Saturday, February 7, 2015

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2015
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

WARMER TEMPERATURES THIS MORNING BEFORE SNOW MOVED
IN THIS AFTERNOON

Overcast skies have been in place for the day as
temperatures warmed up from yesterday’s bitter cold.
Snow began at 11:35 AM EST and, with the exception of
one small break, continued steadily until about 2:15 PM.
At that time, 0.4 inches of new snow was measured on
the snow boards.  Temperatures have climbed into the
mid 20’s, and snow is expected to continue sporadically
for the next several days.

PRELIMINARY STATS FOR JANUARY 2015

TEMPERATURE Deg. F
Av. Max: 30.8 [-3.0] Av. Min: 15.4 [-1.7] Mean: 23.1 [-2.4] Corrected Mean: 23.3
Max. for month: 51 on 4th
Min. for month: -5 on 8th

HEATING DEGREE DAY UNITS
Total: 1288 [+62]        (corrected from earlier reports)
Total for season: 3349 [-181]

PRECIPITATION, inches
Total: 5.17 [+0.82] Total snowfall: 42.9 [+25.8]

WIND:
Av. uncorrected wind speed: 13.8 MPH
Av.   corrected wind speed: 14.1 MPH
Prevailing wind direction: W at 18%

SUNSHINE:
Astronomical total minutes:   8193/17660 or 46%
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 7938/17130 or 46%

Top 10 Snowiest Januarys

1) 56.3 in 1948
2) 48.2 in 2011
3) 48.0 in 1904
4) 47.6 in 1996
5) 46.0 in 1966
6) 44.8 in 2005
7) 44.5 in 1923
8) 42.9 in 2015
9) 38.3 in 1987
10) 35.6 in 1978

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken Altocumulus, Overcast Altostratus, Breaks in
overcast NW-E
Temperature: 18F; Dew Point: 8F; Wind: WSW at 12 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 ins. Hg, increasing, then decreasing
Visibility: 25 miles
6-hr max temp: 18F
6-hr min temp: 14F
24-hr precip: 0.00
24 hr snowfall: 0.0
Snow depth: 24 inches
BHO SA 1155 E100 BKN 220 OVC 25 186/18/8/2512/008/ BINOVC NW-E HAZY/
8/071 4/023 50008 10018 20014

10 A.M.
Weather:  Overcast Altostratus with sun dimly visible, higher
clouds visible in the distance ENE-ESE with Snow Virga overhead
Temperature: 23F; Dew Point: 15F; Wind: W at 11 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.11 ins. Hg, increasing, then decreasing
Visibility: 30 miles
BHO SA 1455 E90 OVC 30 196/23/15/2711/011/ HIR CLDS VSBL DSNT ENE-ESE
SNW VIRGA OVHD-SW SUN DMLY VSBL HAZY/ 8/071 51010

1 P.M.
Weather: Sky partly obscured by light snow and fog, Broken Stratus and
Stratocumulus and Overcast Nimbostratus
Temperature: 25F; Dew Point: 24F; Wind: WSW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.04 ins. decreasing steadily
Visibility: 1 mile, visibility variable 3/4 to 1 and 1/4
6 Hr precip: 0.01 in
6 Hr Snowfall: 0.1 in
BHO SA 1755 -X E15 BKN 25 OVC 1VS-F 174/25/24/2008/004/ SF1 VSBY
3/4V11/4 TOTAL NEW SNW PST 3 HRS 0.1 IN/ 8/52/ 58022 10025 20018

SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2015

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..19   NORMAL…..35
MIN…..-2   NORMAL…..18
MEAN…..9   NORMAL…..26

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL………………………-17
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………………-55 [-9.4 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..56  DEPARTURE……….+17
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….289  DEPARTURE……….+55
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..3638  DEPARTURE………-127
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……3724  DIFFERENCE………-86

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………28 NW     AT 12:35 A.M.
ASOS…………………..28 NW     AT 12:36 A.M.
DAVIS………………….25  N     AT  3:38 A.M. RMY 27
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..18 NW     AT  1:01 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..20 NW     AT  1:01 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….18 SW     AT 11:09 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………12.4 WSW
ASOS…………………12.6
DAVIS………………..10.9 W [273 degrees] * last of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00  DEPARTURE…..-0.13
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….1.68  DEPARTURE…..+0.87
ASOS…………..1.78
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..6.85  DEPARTURE…..+1.82
ASOS…………..7.24

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE……-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………20.0  DEPARTURE…..+17.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..73.9  DEPARTURE…..+37.8

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY 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

1/1  31/18/25/-2/0.00/0.0/544/99              29 SSW RMY 30
1/2  37/26/32/+5/0.00/0.0/314/57              35 WSW RMY 38
1/3  34/21/28/+2/0.67/2.5/017/03              25 SE  RMY 26
1/4  51/33/42/+16/0.48/0.0/000/00             30 SSW RMY N/A
1/5  46/13/30/+4/0.00/0.0/542/98              48 W   RMY 54
1/6  15/10/13/-13/0.02/0.4/000/00             29 W   RMY N/A
1/7  22/01/12/-14/0.01/0.3/383/69             43 WNW RMY 47
1/8  16/-5/6/-20/0.00/0.0/539/97              39 WNW RMY N/A
1/9  27/16/22/-4/0.08/0.9/201/36              35 WSW RMY 38
1/10 22/11/17/-8/0.00/0.0/541/97              26 WNW RMY 27
1/11 31/9/20/-5/45/0.00/0.0/123/22            26 SSW RMY N/A
1/12 36/31/34/+9/0.23/T/000/00                29 NNW RMY N/A
1/13 33/11/22/-3/0.00/0.0/524/93              30 NNW RMY 29
1/14 22/11/17/-8/T/T/000/00                   18 NNW RMY 16
1/15 27/20/24/-1/0.09/0.8/000/00              20 WSW RMY 22
1/16 35/12/24/-1/T/T/341/60                   46 WSW RMY 50
1/17 21/5/13/-12/0.00/0.0/558/98              30 WNW RMY N/A
1/18 50/19/35/+10/0.16/0.0/000/00             47 SE  RMY 52
1/19 44/28/36/+11/T/0.0/304/53                33 W   RMY 36
1/20 36/23/30/+5/0.00/0.0/495/86              28 W   RMY 28
1/21 30/17/24/-1/0.00/0.0/358/62              21 WNW RMY N/A
1/22 36/25/31/+6/T/T/197/34                   20 WNW RMY 20
1/23 36/18/27/+2/0.00/0.0/569/98              25 SSW RMY 26
1/24 32/27/30/+5/0.86/5.0/000/00              24 SSW RMY N/A
1/25 34/17/26/+1/0.00/0.0/426/73              31 W   RMY 33
1/26 26/9/18/-7/0.50/5.6/070/12               45 N   RMY N/A
1/27 17/10/14/-11/1.94/25.2/000/00            51 N   RMY 52
1/28 22/8/15/-10/T/T/278/47                   30 NW  RMY N/A
1/29 33/11/22/-3/0.00/0.0/546/92              18 NW  RMY N/A
1/30 32/15/24/-2/0.09/1.2/000/00  *           45 NW  RMY 49
1/31 21/7/14/-12/0.04/1.0/323/54  *           52 NW  RMY 57

* Precipitation and snowfall corrected for 30th and 31st
* Mean temperature and departure corrected for the 31st

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 morning low temp: 14F since midnight, normal low is now 18

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2015

– NEW DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL FOR 27 JANUARY 2015
SNOWFALL 25.2 INS. IN 2015, surpasses previous record
11.7 inches in 2011

– NEW DAILY SNOWFALL RECORD FOR THE MONTH, 25.2 INS.
surpasses previous record of 19.0 inches on 20 January 1978

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 7
HIGH 51F IN 1951,1953
LOW -8F IN 1910
PRECIP 2.12 INS. IN 1983
SNOWFALL 17.1 INS. IN 1978 [BLIZZARD OF 1978] PEAK GUST 87e MPH SSE IN 1951

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 8
HIGH 60F IN 1933
LOW -9F IN 1934
PRECIP 2.50 INS. IN 1945
SNOWFALL 16.1 INS. IN 2013
PEAK GUST 63e MPH NE IN 1945, 2013

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