Monday, January 8, 2018

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

TEMPERATURES REACH ABOVE FREEZING FOR THE FIRST
TIME SINCE CHRISTMAS DAY….

Temperatures went above freezing today after yesterday’s
record breaking cold. This is the first time temperatures
have been above freezing since Christmas Day 2017. We
broke a low minimum temperature record yesterday with
a low of -8F. The previous record of -7F was set back
in 1896. Temperatures began rising after midnight with
an overnight low of 17F and a high max so far today of
33F. These are both 1 degree below their daily normals.
Winds have been moderate today and from the S/SSW. The
clouds increased throughout the day and we had overcast
skies by 1:00 P.M. Visibility was low today due to a
distant fog/haze which lingered throughout the day.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus
Temperature: 22F; Dew Point: 8F; Wind: SSW at 14G20 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.19 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 20 miles except ENE-WSW 50 miles
distant fog WSW-ENE
6-hr Max temp: 22F
6-hr Min temp: 17F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 15 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E70 BKN 20 224/22/08/2114G20/019/ VSBY 50
ENE-WSW DSNT FG WSW-ENE/ 8/070 4/015 56006 10022 20017

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, broken cirrostratus
Temperature: 26F; Dew Point: 12F; Wind: SSW at 16G21 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.16 ins. Hg, falling, then more rapidly
Visibility: 45 miles, distant fog in all directions
3-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
BHO SA 1455 90 SCT E200 BKN 45 215/26/12/2016G21/016/
DSNT FG ALQDS/ 8/076 58009

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, overcast cirrostratus
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 12F; Wind: SSW at 17G28 kts,
Peak wind: 28 kts (32 MPH) SSW at 12:42 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.07 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 40 miles
6-hr Max temp: 33F
6-hr Min temp: 21F
6-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
6-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 12 ins.
BHO SA 1755 E100 BKN E250 OVC 40 184/33/12/2117G28/007/ BINOVC
SSE DSNT HZ PK WND 2128/42/ 4/012 58031 10033 20021

SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 2018

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..14   NORMAL…..34
MIN…..-8   NORMAL…..18
MEAN…..3   NORMAL…..26

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………………..-23
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………….-114 [-16.5 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY………….62  DEPARTURE………+23
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………385  DEPARTURE……..+114
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON……….2507  DEPARTURE………-68
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…..2271  DIFFERENCE…….+236

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….37 WNW AT   3:42 A.M.
AERO……………………39 WNW AT   3:40 A.M.
ASOS……………………34 WNW AT   3:07 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..N/A*         RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………27  SSW AT 11:09 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………25  SSW AT 11:46 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..N/A*
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..15.9 WNW
ASOS……………………N/A*
DAVIS…………………..N/A*

*ASOS and Davis anemometers malfunctioning
** Last of several occurrences

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00  DEPARTURE……-0.14
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….1.66  DEPARTURE……+0.66
ASOS…………..1.97
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..1.66  DEPARTURE……+0.66
ASOS…………..1.97

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE……..-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………16.5  DEPARTURE…….+12.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..25.9  DEPARTURE……..+6.0

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR 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

1/1 11/-5/3/-24/0.00/0.0/…/..         30 NW  AERO 30 NW  RMY 31
1/2 15/-2/7/-20/0.00/0.0/…/..         26 W   AERO 25 W   RMY 26
1/3 28/11/20/-6/0.00/0.0/…/..         23 WSW AERO 20 WSW RMY N/A
1/4 28/18/23/-3/1.66/16.5/000/00        54 NNW AERO 60 NNW RMY 64
1/5 18/2/10/-16/0.00/0.0/…/..         53 W   AERO 53 W   RMY 57
1/6 10/-2/4/-22/0.00/0.0/…/..         43 WSW AERO 47 WSW RMY 47
1/7 14/-8/3/23/0.00/0.0/…/..          37 WNW AERO 35 WNW RMY N/A

1/8 Low temp since midnight is 17F; normal low is now 18F

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2018

01/04/18: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM SNOWFALL OF 16.5 INS.
PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 8.6 INS. SET IN 1923 AND TIED IN 1942

01/07/18: DAILY RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -8F,
PREVIOUS RECORD OF -7F WAS SET IN 1896

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 8
HIGH 65F IN 2008
LOW -8F IN 1968
PRECIP 1.70 INS. IN 1958,1979
SNOWFALL 12.5 INS. IN 1996
PEAK GUST 77 MPH NNW IN 1958

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 9
HIGH 62F IN 1937
LOW -9F IN 1968
PRECIP 3.00 INS. IN 1956
SNOWFALL 10.0 INS. IN 1904
PEAK GUST 101e MPH SE IN 1978 [RECORD FOR MONTH]

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Kaitlin Geagan