Friday, March 15, 2024

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

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2024
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0555E
SUNSET:  1751E

OVERCAST SKIES WITH OFF AND ON RAIN SHOWERS THIS MORNING…

Clouds have dominated the sky today with off and on rain showers
that started soon after midnight, continuing into the late morning
hours. The showers were rather light however, only amounting to
0.02″ in the heaviest (relatively speaking) of the activity which
moved through between 4-6am. We have also been in and out of the
fog (cloud deck at summit level) throughout the morning, with the
visibility varying between 1/8th of a mile upto a few miles.

The low cloud deck has lifted enough that we are no longer in the
fog, but the ceiling is still only about 400ft above the summit
early this afternoon.

Temperatures have, to this point, been stuck mostly in the low 40s.
With a freshening breeze and nearly saturated air, it definitely
feels raw out there today.

The wind was generally light this morning, but has picked up some
as we moved past noon-time. A variable wind direction this morning,
has shifted to the north and north-northwest as it freshens. The
average speed for the day so far is around 8mph. The peak gust for
the day is around 23mph.

As mentioned above, the visibility has been variable as we move in
and out of the cloud deck during the morning hours, but has improved
to around 15-30 miles early this afternoon, depending on quadrant.

The maximum temperature so far today is 44F degrees, which is
equal to the normal high of 44F. The minimum temperature since
midnight is 40F degrees, which is 14 degrees above the normal low
of 26F.

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Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Sky partially obscured, overcast stratus, stratus layer
is at summit level, higher clouds visible overhead
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 41F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: ENE @ 5 kts, wind light
Sea-level pressure: 1007.8 mb; 29.76 in. Hg: falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 1/8 mile, fog
6-hr Max temp: 43F
6-hr Min temp: 40F
24-hr Precip:  0.02 inches
24-hr Snowfall: 0.0 inches
Snow Depth: 0 inches
BHO SA 1155 -X E0 OVC 1/8F 078/41/41/0605/976/ ST LYR AT SMT LVL
HIER CLDS VSBL OVHD WND LGT/ 8/6// 56032 6002/ 70002 10043 20040

10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus
Temperature: 42F; Dew Point: 42F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: N @ 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1006.7 mb; 29.73in. Hg: falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 3 miles, fog
3-hr Precip:  Trace
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 inches
BHO SA 1455 E2 OVC 3F 067/42/42/3507/973/ INTMT RW-E01/ 8/6// 56011
6000/

1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 39F; Relative Humidity: 93%
Wind: N @ 9G17 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1006.5 mb; 29.72 in. Hg: falling unsteadily
Visibility: 25 miles, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 44F
6-hr Min temp: 41F
6-hr Precip:  Trace
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 inches
Snow Depth: 0 inches
BHO SA 1755 E4 OVC 20 065/41/39/3509G17/972/ THN F ALQDS VSBY 15
WNW-N-E 30 SE-WSW/ 8/6// 57002 6000/ 10044 20041

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SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2024

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….58   NORMAL…..43
MIN…….36   NORMAL…..26
MEAN……47   NORMAL…..35

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL………..+12
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………….+116 [+8.1 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2023 THRU JUN 2024)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………18  DEPARTURE…….-12
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..332  DEPARTURE……-117
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………4220  DEPARTURE……-661
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….4133  DEPARTURE…….+87

PEAK WIND GUST (MPH):
Note: Instruments designated #1 = Main Tower, #2 = South Tower,
F420C, Contacting, Merlin, and Richards are all Main Tower.
E=Estimated

F420C (Official)……….E23 ENE  @  04:37 P.M.
VECTOR #1 (1-Sec)……….22 NE   @  04:12 P.M.
VECTOR #2 (1-Sec)……….22 NE   @  04:13 P.M.
DAVIS #1……………….20 NE   @  04:12 P.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………24 S    @  12:51 A.M.
RMY #1 (Instantaneous)…..21 NE   @  04:12 P.M.
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..21 NE   @  04:13 P.M.
MERLIN…………………M
RICHARDS (C5C) (Inst)……19      @  01:52 A.M.

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………15 S    @  01:24 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…………..16      @  01:40 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..16      @  04:38 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………15 E    @  04:38 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………17 S    @  01:25 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……………..15 S    @  01:40 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..16 SSE  @  01:31 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RICHARDS (C5C) AVERAGE………15      @  01:40 A.M.

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL…….7.1 SSE [171 total miles] VECTOR #1……………..7.8
VECTOR #2……………..8.1
DAVIS #1………………7.6 SE
DAVIS #2………………7.6 SE
RMY #1………………..7.6 SE
RMY #2………………..8.2 SE
RICHARDS (C5C)…………8.2

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..0.02 DEPARTURE…..-0.15
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH…………..4.35 DEPARTURE…..+1.92
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR (2024)…….14.91 DEPARTURE…..+3.98

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…………..0.0 DEPARTURE……-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH………………TRACE DEPARTURE……-8.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON (2023-2024)……26.1 DEPARTURE…..-34.1

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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
PEAK GUST: F420C (Official)
VEC1: Vector #1 1-second gust
RMY:  R.M. Young #1 wind gust recording system (Instantaneous)
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized
M:    Missing data
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated)

3/1   41/18/30/-1/0.00/0.0/649/96         30 NW  VEC1 30 WNW RMY 33
3/2   50/32/41/+9/1.16/0.0/000/00         44 SSE VEC1 46 SE  RMY 42
3/3   55/42/49/+17/0.24/0.0/130/19        32 SSE VEC1 33 SSE RMY 32
3/4   49/36/43/+11/0.01/0.0/116/17        24 ENE VEC1 22 ENE RMY 23
3/5   42/36/39/+7/0.14/0.0/000/00         21 E   VEC1 21 E   RMY 21
3/6   51/39/45/+12/0.44/0.0/000/00        28 NE  VEC1 28 NE  RMY 29
3/7   42/37/40/+7/1.06/0.0/000/00         44 NNE VEC1 44 NNE RMY 42
3/8   45/32/39/+6/0.00/0.0/682/98         35 NNE VEC1 36 NNE RMY 38
3/9   40/32/36/+3/0.21/0.0/000/00         32 E   VEC1 32 E   RMY 31
3/10  51/36/44/+10/1.07/0.0/245/35        45 WNW VEC1 46 SE  RMY 45
3/11  43/30/37/+3/T/T/515/73              53 NW  VEC1 54 NW  RMY 58
3/12  54/33/44/+10/0.00/0.0/680/96        43 NW  VEC1 41 NW  RMY 45
3/13  54/33/44/+10/0.00/0.0/667/94        26 SSE VEC1 25 NNW RMY 25
3/14  58/36/47/+12/0.00/0.0/…/..        23 ENE VEC1 22 NE  RMY 21

3/15 The low since midnight is 40F, the daily normal low is 26F.

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MARCH DAILY RECORDS TO DATE

NONE…

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 15
HIGH 80 IN 1990
LOW 6 IN 1993
PRE 2.86 INS. IN 2010
SNOW 12.0 INS. 1967
WIND 73e MPH ESE IN 1940

RECORDS FOR MARCH 16
HIGH 73 IN 1990
LOW 8 IN 1932
PRE 1.95 INS. IN 1900
SNOW 10.0 INS. IN 1896
WIND 79 MPH NE IN 1956

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas