Sign In Become a Member
Daily Discussions

Thursday, December 4, 2014

December 4, 2014

BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY THURSDAY, DECEMBER…

Agreement required — click “Accept & Continue” below to review and accept the Data Use & Privacy Policy

Access to this content requires acceptance of our Data Use & Privacy Policy.

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

COLDER TODAY WITH SUNSHINE THROUGH HIGH CLOUDS
WARM START TO DECEMBER AVERAGING 5 DEGREES ABOVE NORM

Sunshine was welcomed today after two overcast days and
just under a half inch of rainfall. There was also snow and
sleet as well as some light freezing rain during the
evening of December 2nd. There was really no way to know
how much solid precipitation may have accumulated here
at the summit as temperatures rose several degrees above
freezing later that night and it was melted before our
morning observation.

Today’s high temperature struggled to only 41 degrees
despite the sunshine. The air has dried out considerably
since yesterday with the dew point today down in
the lower 20’s.

Monthly statistics have pretty well been compiled below.
Please check our website at bluehillobservatory.org for the listing
below after this list is included for the final time
in tomorrow’s discussion.

NOVEMBER 2014 PRELIMINARY STATS
[Departures are relative to the 1981-2010 normal]

TEMPERATURE [deg. F]

Av. Max. 48.0 [-2.0] Av. Min. 32.2 [-1.3] Mean     40.1 [-1.6] 24-hour corr. mean: 40.3
Max. temp. for month: 66 on 5th
Min, temp. for month: 17 on 29th
Total heating degree day units: 737 [+39] Total seasonal heating   units: 1159 [-102]

PRECIPITATION [ins.] Total: 6.21 [+1.45] Greatest one calendar day: 1.77 [26th] Greatest in 24 hours: 1.81 [26-27th] Snow: 8.7 [+6.4] Total Season Snow: 8.7 [+6.1] Greatest one calendar day: 3.5 [14th] Greatest in 24 hours: 3.5 [13-14th]

WIND
Av. wind speed:       13.1 MPH
Av. corr. wind speed: 13.4 MPH
Prevailing direction: W @ 15%

SUNSHINE
Total astronomical minutes: 8114 of 17626 possible, or 46%
Total Campbell Stokes card minutes: 7818 of 17010 possible, or 46%

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, cirrus radiatus ESE-S,
patch lower cirrus SW
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: WSW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.23 ins. Hg, rising then more rapidly
Visibility: 35 miles, distant haze
6-hr max temp: 34F
6-hr min temp: 31F
24-hr precip: 0.08 in.
24-hr snowfall: none
BHO SA 1155 250 -SCT 35 238/32/21/2408/023/ CI ENE-SE-SW CI
RADIATUS ESE-S PTCH LWR CI SW DSNT HZ/ 8/001 53022 MANUAL 70008
ASOS 70010 10034 20031

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered dense cirrus, 2 layers thin broken cirrus
Temperature: 37F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: WSW at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.31 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 45 miles, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 220 SCT 250 -BKN 300 -BKN 45 265/37/21/2509/031/
PTCHS DNS CI ALQDS DSNT HZ/ 8/002 51027

1 P.M.
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, cirrus radiatus, thin broken
cirrus, cumulus and stratocumulus generated by cumulus to the
W-N-E (mostly distant)
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: NW at 11 kts,
Wind: Direction variability, WNW-N
Sea-level pressure: 30.30 ins. Hg, falling slightly
Visibility: 55 miles, distant haze
6-hr max temp: 41F
6-hr min temp: 31F
BHO SA 1755 250 -SCT 300 -BKN 55 260/41/21/3111/030/
CU/SCCG MSTLY DSNT W-N-E CI RADIATUS PRSNT WND 29V36/
8/401 58005 10041 20031

SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..49   NORMAL…..44
MIN…..34   NORMAL…..28
MEAN….42   NORMAL…..36

8DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….+6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………….+17 [+5.5 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..23  DEPARTURE………..-6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..69  DEPARTURE……….-18
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..1228  DEPARTURE………-120
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……1306  DIFFERENCE………-78

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………35 W   AT 10:17 P.M.
ASOS…………………..40 W   AT 10:18 P.M.
DAVIS………………….39 W   AT  7:20 P.M. RMY 43
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..29 WNW AT  9:26 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..30 WMW AT  9:26 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….29 W   AT  9:26 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION……………14.8 SSW
ASOS……………………14.8
DAVIS…………………..13.4 WSW (240 degrees)

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.08  DEPARTURE…..-0.09
ASOS…………..0.10
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….0.42  DEPARTURE…..-0.07
ASOS…………..0.46
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….48.18  DEPARTURE…..-0.84
ASOS………….48.65

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE……-0.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………..TRACE  DEPARTURE……-0.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON……………8.7  DEPARTURE……+5.3

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 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

11/1  45/36/41/-5/0.79/0.0/000/00              35 NNE RMY N/A
11/2  37/32/35/-11/0.29/1.8/000/00             46 NW  RMY 49
11/3  50/30/45/-6/0.00/0.0/584/95              39 WNW RMY 43
11/4  61/44/53/+8/0.00/0.0/208/34              28 SSW RMY 32
11/5  66/50/58/+13/0.00/0.0/006/01             29 SSW RMY N/A
11/6  52/45/49/+4/0.58/0.0/000/00              23 NE  RMY 24
11/7  46/34/40/-5/0.00/0.0/079/13              39 NW  RMY 42
11/8  47/30/39/-5/0.00/0.0/555/92              24 W   RMY 25
11/9  56/38/47/+3/0.00/0.0/204/34              23 SSW RMY N/A
11/10 58/40/49/+5/0.00/0.0/592/99              17 S   RMY 20
11/11 61/43/52/+9/0.00/0.0/358/60              22 S   RMY 25
11/12 59/40/50/+7/0.00/0.0/095/16              22 W   RMY 25
11/13 49/32/41/-2/0.08/T/450/76                21 NW  RMY N/A
11/14 41/27/34/-8/0.29/3.5/442/75              23 NW  RMY 27
11/15 37/24/31/-11/0.00/0.0/569/97             23 NW  RMY 23
11/16 39/26/33/-9/0.00/0.0/012/02              17 S   RMY 19
11/17 52/34/43/+2/1.67/0.0/000/00              29 ENE RMY 31
11/18 44/23/34/-7/0.00/0.0/494/85              33 W   RMY 39
11/19 35/19/27/-14/0.00/0.0/544/94             31 WSW RMY N/A
11/20 47/26/37/-3/0.00/0.0/542/94              35 WSW RMY 41
11/21 34/22/28/-12/0.00/0.0/569/99             31 WNW RMY 39
11/22 43/20/32/-8/0.00/0.0/350/61              32 SW  RMY 36
11/23 58/40/49/+10/0.00/0.0/365/64             26 SW  RMY N/A
11/24 63/43/53/+14/0.60/0.0/000/00             44 S   RMY 53
11/25 61/44/53/+14/0.00/0.0/023/04             28 SW  RMY 30
11/26 44/31/38/+0/1.77/1.0/000/00              41 NE  RMY 46
11/27 36/27/32/-6/0.08/0.9/057/10              29 N   RMY N/A
11/28 32/21/27/-11/0.06/1.5/175/31             29 WNW RMY 32
11/29 32/17/25/-12/0.00/0.0/455/81             17 S   RMY N/A
11/30 55/30/43/+6/0.00/0.0/386/69              32 SSW RMY 38

12/1  63/37/50/+13/0.01/0.0/…/..             28 WNW RMY 31
12/2  37/30/34/-2/…./T/000/00                26 E   RMY 29
12/3  49/34/42/+6/…./0.0/000/00              40 W   RMY 43

12/4 morning low temp: 31F since midnight; the normal low is now 28F

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2014:
None so far.

DAILY RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 2014:
11/2  – A NEW RECORD DAILY SNOWFALL: 1.8 INCHES;
surpasses the previous record of 0.2 ins. in 1906, 1951
11/14 – DAILY SNOWFALL RECORD EQUALED: 3.5 INCHES;
ties previous record on this date in 1997

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

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 4
HIGH 67 IN 1998
LOW -4 IN 1940
PRECIP 1.87 INS. IN 1968
SNOWFALL 6.0 INS. IN 1907
PEAK GUST 73 MPH WNW IN 1980

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 5
HIGH 65 IN 2001
LOW -1 IN 1926
PRECIP 2.86 INS. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 7.0 INS. IN 1926, 1981
PEAK GUST 67 MPH WNW IN 1961, S IN 1973

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling

Please follow and like us:
Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center · Legal

Data Use & Privacy Policy

Please read the full Policy before accessing Observatory data · Effective January 1, 2025

Notice: By accessing, downloading, or using any Blue Hill Observatory data or services, you unconditionally accept and agree to be bound by this Policy in its entirety. If you do not agree, you may not access or use Observatory data.
Effective January 1, 2025 · Milton, Massachusetts · bluehill.org
Part I — Data Use Policy
§ 01

Ownership and Proprietary Rights

All observational records, compiled datasets, metadata, database structures, and related materials provided by the Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center are the exclusive property of the Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center. The Observatory has maintained continuous weather observations at the summit of Great Blue Hill since 1885, and the entirety of that record — its compilation, structure, curation, and organization — constitutes a proprietary database protected under applicable United States law, including copyright law and common law database protections.

All rights not expressly granted in this Policy are reserved by the Observatory. No access to or use of Observatory data shall be construed as a waiver of any rights or as a license to use data beyond the scope expressly stated herein.

§ 02

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. For interactions with international users, this Policy shall apply to the maximum extent permitted by applicable local law.

Any dispute arising from or related to this Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. By accessing Observatory data, all users consent to personal jurisdiction in Massachusetts and waive any objection to the venue or inconvenience of such forum.

§ 03

Permitted Uses

Observatory data are made available for the following limited, non-commercial purposes only:

  • Personal study and analysis
  • Educational classroom use
  • Student projects
  • Non-commercial academic research
  • Publication of analyses, figures, models, or conclusions derived from the data, subject to the attribution requirements of Section 4

All other uses require prior written authorization from the Observatory.

§ 04

Attribution Requirement

Any use of Observatory data in any published, presented, or publicly distributed work must include the following verbatim acknowledgment:

“Data provided by the Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center, Milton, Massachusetts. Continuous weather observations since 1885.”

Failure to include proper attribution is a material violation of this Policy.

§ 05

Prohibited Uses

Unless explicitly authorized in writing, Users may not:

  • Resell, license, sublicense, or commercially exploit Observatory data in any form
  • Redistribute the dataset in whole or in part to any third party
  • Publish the dataset for download by third parties
  • Host, mirror, or archive the dataset on any external website, repository, or storage service
  • Upload the dataset to any public or institutional data repository
  • Provide the data through APIs, automated services, or subscription platforms
  • Incorporate the data into any commercial product, software, application, or service
  • Use the data for AI or machine learning systems intended for commercial use or external distribution
  • Use the data to create derivative datasets that enable reconstruction of the underlying observations
§ 06

Commercial Licensing

Organizations seeking to use Observatory data for commercial purposes must obtain a license prior to any such use. Licensing inquiries: data@bluehill.org.

§ 07

Automated Access

Automated scraping, bulk harvesting, or systematic downloading of Observatory data is strictly prohibited without prior written authorization.

§ 08

Enforcement and Remedies

Violation of this Policy may result in immediate revocation of data access, pursuit of legal remedies available under United States law, and referral to applicable authorities. The Observatory reserves all rights to seek injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys’ fees in connection with any unauthorized use of its data.

Part II — Privacy Policy
§ 09–10

Scope & Information Collected

This section governs the collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal information from visitors to the Blue Hill Observatory website and users of its data services. The Observatory may collect contact information (name, email, organization) when voluntarily submitted, usage data including IP addresses and pages visited, and data download records.

§ 11–12

How We Use Information & Retention

Information is used solely for: responding to inquiries and licensing requests; monitoring and enforcing compliance with this Policy; improving website performance; and communicating Observatory news to opted-in users. The Observatory does not sell, rent, or share personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. Data access records may be retained indefinitely for compliance and enforcement purposes.

§ 13

International Users and Data Transfers

The Observatory is located in the United States. International users acknowledge their information will be processed in the United States under U.S. law. Users requiring specific data processing agreements under non-US law must contact data@bluehill.org before accessing data.

§ 14–16

Cookies, Security & Children’s Privacy

The Observatory website may use cookies for analytics and functionality. By continuing to use the site, users consent to cookie use. The Observatory implements reasonable measures to protect personal information but cannot guarantee absolute security. Observatory data services are not directed at children under 13.

Part III — General Provisions
§ 17–20

Modifications, Severability, Entire Agreement & Contact

The Observatory reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time. Updated versions will be posted at bluehill.org. Continued use of Observatory data following any modification constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy. This Policy constitutes the entire agreement between the User and the Observatory. Questions and licensing inquiries: Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center, Milton, Massachusetts — data@bluehill.org

By accessing, downloading, or using any Blue Hill Observatory data or services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Policy.
Effective January 1, 2025 · Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center · Milton, Massachusetts