           25 SSE RMY 25
12/3  53/37/45/+9/0.01/0.0/162/29           43 WNW RMY 42
12/4  47/32/40/+5/0.00/0.0/444/80           32 NW  RMY 32
12/5  50/33/42/+7/0.00/0.0/548/99           21 W   RMY N/A
12/6  57/35/46/+11/0.00/0.0/531/96          22 SW  RMY N/A
12/7  54/37/46/+12/0.00/0.0/353/64          31 NE  RMY N/A
12/8  42/35/39/+5/0.01/0.0/000/00           32 NE  RMY 31
12/9  44/34/39/+5/…./0.0/044/08           28 SSE RMY N/A
12/10 57/41/49/+16/T/0.0/209/38             29 SE  RMY N/A
12/11 56/44/50/+17/0.00/0.0/049/09          28 SSW RMY 28
12/12 59/46/53/+20/0.00/0.0/367/67          23 W   RMY N/A
12/13 54/44/49/+17/0.00/0.0/000/00          18 ESE RMY 19
12/14 60/43/52/+20/…./0.0/000/00          32 S   RMY N/A
12/15 61/45/53/+21/…./0.0/371/68          48 W   RMY 51
12/16 45/34/40/+9/0.00/0.0/415/76           25 N   RMY N/A
12/17 53/36/45/+14/…./0.0/000/00          29 SE  RMY 28
12/18 50/35/43/+12/…./0.0/000/00          29 NW  RMY 30
12/19 38/30/34/+4/0.00/0.0/480/88           39 W   RMY 40
12/20 40/28/34/+4/0.00/0.0/491/90           24 W   RMY N/A
12/21 51/31/41/+11/T/0.0/000/00             38 SSW RMY 42
12/22 57/49/53/+24/0.28/0.0/000/00          35 SW  RMY 35
12/23 54/47/51/+22/…./0.0/000/00  *       30 E   RMY 27
12/24 67/48/58/+29/…./0.0/033/06          37 SSW RMY 39
12/25 64/52/58/+30/…./0.0/240/44          23 N   RMY N/A
12/26 53/40/47/+19/…./0.0/436/80          26 NNW RMY N/A
12/27 52/35/44/+16/…./0.0/000/00          36 NW  RMY 33
12/28 35/27/31/+3/T/T/355/65                33 NW  RMY 33
12/29 38/23/31/+4/…./1.3/000/00           35 ENE RMY 35
12/30 34/23/29/+2/…./T/000/00             17 SSE RMY N/A
12/31 44/32/38/+11/…./0.0/258/47  *       25 WNW RMY 25

* Temperature max, mean and departure corrected for 23rd,
and sunshine for the 31st corrected

1/1   37/29/33/+6/…./…/…/..           29 W   RMY 29

1/2 low since midnight is 27F; normal low is now 19F

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2015

**12/13/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 44F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 43F SET IN 1919, TIED 1983
**12/24/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 67F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 61F SET IN 2014
**12/24/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 48F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 46F SET IN 1900
**12/25/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 64F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 62F SET IN 1889
**12/25/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 52F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 46F SET IN 1964

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2
HIGH 62F IN 1890
LOW -7F IN 1899,1918
PRECIP 2.10 INS. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 9.0 INS. IN 1904
PEAK GUST 85e MPH S IN 1942

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 3
HIGH 64F IN 2000
LOW -4F IN 1904
PRECIP 1.93 INS. IN 1999
SNOW 11.3 INS. 1996
PEAK GUST 92 MPH S IN 1960

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Mike Iacono / Rob Millette