Monday, January 4, 2016

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

ARCTIC AIR RUSHES IN- COLDEST TEMPS OF THE SEASON
ON THE WAY LIKELY ENDING SIGNIFICANT WARMER THAN NORMAL
TEMP STREAK OF 33 DAYS.

Temperatures managed to climb to a maximum reading of 41F
yesterday afternoon, still landing above normal for this time
of year. With a minimum temperature of 27F, the average for
Sunday was 34F, 8 degrees warmer than normal. Sunday’s above
normal temperatures extended the streak of above normal temperatures
to 33 days.

A quick round of flurries moved through this morning, with
stronger showers in Rhode Island and offshore. By the 1:00 PM EST
observation light snow showers had begun to accumulate some snow
on the ground. A measurement of 0.2 inches of new snow was made
at the time of the observation, with a trace of liquid equivalent
and a dropping temperature of 22F.

DECEMBER FINISHES AS THE WARMEST ON RECORD…NEARLY FIVE
DEGREES WARMER THAN PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE MONTH…
THIRD RECORD WARM MONTH IN 2015…GREATEST POSITIVE TEMPERATURE
DEPARTURE FOR ANY MONTH…DECEMBER ALSO AMONG CLOUDIEST ON RECORD…

BHO Warmest Decembers (24-hour Mean), deg F (1885-2015)

1) 42.9 in 2015
2) 38.1 in 2006
3) 37.5 in 2011
4) 37.3 in 2001
5) 37.2 in 1891
6) 36.9 in 1998
7) 36.7 in 1990

BHO Largest Monthly 24-Hour Mean Temperature Departure from the Long-Term
Mean, deg F (1885-2015):

1)+13.1 in December 2015
2) +9.9 in January 1913
3) +9.3 in January 1932
4) +9.1 in March 1946
5) +9.0 in March 2012
6) +8.9 in January 1937
7) +8.5 in February 1984

BHO Lowest December Sunshine, hours (1885-2015):

1) 72.9 in 1972  [27%] 2) 81.0 in 1982  [29%] 3) 87.2 in 1933  [32%] 4) 88.2 in 1996  [32%] 5) 89.0 in 1922  [32%] 6) 89.5 in 1981  [33%] 7) 91.1 in 1906  [33%] 8) 92.0 in 2012  [34%] 9) 92.9 in 2013  [34%] 10) 93.3 in 2015 [34%]

PRELIMINARY STATS FOR DECEMBER 2015

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 50.5 [+11.4] Avg. Min. 36.9 [+13.3] Mean      43.7 [+12.4] 24-hour Corrected Mean: 42.9 [+13.1] Max. for month: 67 on 24th
Min. for month: 23 on 29th, 30th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total cooling units: 654 [-389] Total for the season: 1656 [-649] Total for last season: 2060

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 4.27 [-0.49] Greatest in 24 hrs: N/A
Snowfall: 1.3 [-12.1] Greatest in 24 hrs: 1.3 ins. on the 29th

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 11.3
Avg. corrected wind speed: 11.8
Prevailing wind direction: W @ 12%
Peak gust and direction: 48 W on the 15th

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 5598 mins. of possible 16470 or 34%
Astronomical total minutes:   5786 mins. of possible 17002 or 34%
Long-term average for December is 46%

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Showers distant SSW-W, broken stratus,
few stratocumulus distant offshore NNE-SE
Temperature: 27F; Dew Point: 22F; Wind: N at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.93 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 70 miles, except 20 miles SSW-W, showers distant
SSW-W
6-hr Max temp: 30F
6-hr Min temp: 27F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
Snow depth: Trace
BHO SA 1155 E41 BKN 70 134/27/22/3610/993/ VSBY SSW-W 20 MI SHWRS
DSNT SSW-W FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR NNE-SE/ 8/6// 53023 10030 20027

10 A.M.
Weather: Showers distant ENE-WSW, overcast altocumulus,
few stratocumulus distant offshore E-SSE, breaks in
overcast overhead
Temperature: 26F; Dew Point: 16F; Wind: NNW at 8G17 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.99 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 30 miles, except 70 miles W-NE, showers distant ENE-WSW
3-hr precip: Trace
3-hr snowfall: Trace
BHO SA 1455 E80 OVC 30 155/26/16/3408G17/999/
VSBY W-NE 70 MI SHWRS DSNT ENE-WSW FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR E-SSE
BINOVC OVHD NEW SNW PST 3 HRS TRACE/ 8/3// 51021 MANUAL 6000/

1 P.M.
Weather: Light snow shower, overcast nimbostratus
Temperature: 22F; Dew Point: 17F; Wind: NNW at 9G18 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.99 ins. Hg, about the same as 3 hrs ago
Visibility: 3/4 of a mile, light snow
6-hr Max temp: 28F
6-hr Min temp: 21F
6-hr precip: Trace
6-hr snowfall: 0.2 ins.
BHO SA 1755 E22 OVC 3/4SW- 156/22/17/3409G18/999/
S-B35 NEW SNW PST 3 HRS 0.2 INS/ 8/6// 50001
MANUAL 6000/ 10028 20021

SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2016

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..41   NORMAL…..35
MIN…..27   NORMAL…..18
MEAN….34   NORMAL…..26

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………..+8
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………….+19 [+6.1 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..31   DEPARTURE……….-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..96   DEPARTURE………-19
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..1752   DEPARTURE……..-668
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……2170   DIFFERENCE…….-418

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….28  W   AT  1:40 P.M.*
ASOS……………………32  W   AT  1:36 P.M.
DAVIS…………………..26  W   AT 10:13 A.M. RMY 29
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………22  W   AT 12:21 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………22  W   AT 12:22 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..19  WNW AT  1:36 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….13.1 W
ASOS………………….12.6
DAVIS…………………11.7 W [256 Deg.]

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……….0.00  DEPARTURE……-0.44
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..0.00  DEPARTURE……-0.44
ASOS…………..0.00

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-1.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-2.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON……………1.3  DEPARTURE……-16.9

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER/JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/RMY 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

12/1  42/30/36/-1/0.16/0.0/000/00           19 NNE RMY 19
12/2  53/37/45/+9/0.20/0.0/000/00           25 SSE RMY 25
12/3  53/37/45/+9/0.01/0.0/162/29           43 WNW RMY 42
12/4  47/32/40/+5/0.00/0.0/444/80           32 NW  RMY 32
12/5  50/33/42/+7/0.00/0.0/548/99           21 W   RMY N/A
12/6  57/35/46/+11/0.00/0.0/531/96          22 SW  RMY N/A
12/7  54/37/46/+12/0.00/0.0/353/64          31 NE  RMY N/A
12/8  42/35/39/+5/0.01/0.0/000/00           32 NE  RMY 31
12/9  44/34/39/+5/0.00/0.0/044/08           28 SSE RMY N/A
12/10 57/41/49/+16/T/0.0/209/38             29 SE  RMY N/A
12/11 56/44/50/+17/0.00/0.0/049/09          28 SSW RMY 28
12/12 59/46/53/+20/0.00/0.0/367/67          23 W   RMY N/A
12/13 54/44/49/+17/0.00/0.0/000/00          18 ESE RMY 19
12/14 60/43/52/+20/…./0.0/000/00          32 S   RMY N/A
12/15 61/45/53/+21/…./0.0/371/68          48 W   RMY 51
12/16 45/34/40/+9/0.00/0.0/415/76           25 N   RMY N/A
12/17 53/36/45/+14/…./0.0/000/00          29 SE  RMY 28
12/18 50/35/43/+12/…./0.0/000/00          29 NW  RMY 30
12/19 38/30/34/+4/0.00/0.0/480/88           39 W   RMY 40
12/20 40/28/34/+4/0.00/0.0/491/90           24 W   RMY N/A
12/21 51/31/41/+11/T/0.0/000/00             38 SSW RMY 42
12/22 57/49/53/+24/0.28/0.0/000/00          35 SW  RMY 35
12/23 54/47/51/+22/…./0.0/000/00          30 E   RMY 27
12/24 67/48/58/+29/…./0.0/033/06          37 SSW RMY 39
12/25 64/52/58/+30/…./0.0/240/44          23 N   RMY N/A
12/26 53/40/47/+19/…./0.0/436/80          26 NNW RMY N/A
12/27 52/35/44/+16/…./0.0/000/00          36 NW  RMY 33
12/28 35/27/31/+3/T/T/355/65                33 NW  RMY 33
12/29 38/23/31/+4/…./1.3/000/00           35 ENE RMY 35
12/30 34/23/29/+2/…./T/000/00             17 SSE RMY N/A
12/31 44/32/38/+11/…./0.0/258/47          25 WNW RMY 25

1/1   37/29/33/+6/0.00/0.0/…/..           29 W   RMY 29
1/2   37/27/32/+5/0.00/0.0/…/..           31 W   RMY N/A
1/3   41/27/34/+8/0.00/0.0/…/..           28 W   RMY 29

1/4 low since midnight is 27F; normal low is now 18F

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2015

**12/13/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 44F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 43F SET IN 1919, TIED 1983
**12/24/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 67F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 61F SET IN 2014
**12/24/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 48F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 46F SET IN 1900
**12/25/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 64F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 62F SET IN 1889
**12/25/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 52F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 46F SET IN 1964

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

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 5
HIGH 61F IN 2007
LOW -9F IN 1981
PRECIP 0.98 INS. IN 1993
SNOW 4.5 INS. IN 1891
PEAK GUST 70 MPH WNW IN 1959

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald