Monday, March 31, 2014

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

RAINFALL TOTAL APPROACHING 4 INCHES OVER 3 DAYS
CLOSE TO HALF INCH OF SNOW/SLEET EARLY THIS MORNING
TEMPERATURES DIP SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING CAUSING ICING
MARCH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING 4 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL
NORTH-NORTHEAST BACKED TO NORTH GUSTING NEAR 40 MPH

The rain which began Saturday afternoon totaled 2.41
inches by 8 A.M. EDT Sunday and 1.37 inches during
the next 24 hours ending this morning for a storm
total of 3.78 inches. In additional precipitation
began mixing with snow late last evening and then
became mostly snow and some heavy sleet along with
some freezing rain and freezing drizzle during this
morning.  The freezing precipitation added about a
0.1 inch coating of glaze stopping several of our
wind speed recording systems.

The storm rainfall total had reached 3.94 inches
by 2 P.M. EDT this afternoon.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Sky overcast with stratus fractus and light freezing
drizzle occurring with fog, 0.1 inch of glaze accumulation
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 32F; Wind: N at 15G28 kts,
Wind: Peak gust 28 kts N at 6:49 A.M. EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.78 ins. Hg, rising then more rapidly
Visibility: 1/8 of a mile, rain and fog
6-hr max temp: 32F
6-hr min temp: 31F
6-hr precip (ASOS): 1.35 inches
24-hr precip: 1.37 inches
24-hr snowfall: 0.4 inch (included sleet)
Total snow on ground: Trace (less than half inch)
BHO SA 1155 E5 OVC 13/4ZL-F 083/32/32/0115G28/978/ GLZ ACCUM 0.1 IN
PK WND 0128/49/WND 33V05 TOTAL NEW SN/PL PST 24 HRS 0.4 IN/
8/7// 53020 ASOS 60031 MANUAL N/A ASOS 70135 MANUAL 70137
10032 20031

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratus fractus, overcast nimbostratus,
light drizzle occurring, light snow shower past hour
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 32F; Wind: N at 20G32 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 32 kts N at 9:49 EST,
wIND: Direction variable NNW-NE
Sea-level pressure: 29.82 ins. Hg, rising then more slowly
Visibility: 3 miles, light drizzle and fog
3-hr precip: 0.06 inch
3-hr snowfall: trace
BHO SA 1455 E4 BKN 20 OVC 3L-F 098/33/32/3620G32/982/
TOTAL NEW SN PST 3 HRS TRACE PK WND 3632/51/ WND 33V04
SELBUKN PCPN VRY LGT/ 8/72/ 51015
ASOS 60006 MANUAL 6006/

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratus fractus, overcast stratus fractus,
light rain, briefly showers of ice pellets past hour
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 32F; Wind: N at 11G19 kts,
Wind: Direction variable NNW-NE
Sea-level pressure: 29.84 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 12 miles, except 5 miles SE, light rain and fog
6-hr max temp: 33F
6-hr min temp: 32F
6-hr precip: 0.16 inch
6-HR snowfall: trace
BHO SA 1755 5 SCT E25 OVC 12R- 106/33/32/0111G19/984/
VSBY SE 5 BRFLY IPW- PST HR BEUKN THN F ALQDS TOTAL NEW SN/PL
PST 6 HRS TRACE WND 34V04/ 8/7// 53008 MANUAL 6014/ ASOS 60014
10033 20032

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..42    NORMAL…..49
MIN…..33    NORMAL…..31
MEAN….38    NORMAL…..40

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….-2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..-114 [-4.0 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..27  DEPARTURE……….+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………1005  DEPARTURE……..+113
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..5596  DEPARTURE……..+137
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……5003  DIFFERENCE…….+593

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………40  NNE  AT  7:26 P.M.
AERO…………………..38  NNE  AT  4:45 P.M. *
ASOS…………………..39  NNE  AT  8:35 P.M.
DAVIS………………….37  N    AT  4:45 P.M. RMY 41
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..26  NNE  AT  4:45 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..26  NNE  AT  4:45 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….26  NNE  AT  4:45 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………… 18.3 NNE
ASOS………………….17.8
DAVIS…………………16.8 NNE [025 deg.] * Last of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….1.37  DEPARTURE………….+1.20
ASOS…………..1.35
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….4.84  DEPARTURE………….-0.74
ASOS…………..4.82
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….14.93  DEPARTURE………….+0.93
ASOS………….15.36

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.4  DEPARTURE…………..+0.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….3.0  DEPARTURE…………..-9.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..84.8  DEPARTURE………….+25.2

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 2014 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO 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

3/1  34/12/23/-8/0.00/0.0/458/68          28 SSW AERO 29 MPH SSW RMY 30
3/2  37/28/33/2/T/T/014/02                22 SW  AERO 22 MPH SW  RMY 29
3/3  28/11/20/-12/0.00/0.0/000/00         29 NNW AERO 30 MPH NNW RMY N/A
3/4  29/6/18/-14/0.00/0.0/444/65          17 SW  AERO 16 MPH SW  RMY 17
3/5  27/16/22/-10/0.02/0.3/000/00         21 NE  AERO 20 MPH N   RMY 23
3/6  26/7/17/-15/0.00/0.0/689/100         23 NNW AERO 23 MPH NNW RMY N/A
3/7  35/16/26/-7/0.00/0.0/449/65          18 SE  AERO 17 MPH SE  RMY 18
3/8  52/27/40/+7/0.00/0.0/673/97          26 NW  AERO 29 MPH NNW RMY 27
3/9  40/25/33/0/0.00/0.0/669/96           28 NW  AERO 29 MPH NW  RMY 29
3/10 42/26/34/+1/0.03/0.8/196/28          21 S   AERO 22 MPH S   RMY 27
3/11 56/34/45/+11/0.00/0.0/450/64         33 W   AERO 33 MPH W   RMY 34
3/12 53/34/44/+10/0.50/T/120/17           29 NNW AERO 30 MPH NNW RMY 30
3/13 33/12/23/-11/0.14/1.4/007/01         43 NW  AERO 45 MPH NW  RMY 45
3/14 37/10/24/-11/0.00/0.0/498/70         39 SSW AERO 41 MPH SSW RMY 42
3/15 54/35/45/+10/0.01/0.0/450/63         50 WNW AERO 58 MPH WNW RMY 54
3/16 34/21/28/-7/0.00/0.0/509/71          36 W   AERO 36 MPH WNW RMY 37
3/17 30/13/22/-14/0.00/0.0/562/78         25 N   AERO 26 MPH N   RMY 19
3/18 35/16/26/-10/0.00/0.0/701/97         18 ENE AERO 16 MPH ENE RMY 18
3/19 44/23/34/-2/T/0.0/428/59             24 E   AERO 23 MPH E   RMY 26
3/20 51/35/43/+6/0.30/0.0/190/26          36 W   AERO 37 MPH W   RMY 39
3/21 42/29/36/-1/0.00/0.0/242/33          40 W   AERO 41 MPH W   RMY 42
3/22 55/26/41/+4/T/0.0/404/55             52 WNW AERO 52 MPH WNW RMY 53
3/23 43/20/32/-6/0.00/0.0/052/07          32 NNW AERO 32 MPH NNW RMY N/A
3/24 32/13/23/-15/0.00/0.0/725/98         37 N   AERO 36 MPH N   RMY 36
3/25 38/17/28/-10/0.00/0.0/550/74         25 SSW AERO 22 MPH SSW RMY N/A
3/26 32/20/26/-13/T/0.1/…/..            54 NW  AERO 56 MPH NW  RMY 55
3/27 45/17/31/-8/0.00/0.0/…/..          35 NW  AERO 33 MPH NW  RMY 31
3/28 57/33/45/+6/0.06/0.0/…/..          45 SW  AERO 43 MPH SW  RMY 47
3/29 53/37/45/+5/…./0.0/…/..          39 ENE AERO 40 MPH ENE RMY 38
3/30 42/33/38/-2/…./T/000/00            40 NNE AERO 38 MPH NNE RMY 41

3/31 morning low temp: 31F; the normal low is now 32F

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2014
None

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 31
HIGH 89 IN 1998  [RECORD HIGH FOR MONTH] LOW 16 IN 1923
PRECIP 2.89 IN 1987
SNOWFALL 15.0 IN 1997
PEAK GUST 81 MPH SSE IN 1987

RECORDS FOR APRIL 1
HIGH 74 IN 1967
LOW 6 IN 1923 [RECORD FOR MONTH] PRECIP 3.47 IN. IN 2004 [RECORD FOR MONTH] SNOWFALL 15.0 IN. IN 1997 [RECORD FOR MONTH] PEAK GUST 75 MPH SSW IN 1962

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling