Thursday, October 24, 2013

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

CLOUDS INCREASED AND THICKENED YESTERDAY BUT AREA OF PRECIPITATION
PASSED EASTWARD TO OUR SOUTH SO NOT EVEN A TRACE FELL HERE…
THE RECENTLY ENDED 26-DAY PERIOD OF AT OR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES
HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE THE LONGEST SINCE AT LEAST THE YEAR 2000…
COLDER AND DRIER AIR ARRIVING ON GUSTY WINDS TODAY
DEW POINT TEMPERATURES FALL INTO THE MID 20’S

Skies became overcast yesterday morning but no precipitation
as an area of rain skirted to our south. Cooler and much
drier air has arrived today with west winds gusting to around
30 MPH at times.  Skies have been clear this morning but
cumulus clouds have formed and are scattered throughout the
sky this afternoon.  The air has become much drier with the
dew points falling to the 20’s, the lowest of the season
to date while temperatures have risen into the low 50’s.
Relative humidity values are falling through the 30% range.

The precipitation total for the month of 0.98 inch is now
2.5 inches drier than normal.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, cumulus/stratocumulus distant NE-ESE offshore,
few stratocumulus distant WNW along horizon
Temperature: 37F; Dew Point: 32F; Wind: W at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.78 ins. Hg, falling then rising slightly
Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze
6-hr min temp: 36F
BHO SA 1155 CLR 75 085/37/32/2710/978/ SC/CU DSNT NE-ESE OFFSHR
FEW SC DSNT WNW ALG HRZN/ 8/800 51024 10043 20036

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, cumulus/stratocumulus forming distant SSE-W-N
Temperature: 46F; Dew Point: 29F; Wind: W at 16G23 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW to WNW
Sea-level pressure: 29.81 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 75 miles, mountain in cloud 70 NW, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 CLR 75 096/46/29/2616G23/981/ CU/SC FRMG DSNT SSE-W-N
MTN INCLD 70 NW LGT DSNT HZ/ WND 24V30/ 8/400 50011

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, moderate cumulus, and stratocumulus
cumulus generated
Temperature: 48F; Dew Point: 26F; Wind: W at 14G22 kts,
Wind: Gust 24 kts past hour
Sea-level pressure: 29.77 ins. Hg, falling then more rapidly
Visibility: 75 miles, light distant haze
6-hr max temp: 53F
BHO SA 1755 55 SCT 75 081/48/26/2814G22/977/ CU/MDT CU/SCCG ALQDS
GST 24 KTS PST HR LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/400 56015 10053 20037

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..50    NORMAL…..58
MIN…..40    NORMAL…..40
MEAN….45    NORMAL…..49

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………-4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………….+109 [+4.5 DEGREES/DAY]

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..0   DEPARTURE……….0
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..5   DEPARTURE……….0
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..701   DEPARTURE……..+99
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……767   DIFFERENCE…….-66

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..20  DEPARTURE………+4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….173  DEPARTURE…….-110
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………319  DEPARTURE…….-106
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….326  DIFFERENCE……..-7

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………18 WNW AT  11:23 P.M. *
AERO…………………..18 WNW AT  11:23 P.M. *
ASOS…………………..20 WNW AT  11:20 P.M.
DAVIS………………….20 WNW AT  10:56 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..14 WNW AT  11:22 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..14 WNW AT  11:23 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….12 WNW AT  10:57 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..5.6 W
ASOS…………………..5.6
DAVIS………………….4.9 WNW [290 degrees] * last of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00   DEPARTURE………….-0.16
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….0.98   DEPARTURE………….-2.47
ASOS…………..0.97
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….42.90   DEPARTURE………….+0.37
ASOS…………..N/A*
*ASOS malfunctioned during storm on 2/8-9, leading to erroneous totals

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 2013 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/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

10/1  75/50/63/+6/0.00/676/96         16 WNW AERO 16 MPH WNW RMY 18
10/2  78/56/67/+10/0.00/666/95        29 W   AERO 30 MPH W   RMY 29
10/3  77/56/67/+11/0.00/628/90        20 WNW AERO 20 MPH WNW RMY N/A
10/4  67/56/62/+6/0.26/028/04         18 NW  AERO 20 MPH NW  RMY N/A
10/5  67/56/62/+6/0.01/125/18         14 ENE AERO 12 MPH ENE RMY N/A
10/6  58/53/56/+1/0.56/000/00         20 NE  AERO 20 MPH NE  RMY N/A
10/7  75/57/66/+11/0.07/213/31        48 S   AERO 55 MPH S   RMY 55
10/8  65/50/58/+4/0.00/581/85         25 NW  AERO 27 MPH NW  RMY 28
10/9  59/49/54/0/0.00/545/80          25 ENE AERO 24 MPH ENE RMY 25
10/10 61/46/54/0/0.00/095/14          18 NE  AERO 17 MPH NE  RMY 18
10/11 67/50/59/+6/0.00/473/70         20 NE  AERO 20 MPH NE  RMY N/A
10/12 59/50/55/+2/0.02/007/01         30 ENE AER0 31 MPH ENE RMY 32
10/13 59/46/53/0/0.00/482/72          23 ENE AERO 23 MPH ENE RMY 23
10/14 64/42/53/+1/0.00/580/87         15 SSW AERO 15 MPH SSW RMY 15
10/15 66/50/58/+6/0.00/266/40         16 ESE AERO 16 MPH ESE RMY N/A
10/16 60/49/55/+4/0.00/013/02         23 ESE AERO 24 MPH ESE RMY 23
10/17 70/52/61/+10/0.06/277/42        21 S   AERO 23 MPH S   RMY N/A
10/18 67/50/59/+8/T/630/96 *          32 WNW AERO 32 MPH W   RMY 31
10/19 65/45/55/+5/0.00/379/58         21 W   AERO 22 MPH W   RMY N/A
10/20 61/44/53/+3/0.00/644/99         33 W   AERO 36 MPH W   RMY 34
10/21 67/43/55/+5/0.00/…/..         23 SSW AERO 25 MPH SSW RMY 27
10/22 69/44/57/+8/T/…/..            25 SSW AERO 27 MPH SSW RMY 27
10/23 50/40/45/-4/0.00/…/..         18 WNW AERO 18 MPH WNW RMY N/A

10/24 morning low temp: 36F; the normal low is now 40F

* 18th, trace added

DAILY RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 2013
None so far.

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

RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 24
HIGH 79F IN 1963
LOW 22F IN 1969
PRECIP 2.96 INCHES IN 1890
SNOWFALL 1.8 INCHES IN 1960
PEAK GUST 70 MPH SE IN 1959

RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 25
HIGH 81F IN 1963
LOW 26F IN 1922,1939
PRECIP 2.45 INCHES IN 2005
SNOWFALL 1.2 INCHES IN 1960
PEAK GUST 72 MPH ESE IN 1980

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling