Monday, March 2, 2020

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2020
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS, WINDY, AND MILD FOLLOWING A
COLD START ATOP GREAT BLUE HILL….

A few flurries very early this morning marked the leading
edge of a milder air mass moving into the region. After
a rather chilly weekend and start to the day, we have
recovered nicely with temperatures early this afternoon
rising into the upper 40s.

In addition to the milder air, a rather gusty south wind
has developed with gusts topping out over 30 mph so far,
helping to advect the new air mass into the region. A very
clear sign of this is the dew point rising from single
digits last night to the low teens this morning, to now at
30F early this afternoon. That’s a significant increase as
the Arctic air mass has departed.

Visibility increased from 50 miles early this morning to
60 miles early this afternoon.

The high so far today is 47F degrees, this is 7 degrees
above the normal high of 40F. The low since midnight is 24F,
2 degrees above the normal low of 22F.

Last month is tied for the 2nd Lowest February Snowfall
and winter 2019-2020 was the fifth warmest on record:

BHO Lowest February Snowfall, inches (1885-2020):

1) 0.4 in 1937
2) 0.6 in 1984
0.6 in 2020
4) 1.0 in 1925
1.0 in 1998
6) 1.5 in 1941
7) 1.8 in 1912
1.8 in 1954

BHO Warmest Winter (Dec-Feb) Mean Temperature, deg F (1886-2020):

1) 34.9 in 2015-2016
2) 34.8 in 2001-2002
3) 34.3 in 2011-2012
4) 32.9 in 2016-2017
5) 32.7 in 2019-2020
6) 32.6 in 1997-1998
7) 32.3 in 1936-1937
32.3 in 1998-1999

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, thin broken cirrus
Temperature: 26F; Dew Point: 13F; Relative Humidity: 58%
Wind: SSE at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.14 ins. Hg: falling, then more rapidly
Visibility: 50 miles
6-hr Max temp: 26F
6-hr Min temp: 24F
24-hr Precip: Trace
24-hr Snowfall: Trace
BHO SA 1155 E110 BKN 250 –BKN 50 207/26/13/1508/014/
THN K LYR ALNG HRZN ALQDS/ 8/071 58010 6000 70000 10026 20024

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, thin broken cirrus
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 21F; Relative Humidity: 50%
Wind: S at 12G22 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 ins. Hg: falling, then more rapidly
Visibility: 60 miles
3-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1455 E80 BKN 100 BKN 250 –BKN 60 190/38/21/1712G22/009/
8/071 58017

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, thin broken cirrus, few small cumulus
distant SE-S
Temperature: 47F; Dew Point: 30F; Relative Humidity: 51%
Wind: WNW at 18G27 kts, peak wind S 30kts at 12:11 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg: falling rapidly
Visibility: 60 miles
6-hr Max temp: 47F
6-hr Min temp: 26F
6-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1755 E90 BKN 120 BKN 250 –BKN 60 145/47/30/1918G27/996/
FEW SML CU DSNT SE-S PRESFR PK WND 1830/11/ 8/171 58045 10047
20026

SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2020

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..33   NORMAL…..40
MIN…..15   NORMAL…..22
MEAN….24   NORMAL…..31

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………….-7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………….-7 [-7.2 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………41  DEPARTURE……..+7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH……………41  DEPARTURE……..+7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………4181  DEPARTURE……-421
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….4522  DEPARTURE……-341

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………..28 WNW AT  3:18 P.M.
AERO…………………….28 WNW AT  4:18 P.M.
ASOS…………………….27 WNW AT  4:16 P.M.
DAVIS……………………28 W   AT  1:26 P.M. RMY 27
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………….21 W   AT 10:06 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………….20 NW  AT  3:19 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE………………21 W   AT 10:07 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..10.6 WNW
ASOS……………………9.8
DAVIS………………….11.0 WNW [301 deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…TRACE  DEPARTURE……-0.17
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH………TRACE  DEPARTURE……-0.17
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..4.66  DEPARTURE……-3.94
ASOS…………..4.91

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..TRACE  DEPARTURE…….-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………..TRACE  DEPARTURE…….-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..24.8  DEPARTURE……-27.2

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 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

02/01  38/30/34/+8/0.01/T/…./..          14 WSW AERO 14 WSW RMY N/A
02/02  40/30/35/+9/0.00/0.0/…./..        18 W   AERO 18 WNW RMY 18
02/03  44/27/36/+10/0.00/0.0/…./..       28 W   AERO 28 W   RMY 28
02/04  44/33/39/+13/0.00/0.0/…./..       19 E   AERO 16 E   RMY 18
02/05  41/30/36/+10/0.00/0.0/…./..       20 NNW AERO 19 NNW RMY N/A
02/06  31/30/34/+8/0.00/0.0/…./..        29 E   AERO 28 E   RMY 27
02/07  53/25/39/+12/…./0.1/…./..       71 WSW AERO 71 SSW RMY 73
02/08  33/20/27/0/T/T/…./..              46 W   AERO 44 W   RMY 44
02/09  33/15/24/-3/T/T/…./..             30 SSE AERO 29 SSE RMY N/A
02/10  42/33/38/+11/…./0.0/…./..       39 SSW AERO 39 SSW RMY 39
02/11  40/36/38/+11/…./0.0/…./..       24 W   AERO 23 W   RMY N/A
02/12  41/30/36/+9/0.00/0.0/…./..        37 W   AERO 36 W   RMY N/A
02/13  35/31/34/+6/.00/0.0/…./..         29 SSW AERO 29 SSW RMY N/A
02/14  33/8/21/-7/0.00/0.0/…./..         32 WNW AERO 32 NW  RMY 34
02/15  27/4/16/-12/0.00/0.0/…./..        31 SSW AERO 31 SSW RMY N/A
02/16  40/23/32/+4/0.00/0.0/…./..        38 SW  AERO 38 SW  RMY N/A
02/17  44/28/36/+8/0.00/0.0/…./..        25 WNW AERO 24 WNW RMY 24
02/18  37/27/32/+3/0.31/T/…./..          26 SE  AERO 26 SE  RMY N/A
02/19  42/25/34/+5/0.00/0.0/…./..        45 W   AERO 46 W   RMY 44
02/20  31/18/25/-4/0.00/0.0/…./..        32 W   AERO 32 W   RMY N/A
02/21  30/11/21/-8/0.00/0.0/…./..        24 NNW AERO 21 N   RMY N/A
02/22  44/23/34/+5/0.00/0.0/…./..        26 W   AERO 24 W   RMY 27
02/23  53/30/42/+12/0.00/0.0/…./..       21 SW  AERO 22 WSW RMY 23
02/24  60/32/46/+16/0.00/0.0/…./..       29 S   AERO 29 SSW RMY 31
02/25  53/40/47/+17/…./0.0/…./..       17 NE  AERO 18 ENE RMY 17
02/26  45/39/42/+12/…/0.0/…./..        23 ENE AERO 24 E   RMY N/A
02/27  49/27/38/+7/0.00/0.0/…./..        51 W   AERO 53 W   RMY 52
02/28  36/25/31/0/0.00/0.0/…./…        38 SW  AERO 38 SW  RMY 36
02/29  35/19/27/-4/0.00/0.0/…./..       32 W   AERO 32 W   RMY 34

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 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

03/01  33/15/24/-7/0.00/0.0/…./..        28 WNW AERO 28 WNW RMY 27

03/02 The low since midnight is 24F, daily normal minimum is 22F

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 2
HIGH 63 IN 2004
LOW -3 IN 1886
PRE 3.47 INS. IN 2018
SNOW 8.2 INS. IN 2009
WIND 75 MPH NW IN 1966

RECORDS FOR MARCH 3
HIGH 64 IN 1991
LOW -1 IN 1950
PRECIP 2.36 INS. IN 1972
SNOWFALL 12.8 INS. IN 1960
PEAK GUST 78e MPH E IN 1942

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas