Monday, January 2, 2017

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2017
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

STEEP INVERSION PRESENT THIS MORNING
MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND HIGH PRESSURE TODAY

A steep inversion was present in the area this morning.  The temperature
fell to only 29F here at the summit overnight, but just a few miles away
and a few hundred feet lower at Norwood Airport, the temperature fell to
19F.  We’ve warmed to a high of 38F so far, with 2017 off to a warm start.
After windy conditions at times for much of the past several days, winds
have been much lighter today, at only 5-10 mph from the east.  The
barometric pressure has been very high today, with a sea level pressure
above 30.50 ins. Hg.

Skies have been mostly cloudy with just a few peaks of sunshine observed
today.  The sky has been chaotic, with several layers of mid and high level
clouds.

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus of a chaotic sky, broken cirrus,
patches of dense cirrus
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 18F; Wind: estimated ENE at 5 kts,
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.53 ins. Hg, rising unsteadily
Visibility: 55 miles
6-hr Max temp: 33F
6-hr Min temp: 29F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
Snow depth: Trace
BHO SA 1155 100 SCT 150 SCT E250 BKN 55 337/33/18/E0705/053/
AC CHAOTIC PTCHS DNS CI WND LGT/ 8/092 52012 10033 20029

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered to broken altocumulus and altostratus (chaotic sky),
broken dense cirrus, broken cirrus, few lower altocumulus, thin smoke
layer along horizon NW-NE
Temperature: 36F; Dew Point: 26F; Wind: E at 6 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.57 ins. Hg, rising then more quickly
Visibility: 70 miles, except 55 miles NW-NE
BHO SA 1455 120 SCT E160 BKN 220 BKN 250 BKN 70 351/36/26/0906/057/
FEW LWR AC AC CHAOTIC THN K LYR ALG HRZN NW-NE VSBY NW-NE 55/ 8/092 53014

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus and altostratus (chaotic sky), broken
cirrostratus, broken cirrus, smoke layer along horizon WSW-NE
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 26F; Wind: estimated ESE at 5 kts,
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.52 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 55 miles, distant haze
6-hr Max temp: 38F
6-hr Min temp: 33F
BHO SA 1755 E90 BKN 150 BKN 200 BKN 250 BKN 55 335/38/26/E1105/052/
AC CHAOTIC K LYR ALG HRZN WSW-NE DSNT HZ WND LGT/ 8/096 58016 10038 20033

SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..41   NORMAL…..35
MIN…..29   NORMAL…..19
MEAN….35   NORMAL…..27

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………………+8
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………+8 [+8.0 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..30   DEPARTURE……….-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..30   DEPARTURE……….-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..2062   DEPARTURE……..-281
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……1688   DIFFERENCE…….+374

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….35 W   AT 12:13 P.M.
ASOS……………………35 WNW AT  1:08 P.M.
DAVIS…………………..33 N/A AT 11:28 P.M. RMY 34
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………26 WNW AT 12:47 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………26 WNW AT 12:48 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..24 N/A AT 12:48 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….14.7 W
ASOS………………….13.9
DAVIS…………………12.9

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……….0.09  DEPARTURE……-0.20
ASOS…………..0.09
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..0.09  DEPARTURE……-0.20
ASOS…………..0.09

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON……………7.8  DEPARTURE…….-8.8

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER-JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/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
M:    Missing data

12/1  55/39/47/+10/0.20/0.0/385/69          36 W   AERO 37 W   RMY 36
12/2  48/34/41/+5/0.00/0.0/535/96           32 W   AERO 32 W   RMY N/A
13/3  44/31/38/+2/0.00/0.0/445/80           37 WNW AERO 39 WNW RMY 40
12/4  39/27/33/-2/0.00/0.0/355/64           25 NW  AERO 25 NW  RMY N/A
12/5  36/27/32/-3/0.13/0.4/000/00           26 W   AERO 25 W   RMY 29
12/6  42/30/36/+1/0.00/0.0/392/71           22 W   AERO 21 W   RMY N/A
12/7  39/34/37/+3/0.10/0.0/000/00           21 E   AERO 21 E   RMY N/A
12/8  40/29/35/+1/0.00/0.0/033/06           30 W   AERO 31 W   RMY 33
12/9  35/21/28/-6/0.00/0.0/549/100          35 W   AERO 36 WNW RMY 34
12/10 27/17/22/-11/0.00/0.0/544/99          26 WNW AERO 27 WNW RMY 29
12/11 33/16/25/-8/0.06/0.4/411/75           17 SSW AERO 15 SW  RMY N/A
12/12 41/27/34/+1/0.35/0.9/038/07           29 ESE AERO 29 SE  RMY 30
12/13 41/30/36/+4/0.00/0.0/427/78           25 WSW AERO 25 W   RMY 27
12/14 40/26/33/+1/0.00/0.0/530/97           30 WNW AERO 31 WNW RMY N/A
12/15 29/13/21/-11/T/T/420/77               50 W   AERO 62 W   RMY 56
12/16 18/01/10/-21/0.00/0.0/485/89          39 WNW AERO 51 WNW RMY N/A
12/17 36/18/27/-4/0.60/4.3/000/00           25 SSW AERO 28 SSW RMY N/A
12/18 55/30/43/+12/0.05/0.0/000/00          47 WSW AERO 53 S   RMY 53
12/19 30/17/24/-6/0.00/0.0/273/50           26 WNW*AERO 28 NW  RMY 26
12/20 32/13/23/-7/0.00/0.0/359/66           28 SSE AERO 29 SSW RMY N/A
12/21 40/25/33/+3/0.00/0.0/354/65           28 SSE AERO 28 SSW RMY 30
12/22 38/29/34/+5/T/T/033/06                28 SSE AERO 29 S   RMY 30
12/23 44/29/37/+8/0.00/0.0/512/94           25 WNW AERO 25 WNW RMY N/A
12/24 41/34/38/+9/0.39/0.0/033/06           30 SSW AERO 31 SSW RMY 30
12/25 43/25/34/+6/0.00/0.0/545/100          35 NW  AERO 37 NW  RMY 36
12/26 46/20/33/+5/…./0.0/425/78           39 S   AERO 40 S   RMY N/A
12/27 56/35/46/+18/…./0.0/169/31          51 SW  AERO 55 SW  RMY N/A
12/28 40/29/35/+7/0.00/0.0/207/38           31 W   AERO 32 W   RMY 26
12/29 40/28/34/+7/…./…/000/00           38 NW  AERO 44 NW  RMY 42 TSTM
12/30 37/26/32/+5/…./…/323/59           46 W   AERO 55 WSW RMY 50
12/31 43/23/32/+5/…./0.0/099/18           46 SSW AERO 51 SSW RMY 50

1/1   41/29/35/+8/…./0.0/…/..           35 W   AERO 36 W   RMY 34

1/2   Low temp since midnight is 29F; normal low is now 19F

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2016
None.

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2017
None so far.

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2
HIGH 62F IN 1890
LOW -7F IN 1899,1918
PRECIP 2.10 INS. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 9.0 INS. IN 1904
PEAK GUST 85e MPH S IN 1942

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

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O’Brien