Friday, October 3, 2014

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

THREE-DAY NOR’EASTER RAINFALL TOTAL 2.04 INCHES
NO SUNSHINE IN OCTOBER YET, 67% WAS WELL ABOVE
OUR SEPTEMBER NORMAL

The rainfall total for the 3-day rain event is
2.04 inches; 0.12 in. fell on September 30 and
1.92 inches on the first 2 days of October.

After a very sunny month of September with 67%
of the possible bright sunshine (August had 70%)
there has been no sunshine into early afternoon
this month right into today, October 3.

SEPTEMBER OFFICIALLY CAME TO A CLOSE AS THE
DRIEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD A BLUE HILL OBSERVATORY,
SURPASSING A 100 YEAR OLD RECORD

On the last day of September 0.12 inches of new rain fell
prior to midnight completing the month with 0.41 inches
of precipitation, breaking a new record as the driest
September since records began in 1886. The old record of
0.45 inches was set 100 years ago in 1914. September of
2014 now ranks as the 8th driest of any month since records
began:

BHO Driest Septembers, inches (1886-2014)

1) 0.41 in 2014
2) 0.45 in 1914
3) 0.62 in 1948
4) 0.69 in 1980
5) 0.72 in 1930
6) 0.74 in 1915

BHO Driest Months, inches (1886-2014)

1) 0.06 in March, 1915
2) 0.13 in July, 1952
3) 0.14 in June, 1999
4) 0.22 in October, 1924
5) 0.31 in March, 2006
6) 0.33 in July, 1957
7) 0.39 in October, 1994
8) 0.41 in September, 2014
9) 0.45 in September, 1914
10) 0.50 in May, 1944
0.50 in October, 1946

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

TEMPERATURE [deg. F] Av. Max. 74.4 [+2.8] Av. Min. 55.6 [+1.0] Mean     65.0 [+1.9] 24-hour corr. mean: 64.4
Max. temp. for month: 91 on 2nd
Min, temp. for month: 43 on 19th
Total heating degree day units: 99 [-18] Total seasonal heating   units: 101 [-41] Total cooling degree day units: 108 [+48] Total seasonal cooling   units: 587 [-10]

PRECIPITATION [ins.] Total: 0.41 Departure of -3.65
Greatest one calendar day: 0.17 [on the 13th] Greatest in 24 hours 0.17 [on the 13th] Annual Precipitation as of 9/30 at Midnight: 31.59
Annual Precipitation Departure: -7.49

WIND
Av. wind speed:       9.9  MPH
Av. corr. wind speed: 10.2 MPH
Prevailing direction: WNW @ 11%

SUNSHINE
Total astronomical minutes: 14988/22440 or 67%
Total Campbell Stokes card minutes: 14400/21582 or 67%

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus, few fractus drifting below the
summit SW-NW, and over summits 3 miles E, break in overcast
SW-NW, few thin spots in overcast overhead
Temperature: 47F; Dew Point: 47F; Wind: N at 9 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, steady
Visibility: 8 miles, N 10 miles, E 4 miles, SE 5 miles, thin
fog all quadrants
6-hr max temp: 48F
6-hr min temp: 46F
24-hr precip: 0.04 in.
BHO SA 1155 E5 OVC 8 194/47/47/3609/010/ BINOVC SW-NW
FEW STFRA DRFTG BLO SMT SW-NW DRFTG OVR SMTS E
FEW THN SPTS IOVC OVHD THN  FG ALQDS VSBY N 10 E 4 SE 5/
8/6// 55001 MANUAL 70004 ASOS 70003 10048 20046

10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus, stratocumulus, bright spots in
the overcast
Temperature: 53F; Dew Point: 50F; Wind: NNE at 6 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 ins. Hg, falling slightly
Visibility: 15 miles, thin fog and hazy, WBW 20 miles
3-hr precip: none
BHO SA 1455 E8 OVC 15 191/53/50/0306/009/ BRGHT SPTS IOVC
THN FGHZ VSBY WNW 20/ 8/5// 58003

1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus, bright spots in overcast
Temperature: 54F; Dew Point: 50F; Wind: ENE at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.15 ins. Hg, falling slightly
Visibility: 15 miles, except 20 miles WNW, hazy
6-hr max temp: 54F
6-hr min temp: 47F
6-hr precip: none
BHO SA 1755 E11 OVC 15 176/54/50/0608/005/ BRGHT SPTS IOVC
HAZY/ 8/6// 58015 10054 20047

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..55    NORMAL…..65
MIN…..47    NORMAL…..48
MEAN….51    NORMAL…..57

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….-6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………….-7 [-3.3 DEGREES/DAY]

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………0  DEPARTURE…………0
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….108  DEPARTURE………..-1
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………587  DEPARTURE……….-11
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….698  DIFFERENCE……..-111

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..14  DEPARTURE………..+5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..23  DEPARTURE………..+6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………124  DEPARTURE……….-35
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….148  DIFFERENCE………-24

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………30 NE  AT  4:58 A.M.
ASOS…………………..33 NE  AT  4:58 A.M.
DAVIS………………….30 NE  AT  4:58 A.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..N/A
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..21 NE  AT  4:58 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….20 NNE AT  4:58 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………12.5 NNE
ASOS…………………12.1
DAVIS………………..11.2 NNE (030 degrees)
* last of several occurrences

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.04  DEPARTURE……..-0.11
ASOS…………..0.03
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….1.92  DEPARTURE……..+1.62
ASOS…………..1.94
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..N/A   DEPARTURE……….N/A
ASOS…………. N/A

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 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

9/1  88/69/79/+11/0.00/710/90             16 W   RMY 19
9/2  91/70/81/+13/0.00/495/63             24 S   RMY 27 TSTM
9/3  83/67/75/+8/0.00/681/87              24 NW  RMY 27
9/4  86/61/74/+7/0.00/758/97              20 SW  RMY 22
9/5  89/66/78/+11/0.00/731/94             25 SSW RMY 29
9/6  90/67/79/+12/T/481/62                33 SSW RMY 36 TSTM
9/7  77/62/70/+4/0.03/687/89              26 NW  RMY N/A
9/8  74/57/66/+0/0.00/601/78              25 ENE RMY 25
9/9  71/59/65/-1/0.00/384/50              23 ENE RMY 23
9/10 71/58/65/0/0.00/329/43               20 NE  RMY 20
9/11 78/60/69/+4/0.00/099/13              31 SW  RMY 35
9/12 72/51/62/-3/0.00/735/97              25 NNW RMY 22
9/13 67/50/59/-5/0.17/159/21              23 E   RMY 24
9/14 66/47/57/-7/0.00/685/91              25 NW  RMY 24
9/15 67/43/55/-9/0.00/698/93              17 W   RMY 18
9/16 66/52/59/-4/T/030/04                 16 SW  RMY 16
9/17 72/50/61/-2/0.00/722/98              16 NW  RMY 17
9/18 74/52/63/+1/0.00/578/78              21 N   RMY 23
9/19 56/43/50/-12/0.00/702/95             21 NE  RMY 23
9/20 71/45/58/-4/T/515/70                 29 S   RMY 30
9/21 80/61/71/+10/0.06/176/24             26 SSE RMY 27
9/22 72/48/60/-1/0.00/701/96              33 W   RMY 35
9/23 70/44/57/-3/0.00/712/98              20 W   RMY 20
9/24 69/52/61/+1/0.00/543/75              21 NE  RMY 21
9/25 59/52/56/-4/0.00/000/00              20 NE  RMY 19
9/26 73/52/63/+4/0.00/661/92              19 NNE RMY 19
9/27 84/58/71/+12/0.00/695/97             17 NNW RMY N/A
9/28 86/63/75/+17/0.00/635/89             17 SW  RMY 18
9/29 75/55/65/+7/0.03/085/12              25 NE  RMY 26
9/30 56/54/55/-3/0.12/000/00              24 NNE RMY N/A

10/1 56/55/56/-1/N/A/000/00               33 NE  RMY 36
10/2 55/47/51/-6/N/A/000/00               30 NE  RMY N/A

10 3 morning low temp: 46F since midnight; normal low now 48F

DAILY RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 2014:
9/27 – Maximum temperature of 84F;
equaled record high maximum set in 1998
9/28 – Maximum temperature of 86F;
surpassed record high maximum of 82F set in 1959

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

RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 3
HIGH 82F IN 1922
LOW 28F IN 1899
PRECIP 1.76 INCHES IN 1979
PEAK GUST 62 MPH WNW IN 1964

RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 4
HIGH 84F IN 2007
LOW 28F IN 1888
PRECIP 1.87 INCHES IN 2011
PEAK GUST 59 MPH SSW IN 1990

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling