Monday, December 16, 2013

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

PLEASE NOTE!
SNOWSTORM TOTAL OF 5.9 INS. IS UNDER REVIEW
AND IS LIKELY TO BE PROJECTED UPWARDS TO
SOMETHING LIKE 6.6 INS DUE TO RAIN AND MELTING
TEMPS. BEFORE WE COULD GET HERE TO MEASURE SUNDAY
MORNING.

MODERATING TEMPERATURES AS STORM PULLS AWAY
BUT ANOTHER SHOT OF COLD AIR TO FOLLOW TODAY

Mostly cloudy skies last night kept temperatures from falling
much from the daytime readings in the 20’s after the morning
flash freeze and last night’s low was only 21 degrees.
Today’s highs are only in the 20’s and dew points fall into
the single as a new Arctic air mass begins to arrive

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus, stratocumulus distant offshore NE-E,
few altocumulus/altocumulus lenticularis/cirrus, cirrocumulus
to the distant SE-S
Temperature: 21F; Dew Point: 16F; Wind: W at 11 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 ins. Hg, rising then more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles, light distant haze
6-hr. min temp: 21F
24-hr precip: 0.10 inch
24-hr snowfall: none
Snow depth: 7 inches
BHO SA 1155 CLR 50 116/21/16/2611/987/ FEW SC/CU DSNT OFFSHR NE-SE
FEW AC/ACSL/CI DSNT SE-S RCDNG/ LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/541 4/007 51027
ASOS 70011 MANUAL 70010 10025 20021

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrocumulus lenticularis, few cumulus/
stratocumulus distant offshore, layer of cirrocumulus lenticularis
E-SW
Temperature: 24F; Dew Point: 9F; Wind: W at 13 kts,
Wind: Peak wind from W at 31 kts and 9:12 a.m.
Wind: Gust to 23 kts past hour
Sea-level pressure: 29.95 ins. Hg, falling then more slowly
Visibility: 60 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 220 SCT 60 143/24/9/2813/995/ FEW SC/CU DSNT OFFSHR
NE-E CI/CCSL E-SW GST 23 KTS PST HR PK WND 2731/12/ 8/809
51027

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, stratocumulus generated by spreading
out of cumulus
Temperature: 26F; Dew Point: 5F; Wind: W at 14 kts,
Wind: Gust to 24 kts past hour
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze
6-hr max. temp. 26F
BHO SA 1755 45 SCT 220 SCT 75 145/26/5/2714/996/ CUSCCUG ALQDS
CI DSNT SE-SSE WND GST 24 KTS PST HR WND 23V29/ 8/401 53002
10026 20021

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2013

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..36    NORMAL…..40
MIN…..21    NORMAL…..24
MEAN….29    NORMAL…..32

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL………………….-3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………-41 [-2.9 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..36  DEPARTURE………+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….505  DEPARTURE……..+29
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..1729  DEPARTURE………+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……1525  DIFFERENCE……+204

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………48 NE  AT  7:37 A.M.
AERO…………………..50 NE  AT  7:37 A.M.
ASOS…………………..52 NE  AT  7:37 A.M.
DAVIS………………….47 NNE AT  7:37 A.M. RMY 51
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..38 NE  AT  7:39 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..37 NE  AT  7:39 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….36 NNE AT  7:39 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………19.9 W
ASOS…………………19.3
DAVIS………………..16.9 N  [360 degrees]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.10  DEPARTURE………….-0.06
ASOS…………..0.11
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….2.72  DEPARTURE………….+0.26
ASOS…………..2.72
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….49.32  DEPARTURE………….-1.67
ASOS…………..N/A**
** ASOS malfunctioned during storm on 2/8-9, leading to erroneous totals

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…….0.0     DEPARTURE………….-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH………….8.6     DEPARTURE………….+3.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………8.8     DEPARTURE………….+0.9

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 2013 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:  RMY = R.M. Young wind gust recording system added 8/9/2011
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized

12/1  45/30/38/+1/0.28/T/000/00           22 SSE AERO 23 MPH SSE RMY 23
12/2  38/34/36/0/T/0.0/000/00             15 NW  AERO 15 MPH NW  RMY 16
12/3  45/32/39/+3/0.00/0.0/284/51         18 NNW AERO 18 MPH NNW RMY 20
12/4  43/29/36/+1/0.00/0.0/389/70         21 WNW AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY 21
12/5  53/38/46/+11/0.02/0.0/000/00        36 S   AERO 40 MPH S   RMY 39
12/6  55/33/44/+9/0.38/T/000/00           25 SSW AERO 28 MPH SSW RMY N/A
12/7  40/26/33/-1/0.12/T/287/52           23 NW  AERO 25 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/8  30/22/26/-8/T/T/039/07              25 NW  AERO 27 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/9  41/25/33/-1/0.35/0.6/000/00         28 E   AERO 28 MPH E   RMY 24
12/10 33/21/27/-6/0.14/2.1/000/00         28 W   AERO 28 MPH W   RMY 28
12/11 28/19/24/-9/0.00/0.0/345/63         27 SW  AERO 28 MPH SW  RMY 27
12/12 23/14/19/-14/0.00/0.0/…/..        28 WNW AERO 31 MPH NW  RMY 30
12/13 28/14/21/-11/0.00/0.0/…/..        31 W   AERO 32 MPH W   RMY 33
12/14 28/9/19/-13/…./../000/00          30 E   AERO 26 MPH E   RMY N/A
12/15 36/21/29/-3/…./../…/..          48 NE  AERO 50 MPH NE  RMY 51

12/16 morning low temp: 21F; the normal low is now 24F

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2013
None so far.

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

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 16
HIGH 61 IN 1971
LOW -2 IN 1930
PRE 1.67 INS. IN 1960
SNOW 8.5 INS. IN 2007
WIND 73 MPH SSE IN 1982

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 17
HIGH 63 IN 2000
LOW -10 IN 1942
PRECIP 3.03 INS. IN 1888
SNOWFALL 7.5 INS. IN 1988
PEAK GUST 78 MPH SSE IN 2000

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling