Friday, May 2, 2014

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

FOG FINALLY CLEARS REVEALING MORE SPRING-LIKE CONDITIONS
AND WARMTH

The first day of May featured foggy, warm and humid conditions
as rain wrapped up throughout most of the region. A brief
shower just before the 7:00 AM EST observation this morning
left a trace of new precipitation for today.

APRIL 2014 PRELIMINARY STATISTICS

[Departures are relative to the 1981-2010 averages]

TEMPERATURE: Deg. F
Avg. Max. 55.9 [+0.2] Avg. Min. 37.5 [-0.2] Mean      N/A [] 24-hr. corrected mean: N/A
Max. temp: 73 on the 14th
Min. temp: 28 on the 16th and 18th
Total heating degree day units: 544 [-7] Total seasonal heating units:  6,171  [+136] [Season starts 7/1] Seasonal total this date 2012: 5,522 [+649]

PRECIPITATION: Inches
Total: TBD
Greatest in 24 hours: TBD ()
Total snowfall: 0.8 inches
Greatest in 24 hours:  0.8 inches on the 16th

WIND
Av. speed (uncorrected): 13.6 mph
Av. speed (corrected):   13.9 mph
Prevailing direction: NW @ 13% possible

SUNSHINE
Total astronomical minutes: 12,081 of possible 24,094 or 50%
Total Campbell Stokes card minutes; 11,510 of possible 23,250 or 50% [N/A%]

Stay tuned for additional updates on the monthly statistics.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather:  Broken stratocumulus, broken altostratus,
showers distant N-SSW
Temperature: 52F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: estimated W at 4 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.74 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 40 miles, 30 miles W-N obscured by rain showers,
80 miles W-N, light smoke layer along the horizon W-N
6-hr max temp: 54F
6-hr min temp: 51F
6-hr precip: Trace
24-hr precip: 0.01 in.
BHO SA 1155 E75 BKN 80 BKN 40 072/52/38/E2804/974/
RWB47E50 SHWRS DSNT N-SSW VSBY N-SSE 30 MI VSBY W-N 80 MI
LGT K LYR ALNG HRZN W-N/ 8/520 53014 ASOS 70002
MANUAL 6000/ 70001 10054 20051

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus and altocumulus SW-NNW,
few altocumulus and altostratus NNE-SSW
Temperature: 60F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: W at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.72 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles, light distant haze in all directions
BHO SA 1455 CLR 50 066/60/38/2807/972/
FEW CU AND AC SW-NNW FEW AC AND AS NNE-SSW LGT DSNT HZ AQLDS/
8/120 56006

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken cumulus, broken altocumulus
Temperature: 66F; Dew Point: 34F; Wind: WSW @ 10G18 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.70 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 60 miles, light distant haze in all directions
6-hr max temp: 66F
6-hr min temp: 51F
BHO SA 1755 E70 BKN 90 BKN 60 056/66/34/2510G18/970/
LGT DSNT HZ ALQDS/ 56010 8/140 10066 20051

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..64    NORMAL…..62
MIN…..43    NORMAL…..43
MEAN….54    NORMAL…..53

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….+1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………….+1 [0.8 DEGREE/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..11  DEPARTURE……….-2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..11  DEPARTURE……….-2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..6182  DEPARTURE……..+135
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……5531  DIFFERENCE…….+651

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………32  SSE AT   4:36 A.M.
AERO…………………..N/A
ASOS…………………..33  S   AT   5:40 A.M.
DAVIS………………….33  SSE AT   4:47 A.M.  RMY 36
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..25  S   AT   4:59 A.M.*
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..23  SSE AT   4:35 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….23  SSE AT   4:47 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………11.7  S
ASOS…………………11.7
DAVIS………………..11.0  S [174 deg] * last  of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.01  DEPARTURE………….-0.11
ASOS…………..0.02
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….0.85  DEPARTURE………….-0.61
ASOS…………..0.87
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….19.60  DEPARTURE………….+0.82
ASOS………….19.99

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE……………0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.8  DEPARTURE…………..-2.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..85.6  DEPARTURE………….+22.9

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR APRIL 2014 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:  R.M. Young wind gust recording system
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized

4/1  48/31/40/-1/0.00/0.0/694/91          29 NNE AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/2  56/34/45/+4/0.00/0.0/452/69          22 WSW AERO 20 MPH WSW RMY N/A
4/3  55/36/46/+4/0.00/0.0/707/92          23 NNW AERO 22 MPH NW  RMY 25
4/4  47/35/41/-1/0.31/0.0/255/33          26 ESE AERO N/A        RMY 25
4/5  51/33/42/-1/0.19/0.0/186/24          39 WNW AERO N/A        RMY 40
4/6  58/29/44/+1/0.00/0.0/755/97          25 W   AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/7  59/44/52/+9/0.05/0.0/187/24          28 SSE AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/8  62/41/52/+8/0.61/0.0/016/02          45 W   AERO N/A        RMY 44
4/9  60/36/48/+4/0.00/0.0/707/90          35 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 36
4/10 57/33/45/0/0.00/0.0/742/94           38 S   AERO N/A        RMY 39
4/11 70/45/58/+13/T/0.0/111/14            32 S   AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/12 68/44/56/+11/0.00/0.0/699/88         28 W   AERO N/A        RMY 28
4/13 65/45/55/+10/0.04/0.0/215/27         35 S   AERO N/A        RMY N/A
4/14 73/55/64/+18/0.00/0.0/296/37         55 SW  AERO N/A        RMY 62
4/15 66/38/52/+5/1.22/0.0/000/00          62 S   AERO N/A        RMY 68
4/16 43/28/36/-11/0.43/0.8/757/94         39 NNW AERO N/A        RMY 39
4/17 39/29/34/-13/T/T/566/70              35 NE  AERO N/A        RMY 34
4/18 42/28/35/-13/0.00/0.0/016/02         25 E   AERO N/A        RMY 25
4/19 62/35/49/1/0.00/0.0/732/90           31 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 32
4/20 52/36/44/-5/0.00/0.0/783/96          21 E   AERO N/A        RMY 22
4/21 67/36/52/+3/0.00/0.0/778/95          25 SSW AERO N/A        RMY 26
4/22 72/44/58/+9/0.07/0.0/427/52          32 S   AERO N/A        RMY 33
4/23 52/43/48/-2/0.27/0.0/0/0             47 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 47 TSTM
4/24 56/38/47/-3/0.00/0.0/780/98          52 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 54
4/25 64/39/52/+2/0.00/0.0/702/87          25 S   AERO N/A        RMY 25
4/26 44/39/42/-9/…./0.0//0              18 E   AERO N/A        RMY 18
4/27 46/38/42/-9/…./0.0/6/1             21 NW  AERO N/A        RMY 23
4/28 56/36/46/-6/T/0.0/312/39             31 ENE AERO N/A        RMY 33
4/29 42/38/40/-12/T/0.0/0/0               32 ENE AERO N/A        RMY 35
4/30 44/38/41/-11/…./0.0/0/0            25 ESE AERO N/A        RMY N/A

5/1  64/43/54/+1/…./0.0/…/..          32 SSE AERO N/A        RMY 36

5/2 morning low temp: 51F; the normal low is now 44F

DAILY RECORDS FOR APRIL 2014
4/14 – Minimum temperature of 55F EQUALS RECORD HIGH
MINIMUM FOR THIS DATE SET IN 1909.

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

RECORDS FOR MAY 2
HIGH 92F IN 2001
LOW 29F IN 1903
PRECIP 1.36 INCHES IN 2006
SNOWFALL 1.0 INS IN 1888
PEAK GUST 58 MPH S IN 1983

RECORDS FOR MAY 3
HIGH 92F IN 2001
LOW 31F IN 1888
PRECIP 2.25 INS IN 1900
SNOWFALL TRACE IN 1908, 1985
PEAK GUST 71 MPH W IN 2002

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald