Friday, March 31, 2023

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

FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0529E
SUNSET:  1809E

CLOUD COVER INCREASES AS PRESSURE RAPIDLY DROPS…

The morning started off with high pressure, sunny skies,
and a layer of cirrostratus clouds. As pressure rapidly
dropped this afternoon a mixture of altocumulus, altocumulus
standing-lenticularis and cirrostratus clouds were observed
during the 1:00 P.M. observation. Although the cloud cover
increased, the sun was still dimly visible during the
observation through the mostly covered sky.

Wind began light today but increased as pressure dropped this
afternoon. So far today we have a peak gust of 20 kts (23 MPH)
just after 1:30 P.M.

Temperatures started off cooler again today with an overnight
low of 26F. After an early morning wind shift from WNW to SW
temperatures began to rapidly increase to 50F, making today a
much warmer day than yesterday’s high of 41F.

The high temperature so far today is 50F, which is 1 degrees
above the normal maximum temperature for today of 49F. The low
since midnight so far is 26F, which is 6 degrees below our
normal minimum temperature of 32F.

All and all it looks like March is going to end trending slightly
above normal for precipitation and above normal for temperature.
Although it was the second snowiest month of the snow season,
March will end below normal for snow totals this month.

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Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken cirrostratus
Temperature: 28F; Dew Point: 17F; Relative Humidity: 63%
Wind: WSW @ 6 kts, wind light
Sea-level pressure: 1029.0 mb; 30.39 in. Hg: rising unsteadily
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 28F
6-hr Min temp: 26F
24-hr Precip: 0.0 ins.
24-hr Snowfall: 0.00 ins.
Snow Depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1155 250 BKN 70 290/28/17/2506/039/ WND LGT/ 8/006 51013
10028 20026

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken cirrocumulus
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 17F; Relative Humidity: 39%
Wind: SW @ 4 kts, wind light
Sea-level pressure: 1028.3 mb; 30.37 in. Hg: rising, then falling
Visibility: 70 miles
3-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1455 250 BKN 70 283/40/17/2304/037/ WND LGT/ 8/006 58007

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, broken altocumulus
standing-lenticularis, broken cirrostratus, sun dimly visible
Temperature: 48F; Dew Point: 21F; Relative Humidity: 33%
Wind: W @ 6 kts, wind light
Sea-level pressure: 1024.5mb; 30.25 in. Hg: pressure falling rapidly
Visibility: 60 miles
6-hr Max temp: 50F
6-hr Min temp: 28F
6-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1755 120 SCT E200 BKN 250 BKN 60 245/48/21/2606/025/
SUN DMLY VSBL WND LGT PRESFR/ 8/046 58038 10050 20028

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SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2023

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….41   NORMAL…..49
MIN…….27   NORMAL…..31
MEAN……34   NORMAL…..40

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL……….-6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………..+102 [+3.2 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2022 THRU JUN 2023)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………31  DEPARTURE……..+6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..786  DEPARTURE……-104
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………4506  DEPARTURE……-816
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….4848  DEPARTURE……-342

PEAK WIND GUST (MPH):
Note: Instruments designated #1 = Main Tower, #2 = South Tower,3
420C, Contacting, Merlin and Richards are all Main Tower.

420C (Official)…………39 WNW @  2:21 A.M.
VECTOR #1 (1-Sec)……….41 WNW @  2:21 A.M.
VECTOR #2 (1-Sec)……….43 NW  @  2:03 A.M.
DAVIS #1……………….39 WNW @  2:04 A.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………40 WNW @  2:03 A.M.
RMY #1 (Instantaneous)…..43 WNW @  2:21 A.M.
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..44 NW  @  2:03 A.M.
MERLIN…………………M
RICHARDS (C5C) (Inst)……44     @  2:20 A.M.

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………29 WNW @  2:21 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…………..28     @  2:21 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..31     @  2:21 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………30 W   @  2:22 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………31 WNW @  2:22 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……………..27 WNW @  2:21 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..30 NW  @  2:21 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RICHARDS (C5C) AVERAGE………28     @  2:21 A.M.

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL…….16.3 WNW [392 total miles] VECTOR #1……………..15.5
VECTOR #2……………..16.9
DAVIS #1………………16.2 WNW
DAVIS #2………………16.8 NW
RMY #1………………..14.9 WNW
RMY #2………………..16.5 WNW
RICHARDS (C5C)…………15.8

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..0.00 DEPARTURE…..-0.17
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH…………..5.85 DEPARTURE…..+0.50
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR…………..14.50 DEPARTURE…..+0.65

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…………..0.0 DEPARTURE……-0.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………….10.6 DEPARTURE……-4.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON (2022-2023)……34.9 DEPARTURE…..-31.8

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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  39/30/35/0/0.00/0.0/342/48          46 NNW  VEC1 49 NNW RMY 53
3/16  49/29/39/+4/0.00/0.0/445/62         30 NW   VEC1 31 NW  RMY 34
3/17  52/37/45/+9/T/0.0/036/05            32 S    VEC1 36 S   RMY 36
3/18  52/36/44/+8/0.01/0.0/376/52         30 WNW  VEC1 31 WNW RMY 31
3/19  38/26/32/-4/0.00/0.0/682/94         47 WNW  VEC1 46 WNW RMY 46
3/20  51/25/38/+1/0.00/0.0/706/97         32 WSW  VEC1 34 WSW RMY 35
3/21  58/32/45/+8/0.00/0.0/636/87         33 WNW  VEC1 35 WNW RMY 36
3/22  55/38/47/+10/T/0.0/617/84           24 SSW  VEC1 25 SSW RMY 26
3/23  59/45/52/+14/0.01/0.0/044/06        35 SSW  VEC1 36 SSW RMY 37
3/24  52/36/44/+6/0.00/0.0/311/42         32 WNW  VEC1 33 WNW RMY 33
3/25 39/33/36/-2/0.17/T/015/02           35 ESE  VEC1 38 ESE RMY 37
3/26  57/39/48/+9/T/0.00/597/80           41 WNW  VEC1 44 WNW RMY 46
3/27  58/35/47/+8/0.41/0.0/516/69         18 E    VEC1 21 E   RMY 20
3/28  44/35/40/+1/0.24/T/090/12           17 NW   VEC1 17 NW  RMY 18
3/29  52/29/41/+1/0.00/0.0/…/..         29 SSW  VEC1 31 SSW RMY 31
3/30  41/27/34/-6/T/T/…/..              39 WNW  VEC1 41 WNW RMY 43

3/31  The low since midnight is 26F, the daily normal low is 32F

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 31
HIGH 89 IN 1998  [RECORD HIGH FOR MONTH] LOW 16 IN 1923
PRECIP 2.89 IN 1987
SNOWFALL 15.0 IN 1997
PEAK GUST 81 MPH SSE IN 1987

RECORDS FOR APRIL 1
HIGH 74 IN 1967
LOW 6 IN 1923 [RECORD FOR MONTH] PRECIP 3.47 IN. IN 2004 [RECORD FOR MONTH] SNOWFALL 15.0 IN. IN 1997 [RECORD FOR MONTH] PEAK GUST 75 MPH SSW IN 1962

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Kaitlin Geagan