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BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2015 PRESIDENTS DAY
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
SNOW ENDS, BITTER COLD AND GUSTY WINDS BRING
WIND CHILLS DOWN INTO THE -30S
Snow came to end late yesterday morning as winds
began to increase. A peak gust of 53 MPH from
the NW came at 4:30 PM EST, as winds continued
to gust steadily into the 40-50 MPH range. The
fastest mile was 42 MPH, occurring at the same
time as the peak gust.
Overnight into early this morning temperatures
dipped into the lower single digits below
zero, with -8F recorded as our lowest temperature.
Drifting and blowing snow has created massive
drifts of snow throughout the summit, with blowing
snow being observed below the summit in neighboring
towns and across open spaces.
Snow surveys conducted yesterday in different sites across
the summit of Great Blue Hill have indicated an
average snow depth of 46 inches, which is now the
greatest snow depth ever measured in our 130 year
existence. This record beats out the old record of
43 inches set back in March of 1969 during another
epic winter.
Snow for the season now totals 125.2, placing
this season at Blue Hill firmly in third place
for the snowiest season on record. Following today’s
storm, 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) 71.3 in 2015 (through Feb 16 at 1:00 PM 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) 114.2 in 2015 (through Feb 16 at 1:00 PM 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 stratocumulus distant offshore NE-SE,
few altocumulus distant N-NE, drifting snow in all directions
Temperature: -4F; Dew Point: -16F; Wind: WNW at 21G29 kts,
Peak Wind: 31 kts WNW @ 6:07 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.89 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 80 miles
6-hr max temp: -4F
6-hr min temp: -8F
24-hr precip: 0.21 inches
24 hr snowfall: 2.5 inches
Snow depth: 45 inches
BHO SA 1155 CLR 80 121/-4/-16/3021G29/989/ FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-SE
FEW AC DSNT N-NE DRFTG SNW ALQDS NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 2.5 INS PK WND
3031/07/ 8/530 4/045 53024 ASOS 60180 70223 MANUAL 70021 11004 21008
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cirrus distant S-WSW, drifting snow
in all directions, blowing snow below summit SE
Temperature: 6F; Dew Point: -14F; Wind: WNW at 19G28 kts
Peak Wind: 31 knots WNW @ 9:39 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.92 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 80 miles
3-hr precip: None
3-hr snowfall: None
BHO SA 1455 CLR 80 132/6/-14/3019G28/992/ FEW CI DSNT S-WSW DRFTG SNW
ALQDS BLSN BLO SMT SE PK WND 3031/39/ 8/005 51011
SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2015
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..18 NORMAL…..37
MIN…..-6 NORMAL…..19
MEAN…..6 NORMAL…..28
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL………………………-22
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………..-153 [-10.4 DEGREES/DAY]
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..59 DEPARTURE……….+22
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….726 DEPARTURE………+152
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..4074 DEPARTURE……….-31
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4105 DIFFERENCE………-31
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………53 NW AT 4:30 P.M.
ASOS………………….. MISSING **
DAVIS………………….56 NW AT 4:30 P.M. RMY 59
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..42 NNW AT 4:31 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE…………….. MISSING **
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….37 NNW AT 4:31 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………24.0 NNW
ASOS………………… MISSING **
DAVIS………………..19.9 NNW [329 degrees]
* last of several occurrences…
**ASOS SENSOR CURRENTLY DOWN
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.21 DEPARTURE…..+0.06
ASOS…………..N/A ***
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….5.47 DEPARTURE…..+3.40
ASOS……………N/A ***
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….10.64 DEPARTURE…..+4.35
ASOS……………N/A ***
*** ASOS February and annual totals not available due to erroneous readings
on February 9-10th.
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….2.5 DEPARTURE……+2.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………71.3 DEPARTURE…..+63.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON………….125.2 DEPARTURE…..+84.7
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 morning low temp: -8F since midnight, normal low is now 19
DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2015
– NEW DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL FOR 2 FEBRUARY 2015
SNOWFALL 16.5 INS. surpasses previous record:
5.5 ins. in 1916, 1934
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 16
HIGH 62F IN 1954
LOW -16F IN 1943
PRECIP 1.91 INCHES IN 1958
SNOWFALL 18.6 INCHES IN 1958
PEAK GUST 78 MPH W IN 1967
RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 17
HIGH 61F IN 1981
LOW -16F IN 1896
PRECIP 1.86 INCHES IN 2003
SNOWFALL 20.0 INCHES IN 2003
PEAK GUST 72 MPH NW IN 1968
TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald
