Tuesday, May 6, 2014

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

ANOTHER PLEASANT SPRING DAY

Clear skies and 80 miles of visibility have slowly
given way to developing cumulus by mid day.

Yesterday’s average temperature of 55F was just one degree above
the 30 year norm for that date. By yesterday afternoon some spotty
showers were forming and visible in the area, though only a
trace of precipitation was recorded at our station.

By 1:00 PM EST a trace of rain had been collected during a brief
rain shower that occurred just prior to the observation. Rain showers
and virga were visible in most directions under very dry conditions
with a temperature of 60F and a dew point of 32F.

APRIL 2014 PRELIMINARY STATISTICS

[Departures are relative to the 1981-2010 averages]

TEMPERATURE: Deg. F
Avg. Max. 55.9 [+0.2] Avg. Min. 37.5 [-0.2] Mean      46.7 [0.0] 24-hr. corrected mean: 46.1
Max. temp: 73 on the 14th
Min. temp: 28 on the 16th and 18th
Total heating degree day units: 544 [-7] Total seasonal heating units:  6,171  [+136] [Season starts 7/1] Seasonal total this date 2012: 5,522 [+649]

PRECIPITATION: Inches
Total: 4.00 [-0.55] Greatest in 24 hours: 1.22 inches on the 15th
Total snowfall: 0.8 inches
Greatest in 24 hours:  0.8 inches on the 16th

WIND
Av. speed (uncorrected): 13.6 mph
Av. speed (corrected):   13.9 mph
Prevailing direction: NW @ 13% possible

SUNSHINE
Total astronomical minutes: 11,946 of possible 24,094 or 50%
Total Campbell-Stokes card minutes; 11,508 of possible 23,250 or 49%

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Few stratocumulus distant S-WSW, few cirrocumulus
distant E, few dense cirrus distant in all directions
Temperature: 51F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: W at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.89 ins. Hg, rising steadily
Visibility: 80 miles
6-hr max temp: 51F
6-hr min temp: 42F
24-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1155 CLR 80 121/51/38/2907/989/ FEW SC DSNT S-WSW FEW CC DSNT E
FEW DNS CI DSNT ALQDS/ 8/504 52011 MANUAL 6000/ 10051 20042

10 A.M.
Weather: Few cumulus in all directions, few altocumulus
NE and SW, few cirrostratus distant in all directions
Temperature: 60F; Dew Point: 46F; Wind: NW at 10 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.88 ins. Hg, rising, then falling and lower
Visibility: 80 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 80 117/60/46/3110/988/ FEW CU ALQDS
FEW AC NE AND SW FEW CS DSNT ALQDS/ 8/135 58004

1 P.M.
Weather: Few cumulus in all directions, broken stratocumulus,
broken nimbostratus, showers distant ESE and SW, virga overhead
and in all directions
Temperature: 60F; Dew Point: 32F; Wind: estimated N at 6 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.86 ins. Hg, decreasing then increasing,
but still lower
Visibility: 70 miles, virga and showers in most directions
6-hr max temp: 63F
6-hr min temp: 50F
6-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1755 E70 BKN 90 BKN 70 111/60/32/E0106/986/ RWB22E30 SHWRS
DSNT ESE AND SW VIRGA DSNT OVHD AND ALQDS FEW CU ALQDS/
8/420 55006 ASOS 60001 MANUAL 6000/ 10063 20050

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MAY 5, 2014

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..64    NORMAL…..63
MIN…..46    NORMAL…..45
MEAN….55    NORMAL…..54

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………………..+1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………….+13 [+2.4 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..10  DEPARTURE……….-2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..45  DEPARTURE………-15
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..6216  DEPARTURE……..+110
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……5588  DIFFERENCE…….+628

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………30 NW   AT  9:17 A.M.
ASOS…………………..32 NW   AT  9:17 A.M.
DAVIS………………….30 WNW  AT  2:15 P.M.  RMY 32
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..22 NW   AT  9:18 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..23 NNW  AT  9:18 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….21 WNW  AT  3:44 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………14.3 NW
ASOS…………………13.4
DAVIS………………..12.3  NW [311 deg] * Last of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00  DEPARTURE………….-0.12
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….0.50  DEPARTURE………….-0.13
ASOS…………..0.51
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….19.62  DEPARTURE………….+0.44
ASOS………….20.04

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE……………0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.0  DEPARTURE……………0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..85.6  DEPARTURE………….+22.9

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR APRIL-MAY 2014 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system 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

4/1  48/31/40/-1/0.00/0.0/694/91          29 NNE AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/2  56/34/45/+4/0.00/0.0/452/59          22 WSW AERO 20 MPH WSW RMY N/A
4/3  55/36/46/+4/0.00/0.0/707/92          23 NNW AERO 22 MPH NW  RMY 25
4/4  47/35/41/-1/0.31/0.0/255/33          26 ESE AERO N/A        RMY 25
4/5  51/33/42/-1/0.19/0.0/186/24          39 WNW AERO N/A        RMY 40
4/6  58/29/44/+1/0.00/0.0/755/97          25 W   AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/7  59/44/52/+9/0.05/0.0/187/24          28 SSE AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/8  62/41/52/+8/0.61/0.0/016/02          45 W   AERO N/A        RMY 44
4/9  60/36/48/+4/0.00/0.0/707/90          35 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 36
4/10 57/33/45/0/0.00/0.0/742/94           38 S   AERO N/A        RMY 39
4/11 70/45/58/+13/T/0.0/111/14            32 S   AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/12 68/44/56/+11/0.00/0.0/699/88         28 W   AERO N/A        RMY 28
4/13 65/45/55/+10/0.04/0.0/215/27         35 S   AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/14 73/55/64/+18/0.00/0.0/296/37         55 SW  AERO N/A        RMY 62
4/15 66/38/52/+5/1.22/0.0/000/00          62 S   AERO N/A        RMY 68
4/16 43/28/36/-11/0.43/0.8/757/94         39 NNW AERO N/A        RMY 39
4/17 39/29/34/-13/T/T/566/70              35 NE  AERO N/A        RMY 34
4/18 42/28/35/-13/0.00/0.0/016/02         25 E   AERO N/A        RMY 25
4/19 62/35/49/1/0.00/0.0/732/90           31 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 32
4/20 52/36/44/-5/0.00/0.0/783/96          21 E   AERO N/A        RMY 22
4/21 67/36/52/+3/0.00/0.0/778/95          25 SSW AERO N/A        RMY 26
4/22 72/44/58/+9/0.07/0.0/427/52          32 S   AERO N/A        RMY 33
4/23 52/43/48/-2/0.27/0.0/0/0             47 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 47 TSTM
4/24 56/38/47/-3/0.00/0.0/810/98          52 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 54
4/25 64/39/52/+2/0.00/0.0/721/87          25 S   AERO N/A        RMY 25
4/26 44/39/42/-9/0.28/0.0/0/0             18 E   AERO N/A        RMY 18
4/27 46/38/42/-9/0.15/0.0/8/1             21 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 23
4/28 56/36/46/-6/T/0.0/326/39             31 ENE AERO N/A        RMY 33
4/29 42/38/40/-12/T/0.0/0/0               32 ENE AERO N/A        RMY 35
4/30 44/38/41/-11/0.37/0.0/0/0            25 ESE AERO N/A        RMY N/A

5/1  64/43/54/+1/0.49/0.0/…/..          32 SSE RMY 36
5/2  68/51/60/+7/T/0.0/…/..             28 W   RMY 29
5/3  66/48/57/+4/…./0.0/…/..          21 SW  RMY N/A
5/4  60/47/54/0/0.01/0.0/…/..           51 WNW RMY 54
5/5  64/46/55/+1/0.00/0.0/…/..          30 NW  RMY 32

5/6 morning low temp: 42F; the normal low is now 45F

DAILY RECORDS FOR APRIL 2014
4/14 – Minimum temperature of 55F EQUALS RECORD HIGH
MINIMUM FOR THIS DATE SET IN 1909.

DAILY RECORDS FOR MAY 2014
None so far.

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

RECORDS FOR MAY 6
HIGH 90F IN 1930
LOW 29F IN 1891
PRECIP 1.04 INCHES IN 1890
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1917,1996
PEAK GUST 65 MPH SSE IN 1989

RECORDS FOR MAY 7
HIGH 93F IN 1930
LOW 33F IN 1970
PRECIP 1.19 INCHES IN 2005
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1967
PEAK GUST 66e MPH WNW IN 1940

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald