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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

A DAMP AND DREARY FRIDAY THE 13TH HERE AT GREAT
BLUE HILL....

We didn't have much luck here with good weather today
- a stiff southeasterly wind with rain, thick fog and
overcast skies accompanied us. Overnight precipitation
totaled 0.10" by 7AM with another 0.11" added by 1PM.
The rain however was greatly needed, so some good luck
there for our purposes! Temperatures have slowly moderated
from a morning low of 38 degrees to a mild 55 degrees by
the early afternoon thanks to a gusty southeasterly wind.
It has made itself known with the highest gust so far
clocking in at 45 MPH at 12:12 PM! 

Even with today's rain, we are 5.58 inches below the normal
amount. We continue to depart further from our normal seasonal 
snow total of 53.0 inches to date, the current season being 
27.4 inches below that amount to date. 

The high so far today is 55F, this is 12 degrees above the 
normal high of 43F. The low since midnight is 38F, this is 
12 degrees above the normal low of 26F.

Just a reminder, while most of the country observes Daylight
Saving Time (DST), here at Blue Hill Observatory we do not.
As such, all times used within this discussion are in
Eastern Standard Time (EST).


PRELIMINARY STATS FOR FEBRUARY 2020

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 40.7 [+3.9]
Avg. Min. 25.9 [+6.7]
Mean      33.3 [+5.4]
24-hour corrected mean: 33.0
Max. for month: 60F on the 24th
Min. for month: 4F on the 15th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units:    911 [-164]
Total for the season:  4140 [-345]
Total for last season: 4485

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 3.20 [-0.87]
Greatest in 24 hrs: N/A 

SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 0.6 [-13.3]
Greatest in 24 hrs: 0.5 ins. on the 13th

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 11.5 mph
Avg. corrected wind speed:   12.0 mph
Prevailing wind direction:   W [24%]
Peak gust and direction:     71 WSW on the 7th

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 7596 minutes of possible 17796 or 43%
Astronomical total minutes: 7853 minutes of possible 18422 or 43%


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast Nimbostratus, light drizzle
Temperature: 43F; Dew Point: 42F; Relative Humidity: 96%
Wind: SE at 17G33 kts
Peak Wind: SE at 33kts (38 MPH) at 6:35 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.99 ins. Hg: falling, then falling more rapidly
Visibility: 20 miles (except 10 miles SW-NE), fog
6-hr Max temp: 43F
6-hr Min temp: 38F
24-hr Precip:  0.10 ins.
24-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E12 OVC 20F 155/43/42/1417G33/999/
L-CTD VSBY SW-NE 10 PK WND 1433/35/ 8/6// 58036 70010 10043 20038

10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast Nimbostratus, light rain
Temperature: 47F; Dew Point: 47F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: SSE at 15G29 kts
Peak Wind: SSE at 32kts (37 MPH) at 9:13 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.88 ins. Hg: falling, then falling more slowly
Visibility: 1/2 mile, fog
3-hr Precip:  0.05 ins.
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1455 E11 OVC 1/2R-F 114/47/47/1615G29/988/
R-CTD PK WND 1632/13/ 8/6// 56041 60005

1 P.M.
Weather: Vertical visibility 300 ft, sky obscured, light rain
Temperature: 55F; Dew Point: 55F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: S at 21G32 kts
Peak Wind: S at 39kts (45 MPH) at 12:12 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.67 ins. Hg: falling, then falling more slowly
Visibility: 1/8 mile, fog
6-hr Max temp: 55F
6-hr Min temp: 43F
6-hr Precip:  0.11 ins.
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1155 W3 X 1/8R-F 049/55/55/1821G32/967/
R-CTD PK WND 1839/12/ 8/// 56065 60011 10055 20043


SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2020 

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....46   NORMAL.....43
MIN.....31   NORMAL.....25
MEAN....39   NORMAL.....34

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...................+5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..................+128 [+10.5 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY...............26  DEPARTURE........-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH..............262  DEPARTURE......-128
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON............4402  DEPARTURE......-556
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.......4931  DEPARTURE......-529

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY....................21 SE  AT  11:05 P.M.  
                   AERO.........................18 SE  AT   7:44 P.M.   
                   ASOS.........................20 SE  AT   8:58 P.M. 
                   DAVIS........................20 SSE AT   8:04 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY......................15 SE  AT   9:02 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...................14 SE  AT  11:07 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..................16 SE  AT  11:06 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...............7.4 ENE                
                   ASOS........................8.8
                   DAVIS.......................8.8 ENE [69 deg.]


PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.10  DEPARTURE......-0.06
                         ASOS..............0.10
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........0.26  DEPARTURE......-1.82
                         ASOS..............0.29
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........4.92  DEPARTURE......-5.58
                         ASOS..............5.20

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........0.0  DEPARTURE.......-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................0.8  DEPARTURE.......-5.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............25.6  DEPARTURE......-27.4


PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/AERO/RMY 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
M:    Missing data

02/01  38/30/34/+8/0.01/T/000/00           14 WSW AERO 14 WSW RMY N/A
02/02  40/30/35/+9/0.00/0.0/078/13         18 W   AERO 18 WNW RMY 18
02/03  44/27/36/+10/0.00/0.0/260/43        28 W   AERO 28 W   RMY 28
02/04  44/33/39/+13/0.00/0.0/055/09        19 E   AERO 16 E   RMY 18
02/05  41/30/36/+10/0.00/0.0/000/00        20 NNW AERO 19 NNW RMY N/A
02/06  31/30/34/+8/0.00/0.0/000/00         29 E   AERO 28 E   RMY 27
02/07  53/25/39/+12/..../0.1/000/00        71 WSW AERO 71 SSW RMY 73
02/08  33/20/27/0/T/T/616/100              46 W   AERO 44 W   RMY 44
02/09  33/15/24/-3/T/T/303/49              30 SSE AERO 29 SSE RMY N/A
02/10  42/33/38/+11/..../0.0/000/00        39 SSW AERO 39 SSW RMY 39
02/11  40/36/38/+11/..../0.0/000/00        24 W   AERO 23 W   RMY N/A
02/12  41/30/36/+9/0.00/0.0/314/50         37 W   AERO 36 W   RMY N/A
02/13  35/31/34/+6/..../0.5/000/00         29 SSW AERO 29 SSW RMY N/A
02/14  33/8/21/-7/0.00/0.0/506/80          32 WNW AERO 32 NW  RMY 34
02/15  27/4/16/-12/0.00/0.0/508/80         31 SSW AERO 31 SSW RMY N/A
02/16  40/23/32/+4/0.00/0.0/006/01         38 SW  AERO 38 SW  RMY N/A
02/17  44/28/36/+8/0.00/0.0/582/91         25 WNW AERO 24 WNW RMY 24
02/18  37/27/32/+3/0.31/T/000/00           26 SE  AERO 26 SE  RMY N/A
02/19  42/25/34/+5/0.00/0.0/530/82         45 W   AERO 46 W   RMY 44
02/20  31/18/25/-4/0.00/0.0/389/60         32 W   AERO 32 W   RMY N/A
02/21  30/11/21/-8/0.00/0.0/651/100        24 NNW AERO 21 N   RMY N/A
02/22  44/23/34/+5/0.00/0.0/647/99         26 W   AERO 24 W   RMY 27
02/23  53/30/42/+12/0.00/0.0/636/97        21 SW  AERO 22 WSW RMY 23
02/24  60/32/46/+16/0.00/0.0/606/92        29 S   AERO 29 SSW RMY 31
02/25  53/40/47/+17/..../0.0/033/05        17 NE  AERO 18 ENE RMY 17
02/26  45/39/42/+12/..../0.0/007/01        23 ENE AERO 24 E   RMY N/A
02/27  49/27/38/+7/0.00/0.0/274/41         51 W   AERO 53 W   RMY 52
02/28  36/25/31/0/0.00/0.0/596/89          38 SW  AERO 38 SW  RMY 36
02/29  35/19/27/-4/0.00/0.0/256/38         32 W   AERO 32 W   RMY 34


PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/AERO/RMY 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
M:    Missing data

03/01  33/15/24/-7/0.00/0.0/.../..         28 WNW AERO 28 WNW RMY 27
03/02  52/24/38/+7/T/T/.../..              40 S   AERO 39 S   RMY 41
03/03  64/45/55/+23/..../0.0/.../..        30 S   AERO 30 S   RMY N/A
03/04  50/38/44/+12/..../0.0/.../..        56 W   AERO 56 W   RMY 58
03/05  51/32/42/+10/0.00/0.0/.../..        31 W   AERO 31 NW  RMY 32
03/06  47/30/39/+7/..../.../.../..         46 NE  AERO 45 NE  RMY 46
03/07  43/26/35/+2/..../.../.../..         42 N   AERO 43 N   RMY 44
03/08  53/26/40/+7/0.00/0.0/.../..         31 W   AERO 30 W   RMY 28
03/09  72/40/56/+23/0.00/0.0/.../..        32 SW  AERO 32 SW  RMY 31
03/10  68/49/59/+26/0.00/0.0/.../..        48 WSW AERO 46 WSW RMY 49
03/11  56/37/47/+13/0.00/0.0/.../..        31 WNW AERO M  M   RMY 21
03/12  46/31/39/+5/..../0.0/.../..         21 SE  AERO 18 SE  RMY N/A

03/13 The low since midnight is 38F, daily normal minimum is 26F 


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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 13
HIGH 72 IN 1990
LOW -1 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.47 INS. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 23.0 INS. IN 2018
PEAK GUST 76 MPH ENE IN 1993 [THE "STORM OF THE CENTURY"]

RECORDS FOR MARCH 14
HIGH 74 IN 1946
LOW 8 IN 1926
PRECIP 4.95 INS. IN 2010 
SNOWFALL 7.3 INS. IN 2017
PEAK GUST 67 MPH ENE IN 2010

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Andrew Swanson