Monday, March 20, 2023

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

MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2023
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0548E
SUNSET:  1756E

ABUNDANT SUNSHINE AND MILDER AS WE WELCOME THE VERNAL EQUINOX….

Spring arrives this evening at 4:24pm (5:24pm EDT), but what
a spectacular weather day today to welcome the Equinox! Wall
to wall sunshine has been the theme with only a few cirrus
visible on the southern horizon this afternoon.

After a very cold start with temperatures in the mid 20s this
morning, they have rebounded nicely with readings getting into
the upper 40s early this afternoon. Of course this is a solid
10 degrees warmer than the chilly temperatures of yesterday
afternoon.

Winds are lighter today than yesterday, but have once again
become gusty as we push through the afternoon hours. Frequent
gusts over 20mph have been occurring since the mid morning
hours. The average speed for the day thus far is around 12mph.

Visibility has been excellent most of the day with views of
50 miles early this morning, but improving to 70 miles by
late morning.

The low since midnight is 25F, this is 3 degrees below the
normal low is 28F. The high so far today is 48F, which is
3 degrees above the normal high of 45F.

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Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 27F; Dew Point: 14F; Relative Humidity: 58%
Wind: WSW @ 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1023.8 mb; 30.23 in. Hg: rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 27F
6-hr Min temp: 25F
24-hr Precip: 0.00 ins.
24-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1155 CLR 50 238/27/14/2508/023/ HAZY/ 8/000 51014
10027 20025

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 16F; Relative Humidity: 41%
Wind: WSW @ 11G20 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1024.3 mb; 30.25 in. Hg: rising then falling
Visibility: 70 miles
3-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1455 CLR 70 243/38/16/2411G20/025/ 8/000 50005

1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, few cirrus distant SE-SSW
Temperature: 47F; Dew Point: 15F; Relative Humidity: 26%
Wind: WSW @ 15G23 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1022.3mb; 30.19 in. Hg: falling, then more rapidly
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 48F
6-hr Min temp: 27F
6-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1755 CLR 70 223/47/15/2415G23/019/ FEW CI DSNT SE-SSW/
8/001 58020 10048 20027

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SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2023

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….38   NORMAL…..45
MIN…….26   NORMAL…..28
MEAN……32   NORMAL…..36

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL……….-4
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………+52 [+2.5 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2022 THRU JUN 2023)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………33  DEPARTURE……..+4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..543  DEPARTURE…….-53
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………4263  DEPARTURE……-765
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….4568  DEPARTURE……-305

PEAK WIND GUST (MPH):
Note: Instruments designated #1 = Main Tower, #2 = South Tower,
420C, Contacting, Merlin and Richards are all Main Tower.

420C (Official)…………47 WNW @  1:10 P.M.
VECTOR #1 (1-Sec)……….46 WNW @  1:10 P.M.
VECTOR #2 (1-Sec)……….52 WNW @  5:56 A.M.
DAVIS #1……………….48 W   @  1:10 P.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………47 WNW @  5:56 A.M.
RMY #1 (Instantaneous)…..46 WNW @  1:10 P.M.
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..53 WNW @  5:19 P.M.
MERLIN…………………44 W
RICHARDS (C5C) (Inst)……50     @  1:10 P.M.

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………34 W   @  1:50 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…………..33     @  1:50 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..35     @  5:23 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………35 W   @  1:50 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………35 WNW @  5:24 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……………..31 W   @  1:50 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..34 WNW @  5:23 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RICHARDS (C5C) AVERAGE………32     @  5:24 P.M.

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL…….18.2 WNW [436 total miles] VECTOR #1……………..17.4
VECTOR #2……………..18.7
DAVIS #1………………18.3 WNW
DAVIS #2………………18.8 WNW
RMY #1………………..16.5 WNW
RMY #2………………..18.3 WNW
RICHARDS (C5C)…………17.5

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..0.00 DEPARTURE…..-0.19
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH…………..5.02 DEPARTURE…..+1.67
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR…………..13.67 DEPARTURE…..+1.82

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…………..0.0 DEPARTURE……-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………….10.6 DEPARTURE……-0.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON (2022-2023)……34.9 DEPARTURE…..-27.9

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PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/VEC1/RMY GUST
VEC1: Vector #1 1-second gust
RMY:  R.M. Young wind gust recording system (Instantaneous)
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized
M:    Missing data

3/1   43/27/35/+4/0.00/0.0/425/63         20 NW   VEC1 21 SE  RMY 21
3/2   40/34/37/+5/0.31/0.0/000/00         35 NW   VEC1 36 NW  RMY 39
3/3   44/29/37/+5/0.01/0.1/462/68         33 NW   VEC1 34 NW  RMY 36
3/4   33/28/31/-1/0.82/3.3/000/00         48 E    VEC1 49 NE  RMY 52
3/5   41/25/33/+1/0.00/0.0/240/35         35 NW   VEC1 36 NW  RMY 37
3/6   46/31/39/+6/0.00/0.0/571/83         46 WNW  VEC1 48 NW  RMY 51
3/7   38/26/32/-1/T/T/387/56              41 NW   VEC1 42 NW  RMY 46
3/8   44/26/35/+2/T/T/194/28              32 N    VEC1 34 N   RMY 34
3/9   47/32/40/+7/0.00/0.0/473/68         28 NW   VEC1 28 NW  RMY 29
3/10  49/27/38/+4/T/0.0/616/88            18 W    VEC1 18 SE  RMY 17
3/11  36/29/33/-1/0.14/T/000/00           32 NE   VEC1 34 NE  RMY 34
3/12  41/28/35/+1/0.00/0.0/571/81         26 NNE  VEC1 26 NNE RMY 27
3/13  41/32/37/+3/0.52/0.0/000/00         29 E    VEC1 31 E   RMY 33
3/14  39/31/35/0/3.18/6.9/000/00          51 NNE  VEC1 52 NNE RMY 55
3/15  39/30/35/0/0.00/0.0/…/..          46 NNW  VEC1 49 NNW RMY 53
3/16  49/29/39/+4/0.00/0.0/…/..         30 NW   VEC1 31 NW  RMY 34
3/17  52/37/45/+9/T/0.0/…/..            32 S    VEC1 36 S   RMY 36
3/18  52/36/44/+8/0.01/0.0/…/..         30 WNW  VEC1 31 WNW RMY 31
3/19  38/26/32/-4/0.00/0.0/…/..         47 WNW  VEC1 46 WNW RMY 46

3/20  The low since midnight is 25F, the daily normal low is 28F

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 20
HIGH 79 IN 1945
LOW 4 IN 1885
PRECIP 1.39 INS. IN 1957
SNOWFALL 11.4 INS. IN 1957
PEAK GUST 63 MPH SE IN 1975

RECORDS FOR MARCH 21
HIGH 81 IN 1921
LOW 2 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.67 INS. IN 1974
SNOWFALL 10.6 INS. IN 1958
PEAK GUST 72 MPH NE IN 1958

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas