Monday, February 1, 2016

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

JANUARY FINISHES WITH TEMPS WELL ABOVE NORMAL,
UNSEASONABLE WARMTH CONTINUES TODAY

Yesterday’s maximum temperature of 56F fell just 2 degrees
shy of tying a daily record maximum temperature of 58F set
and tied in 1913, 1947 and 2013. Temperatures this morning
have quickly surged back into the 50s, then reaching the lower
60s by early afternoon. At today’s 1:00 PM EST observation a
maximum temperature of 64F was recorded, just one degree behind
today’s daily record maximum temperature of 65F set in 1989.

The month of January finished significantly warmer than normal,
at 4.0 degrees F above normal. The average minimum temperature of
22.3F was more than 5 degrees above normal as well.
January was drier than normal as well, with precipitation 0.58 inches
less than normal, and 2.8 inches less than normal for snow.

Today marks the 131st Anniversary of the founding of the Observatory.

PRELIMINARY STATS FOR JANUARY 2016

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 37.2 [+3.4] Avg. Min. 22.3 [+5.2] Mean      29.5 [+4.0] 24-hour Corrected Mean: 29.5 [+4.0] Max. for month: 58 on 10th
Min. for month:  4 on  5th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total cooling units: 1086 [-140] Total for the season: 2742 [-789] Total for last season: 3531

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 3.77 [-0.58] Greatest in 24 hrs: 1.55 ins. on the 10th
Snowfall: 14.3 [-2.8] Greatest in 24 hrs: 7.1 ins. on the 23rd

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 13.7
Avg. corrected wind speed: 14.0
Prevailing wind direction: NW @ 19%
Peak gust and direction: 55 WNW on the 19th

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: N/A
Astronomical total minutes:   N/A

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Thin broken cirrus
Temperature: 44F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: SSW at 17 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.68 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog in all directions
6-hr Max temp: 44F
6-hr Min temp: 42F
24-hr precip: none
24-hr snowfall: none
Snow depth: trace
BHO SA 1155 E250 -BKN 20 052/44/38/2017/968/ THN FG ALQDS/
8/002 55005 10044 20042

10 A.M.
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, few altocumulus lenticularis
distant N, few altocumulus in all directions
Temperature: 54F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: SW at 17G24 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.71 ins. Hg, increasing then steady
Visibility: 35 miles, thin fog, hazy
BHO SA 1455 250 -SCT 35 062/54/38/2317G24/971/ FEW ACSL
DSNT N FEW AC ALQDS THN FG ALQDS HAZY/ 8/042 51010

1 P.M.
Weather: Thin broken cirrus, few altocumulus and altocumulus
lenticularis in all directions, few cumulus distant WSW-NNE
Temperature: 63F; Dew Point: 42F; Wind: WNW at 15G26 kts,
Peak Wind: 26 knots W at 12:50 PM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.69 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles, light distant haze
6-hr Max temp: 64F
6-hr Min temp: 44F
BHO SA 1755 E250 BKN- 50 055/63/42/2915G26/969/ FEW AC AND
ACSL ALQDS FEW CU DSNT WSW-NNE LGT DSNT HZ ALQDS PK WND
2826/50/ 8/142 56007 10064 20044

SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2016

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..56   NORMAL…..34
MIN…..36   NORMAL…..17
MEAN….46   NORMAL…..26

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………………+20
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..+141 [+4.3 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..19   DEPARTURE………-20
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………1086   DEPARTURE……..-140
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..2742   DEPARTURE……..-789
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……3348   DIFFERENCE…….-606

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….37 S   AT  11:48 P.M.
ASOS……………………34 SSW AT  12:32 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..34 SSW AT  12:32 A.M. RMY 36
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………26 SW  AT  12:29 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………26 SW  AT  12:32 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..26 SW  AT  12:32 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION……………16.1 SSW
ASOS……………………16.3
DAVIS…………………..15.0 SW [216 Deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00  DEPARTURE……-0.13
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….3.77  DEPARTURE……-0.58
ASOS…………..3.94
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..3.77  DEPARTURE……-0.58
ASOS…………..3.94

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………14.3  DEPARTURE…….-2.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..15.6  DEPARTURE……-17.5

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
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

1/1   37/29/33/+6/0.00/0.0/005/01           29 W               RMY 29
1/2   37/27/32/+5/0.00/0.0/461/84           31 W               RMY N/A
1/3   41/27/34/+8/0.00/0.0/501/91           28 W               RMY 29
1/4   30/10/20/-6/T/T/000/00                29 NNW             RMY 29
1/5   23/4/14/-12/0.00/0.0/552/100          28 NNW             RMY N/A
1/6   43/17/30/+4/0.00/0.0/553/100          24 SW              RMY 24
1/7   43/25/34/+8/0.00/0.0/521/94           21 SW              RMY N/A
1/8   40/28/34/+8/T/0.0/000/00              28 E   AERO 25 ENE RMY 25
1/9   39/36/38/+12/T/0.0/000/00             21 ENE AERO 20 ENE RMY N/A
1/10  58/38/48/+23/1.55/0.0/000/00          53 SSE AERO 55 SSE RMY 53
1/11  48/21/35/+10/0.00/0.0/559/100         43 W   AERO 45 WSW RMY N/A
1/12  35/19/27/+2/…./…/359/64           30 SE  AERO N/A    RMY N/A
1/13  30/17/24/-1/…./…/551/98           50 W   AERO 58 W   RMY 54
1/14  28/17/23/-2/T/T/389/69                26 W   AERO N/A    RMY 25
1/15  40/23/32/+7/0.00/0.0/102/18           26 ESE AERO 25 ESE RMY 23
1/16  41/32/37/+12/1.03/T/000/00            32 NNW AERO 32 NNW RMY 28
1/17  33/26/30/+5/…./…/…/..           29 WNW AERO 28 WNW RMY N/A
1/18  26/15/21/-4/…./…/487/82           50 W   AERO 50 W   RMY 47
1/19  22/13/18/-7/0.00/0.0/194/34           55 WNW AERO 59 W   RMY 55
1/20  30/15/23/-2/0.00/0.0/…/..           46 WNW AERO 47 WNW RMY 45
1/21  30/15/23/-2/0.00/0.0/…/..           38 WNW AERO 38 NW  RMY 35
1/22  28/14/21/-4/0.00/0.0/…/..           32 NW  AERO 32 NW  RMY N/A
1/23  30/18/24/-1/0.74/7.1/000/00           54 NE  AERO 56 NE  RMY 50
1/24  33/14/24/-1/T/T/…/..                34 N   AERO 37 N   RMY 29
1/25  37/20/29/+4/0.00/0.0/…/..           22 NW  AERO 22 NW  RMY N/A
1/26  49/27/38/+13/0.00/0.0/…/..          44 SSW AERO 47 SSW RMY 43
1/27  43/27/35/+10/0.00/0.0/…/..          38 WNW AERO 40 SSW RMY 37
1/28  41/23/32/+7/0.00/0.0/…/..           29 SSW AERO 29 SSW RMY 29
1/29  39/32/36/+11/0.00/0.0/…/..          25 NW  AERO 24 NW  RMY 28
1/30  42/26/33/+8/0.00/0.0/…/..           39 SW  AERO 43 SW  RMY 38
1/31  56/36/46/+20/0.00/0.0/…/..          37 S   AERO 38 S   RMY 36

2/1 morning low since midnight 42F; normal low is 17F

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2016

**1/10/16: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 58F, BREAKS
PREVIOUS RECORD OF 54F SET BACK IN 2000**

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

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 1
HIGH 65F IN 1989
LOW -9F IN 1920
PRECIP 1.30 INS. IN 1898
SNOWFALL 11.0 INS. IN 1898
PEAK GUST 66e MPH SSW IN 1951

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2
HIGH 55F IN 1951, 1973
LOW -12F IN 1961
PRECIP 1.91 INS. IN 1999
SNOWFALL 16.5 INS. IN 2015
PEAK GUST 92 MPH SW IN 1970

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald