Friday, February 19, 2016

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

SEASONABLE DAY THURSDAY CONTINUES INTO FRIDAY

Temperatures averaged 26F yesterday, just 3 degrees cooler than
normal. This current stretch of calm is a significant departure
from the Spring and Arctic like conditions observed so far this
month.

Temps this morning dipped to a colder than normal 16F and have
climbed throughout the day under blue skies this morning. By today’s
1:00 PM EST observation skies were still mostly clear with some
cirrostratus and altocumulus distant toward the west. Cirrocumulus
was quick to form overhead not long after. Temperatures had
reached a maximum so far of 38F.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant offshore E-SSE
Temperature: 17F; Dew Point: 5F; Wind: N at 9 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.55 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 80 miles
6-hr Max temp: 19F
6-hr Min temp: 16F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: Trace
BHO SA 1155 CLR 80 345/17/5/3609/055/ FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR E-SSE/
8/500 51011 10019 20016

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus distant offshore ESE-SE,
few cirrostratus distant SE-WNW
Temperature: 28F; Dew Point: 12F; Wind: estimated E at 3 kts
Wind Speed and Direction: Light and Variable
Sea-level pressure: 30.58 ins. Hg, rising, then falling but higher still
Visibility: 75 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 75 354/28/12/E0903/058/ FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR ESE-SE
FEW CS DSNT SE-WNW WND LGT AND VRB/ 8/505 50009

1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, few altocumulus lenticularis distant W-NW,
few cirrus in all directions
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 12F; Wind: estimated SW at 5 kts,
Wind Speed and Direction: Light and Variable
Sea-level pressure: 30.49 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 38F
6-hr Min temp: 16F
6-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
BHO SA 1755 CLR 70 324/38/12/E2305/049/ FEW ACSL DSNT W-NW FEW CI
ALQDS WND LGT AND VRB/ 8/041 58030 10038 20016

SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..32   NORMAL…..37
MIN…..20   NORMAL…..20
MEAN….26   NORMAL…..29

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….-3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………+19 [+0.9 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..39   DEPARTURE……….+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….664   DEPARTURE………-20
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..3406   DEPARTURE……..-809
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4229   DIFFERENCE…….-823

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….25 NNW AT  4:35 P.M.
ASOS……………………26 NNW AT  9:42 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..24 WNW AT 12:40 P.M. RMY 25
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………19 NW  AT 12:41 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………21 NW  AT 12:42 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..19 NW  AT 12:42 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..12.1 NNW
ASOS…………………..11.8
DAVIS………………….10.2 NNW [326 Deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00  DEPARTURE……-0.15
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….4.08  DEPARTURE……+1.57
ASOS…………..4.31
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..7.85  DEPARTURE……+0.99
ASOS…………..8.25

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………22.5  DEPARTURE……+13.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..38.1  DEPARTURE…….-3.9

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/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

2/1   64/40/52/+26/0.00/0.0/…/..          36 WNW AERO 37 W   RMY 34
2/2   48/31/40/+14/0.00/0.0/…/..          23 NW  AERO 23 WNW RMY N/A
2/3   55/34/45/+19/0.80/0.0/000/00          55 SSE AERO 58 SSE RMY 53
2/4   55/39/47/+21/…./0.0/000/00          37 W   AERO 36 W   RMY 35
2/5   39/19/29/+3/…./12.5/000/00          37 NNW AERO 39 NNW RMY 35
2/6   35/17/26/0/0.00/0.0/…/..            25 SSW AERO 24 SSW RMY 23
2/7   43/26/35/+8/0.00/0.0/…/..           35 ENE AERO 35 ENE RMY N/A
2/8   36/16/26/-1/…./…/000/00           53 NE  AERO 55 NE  RMY 53
2/9   26/17/22/-5/…./…/000/00           21 N   AERO 22 N   RMY N/A
2/10  33/21/27/+0/0.01/0.0/…/..           23 W   AERO 23 W   RMY 21
2/11  26/7/17/-10/T/T/…/..                39 W   AERO 47 W   RMY 42
2/12  23/4/13/-14/0.00/0.0/…/..           31 WNW AERO 38 WNW RMY 21
2/13  21/-7/7/-21/0.00/0.0/…/..           41 W   AERO 46 WNW RMY 43
2/14  10/-14/-2/-30/0.00/0.0/…/..         33 WNW AERO 46 WNW RMY N/A
2/15  32/-2/15/-13/…./1.2/…/..          24 E   AERO 28 E   RMY N/A
2/16  55/32/44/+16/…./0.0/…/..          65 SSE AERO 69 SSE RMY 64
2/17  43/30/37/+9/0.00/0.0/…/..           33 W   AERO 35 W   RMY N/A
2/18  32/20/26/+3/0.00/0.0/…/..           25 NNW AERO 29 NW  RMY 25

2/19  morning low temp. since midnight 16F; normal now 20F

DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2016

2/14/16: **NEW DAILY RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -14F,
SURPASSING PREVIOUS RECORD OF -8F SET IN 1979**
2/14/16: **TIED DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 10F,
MATCHING PREVIOUS RECORD OF 10F SET IN 1979**

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

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 19
HIGH 66F IN 1981
LOW -5F IN 1923
PRECIP 2.73 INCHES IN 1972
SNOWFALL 12.0 INCHES IN 1893
PEAK GUST 76 MPH ENE IN 1972

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 20
HIGH 66F IN 1930
LOW -4F IN 1966
PRECIP 1.90 INCHES IN 1934
SNOWFALL 15.0 INCHES IN 1921,1934
PEAK GUST 78 MPH NW IN 1972

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald