Friday, January 3, 2014

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

SNOW, BLOWING SNOW, AND FOG END MID MORNING LEAVING STORM TOTALS
OF 15.6 INCHES OF SNOW WITH A LIQUID CONTENT OF 1.37 INCHES OF WATER.
OVERNIGHT LOW OF -1F COMES CLOSE BUT UNABLE TO DEFEAT TODAY’S RECORD LOW
OF -4F.

Temperatures have rebounded somewhat after a chilly and snowy overnight. Plenty
of blowing snow has scoured out the snow cover on some areas on the summit while
building drifts in excess of two feet in some areas.

THE PRELIMINARY DECEMBER 2013 STATS

TEMPERATURE: Deg. F
Av. Max. 38.0
Av. Min. 23.7
Mean     30.9 [-0.4] 24-hr. corrected mean: 30.7
Max. temp: 63F on 22nd
Min. temp: 7F  on 17th
Total heating degree day units: 1053 [+10] Total seasonal heating units:   2277 [-28 less than average] [Season starts 7/1 ] Seasonal total this date 2012:  2028 [249 more than last season]

PRECIPITATION: Inches
Total: 5.27 [+0.38] Greatest in 24 hours: 1.43 (14-15th)
Total snowfall: 15.5 [+2.1] *
Greatest in 24 hours: 6.8 inches (14-15th)
* 1981-2010 average 13.4

WIND
Av. speed (uncorrected): 11.9 mph
Av. speed (corrected):   12.3 mph
Prevailing direction: W 15%

SUNSHINE
Yet to be determined
Available next few days

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Light snow and fog
Temperature: 1F; Dew Point: 1F; Wind: N at 16G28 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.76 ins. Hg, increasing, then more quickly
Visibility: 1/2 mile
6-hr. min temp: -1F
24-hour precipitation: 1.24 inches
24-hour snowfall: 14.0 inches
BHO SA 1155 W4 X 1/2S-F 079/01/01/3516G28/976/ ONCL MDT SNW
SNW PST 24 HRS 14.0 STORM TOTAL 14.9 PK WND 3531/33/ 8////
4/015 53027 ASOS 60034 ASOS 70140 MANUAL 70124 10024 21001

10 A.M.
Weather: Light snow, fog and drifting snow
Temperature: 8F; Dew Point: 4F; Wind: NNW at 14G24 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 ins. Hg, steady, then increasing
Visibility: 1 mile
BHO SA 1455 W5 X 1S-F 116/08/04/3414G24/987/ SUN DMLY VSB/
8//// 53037 ASOS 60007

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, broken cirrostratus/cirrocumulus,
few cumulus fractus.
Temperature: 11F; Dew Point: 07F; Wind: NNW at 12 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 60 miles, haze distant ENE-SE
6-hr max. temp: 11F
6-hour precipitation: 0.05 inch
6-hour snowfall: 0.7 inch
BHO SA 1755 10 SCT 120 BKN 60 144/11/07/3312/996/ CURFRA ALQDS
VSBY ENE-SE 35 DSNT HZ NEW SNW PAST 6 HRS 0.7 STORM TOTAL 15.6/ 8/1/7
53028 ASOS 60007 MANUAL 60005 10011 20001

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2014

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..24    NORMAL…..35
MIN……0    NORMAL…..19
MEAN….12    NORMAL…..27

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………..-15
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..-21 [-10.5 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..53  DEPARTURE…….. +15
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..97  DEPARTURE………+20
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..2374  DEPARTURE……….-7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……2111  DIFFERENCE…….+263

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………39 NNE AT 11:11 A.M.
AERO…………………..39 NNE AT 11:11 A.M.
ASOS…………………..43 NE  AT 11:12 A.M.
DAVIS………………….39 NE  AT 11:11 A.M. RMY 39
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..26 N   AT 21:35 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..26 N   AT 21:37 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….24 N   AT 21:37 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..15.2 N
ASOS…………………..14.7 N
DAVIS………………….13.2 NNE

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….1.24  DEPARTURE………….+1.10
ASOS…………..1.40
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….1.30  DEPARTURE………….+1.21
ASOS…………..1.47
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..1.30  DEPARTURE………….+1.21
ASOS…………..1.47

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…….14.0    DEPARTURE………….+13.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH………….14.9    DEPARTURE………….+13.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………20.8    DEPARTURE………….+14.1

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 2013 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust
RMY:  RMY = R.M. Young wind gust recording system added 8/9/2011
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized

12/1  45/30/38/+1/0.28/T/000/00           22 SSE AERO 23 MPH SSE RMY 23
12/2  38/34/36/0/T/0.0/000/00             15 NW  AERO 15 MPH NW  RMY 16
12/3  45/32/39/+3/0.00/0.0/284/51         18 NNW AERO 18 MPH NNW RMY 20
12/4  43/29/36/+1/0.00/0.0/389/70         21 WNW AERO 21 MPH WNW RMY 21
12/5  53/38/46/+11/0.02/0.0/000/00        36 S   AERO 40 MPH S   RMY 39
12/6  55/33/44/+9/0.38/T/000/00           25 SSW AERO 28 MPH SSW RMY N/A
12/7  40/26/33/-1/0.12/T/287/52           23 NW  AERO 25 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/8  30/22/26/-8/T/T/039/07              25 NW  AERO 27 MPH NW  RMY N/A
12/9  41/25/33/-1/0.35/0.6/000/00         28 E   AERO 28 MPH E   RMY 24
12/10 33/21/27/-6/0.14/2.1/000/00         28 W   AERO 28 MPH W   RMY 28
12/11 28/19/24/-9/0.00/0.0/345/63         27 SW  AERO 28 MPH SW  RMY 27
12/12 23/14/19/-14/0.00/0.0/542/99        28 WNW AERO 31 MPH NW  RMY 30
12/13 28/14/21/-11/0.00/0.0/405/74        31 W   AERO 32 MPH W   RMY 33
12/14 28/9/19/-13/0.45/4.8/000/00         30 E   AERO 26 MPH E   RMY N/A
12/15 36/21/29/-3/0.98/2.0/000/00         48 NE  AERO 50 MPH NE  RMY 51
12/16 27/14/21/-10/0.00/0.0/529/97        36 W   AERO 37 MPH W   RMY N/A
12/17 23/7/15/-16/0.53/5.5/104/19         28 N   AERO 30 MPH N   RMY 28
12/18 32/15/24/-7/0.00/0.0/436/80         29 WNW AERO 30 MPH NW  RMY 29
12/19 42/22/32/+2/0.00/0.0/425/78         38 SW  AERO 44 MPH SW  RMY 42
12/20 52/34/43/+13/0.00/0.0/332/61        26 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 29
12/21 58/42/50/+20/0.00/0.0/082/15        28 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 30
12/22 63/35/49/+20/0.01/0.0/000/00        37 SW  AERO 41 MPH SW  RMY 41
12/23 37/32/35/+6/0.73/0.0/000/00         24 NW  AERO 25 MPH NW  RMY 25
12/24 36/25/31/+2/T/T/142/26              25 NW  AERO
12/25 25/13/19/-9/0.00/0.0/480/88         29 NW  AERO 30 MPH WNW RMY 30
12/26 35/19/27/-1/0.05/0.5/000/00         24 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 25
12/27 32/22/27/-1/0.00/0.0/344/63         25 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 26
12/28 46/25/36/+8/0.00/0.0/300/55         30 WSW AERO 32 MPH SW  RMY 32
12/29 42/34/38/+11/1.23/0.0/000/00        36 NNE AERO 37 MPH NNE RMY 38
12/30 39/17/28/+1/0.00/0.0/071/13         38 W   AERO 39 MPH W   RMY 36
12/31 24/11/19/-9/0.00/0.0/236/43         30 W   AERO 31 MPH W   RMY 30

1/1   26/16/21/-6/0.00/0.0/…/..         25 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 27
1/2   24/00/12/-15/…./../000/00         39 NNE AERO 39 MPH NNE RMY 39

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2013
12/22- NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 63F;
surpasses previous record of 62F set in 1994

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 3
HIGH 64F IN 2000
LOW -4F IN 1904
PRECIP 1.93 INS. IN 1999
SNOW 11.3 INS. 1996
PEAK GUST 92 MPH S IN 1960

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 4
HIGH 60F IN 2000
LOW -8F IN 1904, 1981
PRECIP 1.79 INS. IN 1982
SNOW 8.6 INS. 1923, 1941
PEAK GUST 84 MPH S IN 1982

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald