Friday, August 8, 2014

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

“DODGING THE BULLET” HERE ATOP BLUE YESTERDAY
THUNDERSTORMS WITH CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
DOWNPOUR AND MANY REPORTS OF HAIL YESTERDAY
HIGH HAZE/SMOKE LAYER ALOFT TO OUR SOUTH TODAY

Here at Blue Hill we observed many thunderstorms
around us but nothing hit here at the summit.
Only a trace of rain was recorded a couple of
times during the day.  Towering cumulus and
cumulonimbus were observed with cloud to ground
lightning and booms of thunderstorm. One quarter
to half inch hail was reported all around us but
nothing occurred here.

A high layer of haze and smoke appeared in the
southern to southwestern sky today and might
could have been mistaken for high clouds.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, SKC, haze/smoke layer distant SSE-SW
Temperature: 62F; Dew Point: 55F; Wind: NW at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.02 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 55 miles, light distant
6-hr max temp: 62F
6-hr min temp: 55F
24-hr precip: trace
BHO SA 1155 CLR, SKC  55 166/62/55/3109/002/ HIGH HZ/K LYR ALF SSE-SW
XTDNG DSNT SSE-VC S-SW LGT DSNT HZ/ 51016 MANUAL 70000 10062 20055

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus fractus forming vicinity SSE,
few cumulus forming distant WSW-NW, high haze/smoke layer
aloft SSE-SW
Temperature: 74F; Dew Point: 56F; Wind: W at 7 kts,
Wind: Direction WSW variable to NNW
Sea-level pressure: 30.04 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 55 miles, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 CLR 55 172/74/56/2807/004/ FEW CUFRA FRMG VC SSE
FEW CU FRMG DSNT WSW-NW HIGH HZ/K LYR ALF SSE-SW DSNT HZ
WND 25V33/ 8/100 51006

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus/moderate cumulus, high haze/smoke layer
aloft SSW-WSW
Temperature: 81F; Dew Point: 54F; Wind: W at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.01 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 60 miles, NW 70 miles NW, light distant haze
6-hr max  temp: 81F
6-hr min. temp: 62F
6-hr precip: none
BHO SA 1755 50 SCT 60 163/81/54/2907/001/ CU/MDT CU ALQDS HZ/K LYR ALF S-W
VSBY NW 70 LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/200 58009 10081 20062

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..79    NORMAL…..81
MIN…..58    NORMAL…..63
MEAN….69    NORMAL…..72

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….+3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………….-7* [-1.2 DEGREE/DAY]

* A CORRECTION HAS BEEN MADE TO MONTHLY DEP.

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..4   DEPARTURE……….-3
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….43   DEPARTURE……….-7
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..380   DEPARTURE………-21
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……513   DIFFERENCE…….-133

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………22  NW   AT  3:48 P.M. *
ASOS…………………..24  NW   AT  3:48 P.M.
DAVIS………………….23  WNW  AT  3:48 P.M. RMY 24
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..N/A
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..18  NW   AT  3:48 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….16  WNW  AT  3:48 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..9.4 NW
ASOS…………………..9.5
DAVIS………………….8.2 NW  [310 deg.] * last of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…trace  DEPARTURE……….-0.14
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR AUGUST………….0.19  DEPARTURE……….-0.85
ASOS…………..0.15
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….29.71  DEPARTURE……….-2.21
ASOS………….32.03

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/RMY 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

8/1  86/63/75/+3/0.00/…/..              25 S   RMY 29
8/2  68/59/64/-8/…./…/..              21 ESE RMY 22
8/3  71/60/66/-6/…./…/..              12 SE  RMY 12
8/4  83/64/74/+2/0.00/…/..              20 S   RMY 21
8/5  87/66/77/+5/0.00/…/..              17 S   RMY 19
8/6  79/64/72/0/0.06/…/..               23 WNW RMY 25
8/7  79/58/69/-3/T/…/..                 22 NW  RMY 24 TSTM

8/8  morning low of 55F; the normal low is now 63F

DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2014:
None so far.

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

RECORDS FOR AUGUST 8
HIGH 93F IN 1909,1949
LOW 47F IN 1903
PRECIP 3.08 INCHES IN 1976
PEAK GUST 45 MPH WNW IN 1958

RECORDS FOR AUGUST 9
HIGH 100F IN 1949
LOW 49F IN 1899
PRE 2.65 INS IN 1976
PEAK GUST 90 MPH SW IN 1968

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling