Saturday, February 21, 2015

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2015
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

CLEAR, COLD CONDITIONS GIVE WAY TO NEXT ROUND
OF PRECIPITATION, BEST CHANCE FOR ABOVE FREEZING
TEMPS SINCE FEB 5TH

Yesterday’s max of 15F and min of 0F, averaging 8F,
marks the 26th consecutive day of below normal
temperatures. This is the longest such streak since
December 1989. Yesterday’s departure was 21 degrees below
the norm, adding to a monthly departure that has been
averaging 12 degrees below normal.

Clear skies at this morning’s 7:00 AM EST observation
were quickly overspread by altocumulus, with temperatures
and humidity on the increase. An overnight low of 3F,
recorded at 4:00 AM EST quickly increased to 19F by
the 10:00 AM EST observation.

Snow for the season now totals 131.4 inches, placing
this season at Blue Hill firmly in third place
on the list of snowiest seasons. February 2015 is also
the snowiest February on record, as well as the
snowiest month on record. This latest storm has also
made it onto the list of single greatest storm totals
in February and all time. See below:

BHO Greatest Snowstorms, inches (1885-2015):

1) 38.7 on 24-28 Feb, 1969
2) 30.8 on 26-28 Jan, 2015
3) 30.3 on 3-5 Mar, 1960
4) 30.1 on 6-7 Feb, 1978
5) 30.0 on 31 Mar – 1 Apr, 1997
6) 29.8 on 6-8 Mar, 2013
7) 27.7 on 7-10 Feb, 2015
8) 26.6 on 8-9 Feb, 2013
9) 24.7 on 17-18 Feb, 2003
10) 24.3 on 5-7 Dec, 2003
11) 23.0 on 5-7 Mar, 2001
12) 22.2 on 16-17 Feb, 1958
13) 21.6 on 14-15 Feb, 2015
14) 21.0 on 9-10 Feb, 1969

BHO Greatest February Snowstorms, inches (1885-2015):

1) 38.7 on 24-28 Feb, 1969
2) 30.1 on 6-7 Feb, 1978
3) 27.7 on 7-10 Feb, 2015
4) 26.6 on 8-9 Feb, 2013
5) 24.7 on 17-18 Feb, 2003
6) 22.2 on 16-17 Feb, 1958
7) 21.6 on 14-15 Feb, 2015
8) 21.0 on 9-10 Feb, 1969

BHO Snowiest February, inches (1885-2015):

1) 77.5 in 2015 (through Feb 21 at 10:00 AM EST)
2) 65.4 in 1969
3) 51.3 in 2003
4) 45.2 in 1967
5) 40.4 in 1920
6) 39.7 in 2013
7) 37.0 in 1893

BHO Snowiest January-February, inches (1886-2015):

1) 120.4 in 2015 (through Feb 21 at 10:00 AM EST)
2) 77.9 in 1948
3) 70.2 in 2005
4) 68.7 in 1904
5) 67.5 in 1920
6) 66.9 in 1994

BHO Greatest Snow Depth, inches (1895-2015):
1) 46 in February 2015
2) 43 in March 1969
3) 42 in January 1948
4) 41 in February 1969
5) 39 in February 1948
6) 38 in February 1920
7) 33 in February 1978
33 in January 1996
9) 31 in February 2003
31 in February 2011
11)30 in March 1960
30 in March 1978

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few altocumulus distant SW-NNE,
few cirrostratus distant S-NNW
Temperature: 7F; Dew Point: -9F; Wind: S at 11 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.51 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 40 miles, light distant haze
6-hr max temp: 7F
6-hr min temp: 3F
24-hr precip: none
24 hr snowfall: none
Snow depth: 40 inches
BHO SA 1155 CLR 40 333/7/-9/1911/051/ FEW AC DSNT SW-NNW FEW CS
DSNT S-NNW LGT DSNT HZ ALQDS/ 8/055 4/040 51009 10007 20003

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus
Temperature: 19F; Dew Point: 6F; Wind: SSW at 11G24 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.53 ins. Hg, rising, then falling
Visibility: 35 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 E150 BKN 35 337/19/6/2116G24/053/ LGT DSNT HZ ALQDS/
8/030 50004

SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..15   NORMAL…..38
MIN……0   NORMAL…..20
MEAN…..8   NORMAL…..29

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL………………………-21
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………..-232 [-11.8 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..57 DEPARTURE……….+21
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….987 DEPARTURE………+230
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..4335 DEPARTURE……….+48
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4287 DIFFERENCE………+36

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………38 W   AT 12:03 A.M.
ASOS…………………..39 W   AT 12:03 A.M.
DAVIS………………….39 WNW AT 9:40 A.M. RMY 40
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..30 WNW AT 2:51 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..29 W   AT 2:51 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….26 WNW AT 9:40 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….19.1 W
ASOS………………….18.5
DAVIS…………………16.6 W [283 degrees] * last of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00 DEPARTURE…..-0.15
ASOS……………N/A ***
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….5.66 DEPARTURE…..+2.89
ASOS……………N/A ***
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….10.87 DEPARTURE…..+3.84
ASOS……………N/A ***
*** ASOS February and annual totals not available due to erroneous readings
on February 9-10th and 14-15th

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0 DEPARTURE……-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………77.5 DEPARTURE…..+67.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON………….131.4 DEPARTURE…..+88.4

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOWFALL/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

2/1 28/8/18/-8/0.00/0.0/…/..               29 WNW RMY N/A
2/2 29/8/19/-7/1.53/16.5/000/00              44 NE RMY 46
2/3 21/0/11/-15/0.00/0.0/…/..              31 NW RMY N/A
2/4 36/14/25/-1/0.00/0.0/…/..              31 S   RMY 33
2/5 34/4/19/-7/0.15/3.5/…/..               38 NW RMY 39
2/6 19/-2/9/-17/0.00/0.0/…/..              28 NW RMY 27
2/7 25/14/20/-7/…./…/…/..              25 WSW RMY N/A
2/8 29/11/20/-7/…./…/000/00              30 NNE RMY 29
2/9 19/12/16/-11/…./…/000/00             29 N   RMY 28
2/10 28/12/20/-7/…./…/…/..              29 N   RMY 29
2/11 24/15/20/-7/0.03/1.4/…/..              30 N   RMY 29
2/12 28/14/21/-6/0.02/0.6/…/..              31 NW RMY N/A
2/13 20/2/11/-17/0.00/0.0/…/..              35 NW RMY 35
2/14 26/1/14/-14/…./…/…/..              24 NW RMY N/A
2/15 18/-6/6/-22/…./…/…/..              53 NW RMY 59
2/16 17/-8/5/-23/0.00/0.0/…/..              43 NW RMY N/A
2/17 21/5/13/-15/0.12/2.0/…/..              18 NW RMY 16
2/18 28/15/22/-7/…./…/…/..              17 W   RMY N/A
2/19 26/6/16/-13/0.02/0.3/…/..              40 W   RMY 43
2/20 15/0/8/-21/0.00/0.0/…/..               38 W   RMY 40