Monday, September 30, 2013

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2013
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

EARLY DENSE FOG DISSIPATES EARLY THIS MORNING
HIGH THIN CLOUDS INCREASE BRIGHT SUNSHINE CONTINUES
HIGH TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE
LARGE DARK SMOKE PLUME SEEN TO ENE BY NOON

Like yesterday there was dense fog this morning which
quickly dissipated leaving us with a beautiful sunny
last day of September.  Temperatures rose to mid 60’s
or to just slightly below the normal.

A large building fire broke out in Quincy Center late
this morning and the black smoke could still be seen
early this afternoon to the ENE.  Visibility was
reduced to about 10 miles in that direction while
the mountains of southern New Hampshire could be
seen 60 to 70 to the northwest with just some light
distant haze.

A list of record high early October temperatures is
shown here in anticipation of some possible near
record warmth later this week.

RECORD FOR OCTOBER 2
HIGH 85F IN 1968

RECORD FOR OCTOBER 3
HIGH 82F IN 1922

RECORD FOR OCTOBER 4
HIGH 84F IN 2007

RECORD FOR OCTOBER 5
HIGH 86F IN 2007

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement with heavy fog
Temperature: 51F; Dew Point: 51F; Wind: NNE at 2 kts. (estimated)
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.12 ins. Hg, rising slightly
Visibility: 1/8 mile, dense fog, occasionally higher
6-hour min. temp: 51F
24-hour precip: none
BHO SA 1155 W3 X 1/8F 199/51/51/E0302/012/ VSBY OCNL HIER
HVY DEW/CONDENSATION WND LGT/ 8//// 51004 10053 20051

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, scattered cirrus (SE-S),
lower stratus/thin fog along horizon SW-NE-NNE
Temperature: 61F; Dew Point: 51F; Wind: NW at 2 kts, (estimated)
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 ins. Hg, falling then more slowly
Visibility: 15 miles, except 12 miles W-NNE light fog,
25 miles SE-S, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 15 SCT 250 SCT 15 190/61/51/E3102/009/ LWR STRA
AND THN F ALG HRZN SW-NW-NNE VSBY W-NNE 12 SE-S 25 DSNT HZ
WND LGT/ 8/501 56009

1 P.M.
Weather: Few stratocumulus all quadrant except stratocumulus band extending
E-S, mostly high thin clouds, (2 layers), cirrus, scattered and broken
Temperature: 64F; Dew Point: 46F; Wind: NE at 6 kts,
Wind: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.05 ins. Hg, decreasing then more slowly
Visibility: 60 miles, except building fire 6 miles northeast by
east, large dark smoke plume drifting very slowly S-SW, visibility
ENE, 10 miles, E 25 miles, NW 70 miles, light distant haze
6-hour max. temp: 64F
BHO SA 1755 250 –SCT 300 –BKN 60 177/64/46/0506/005/ FEW SC ALQDS
XCPT SC BND MSTLY DSNT E-S BLDG FIRE 6 MI NE X E LGE DRK K PLUME
ENE DRFTG VRY SLOWLY S-SW VSBY ENE 10 E 25 NW 70 LGT DSNT HZ WND LGT/
8/501 56013 10064 20051

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..65    NORMAL…..67
MIN…..50    NORMAL…..49
MEAN….58    NORMAL…..58

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL………………….0
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………..-25 [-1.1 DEGREE/DAY]

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..0   DEPARTURE………-1
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….56   DEPARTURE………-3
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..696   DEPARTURE…….+100
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……765   DIFFERENCE…….-69

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..7   DEPARTURE……….-3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………128   DEPARTURE………+19
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..140   DEPARTURE……….+6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….88   DIFFERENCE……..+52

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………15 ESE AT  8:06 P.M. *
AERO…………………..15 ESE AT  7:53 P.M. *
ASOS…………………..15 ESE AT  8:06 P.M.
DAVIS………………….15 ESE AT  7:42 P.M. RMY 15
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..12 ESE AT  8:14 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..13 ESE AT  8:08 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….12 E   AT  8:01 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….6.5 ENE
ASOS………………….6.7
DAVIS…………………6.0 E (080 degrees] * last of several occurrences

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……….3.91   DEPARTURE………….+0.00
ASOS…………..4.04
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….41.92   DEPARTURE………….+2.99
ASOS…………..N/A*
*ASOS malfunctioned during storm on 2/8-9, leading to erroneous totals

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 2013 CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust
RMY:  RMY = R.M. Young wind gust recording system added 8/9/2011
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized

9/1  76/67/72/+4/2.32/008/01         33 S   AERO 39 MPH S   RMY 38   TSTM
9/2  79/67/73/+5/0.43/056/07         30 SSE AERO 33 MPH SSE RMY N/A  TSTM
9/3  79/61/70/+3/0.00/219/28         28 S   AERO 29 MPH S   RMY 30   TSTM
9/4  78/57/68/+1/0.00/733/94         24 W   AERO 25 MPH W   RMY 25
9/5  66/51/59/-8/0.08/179/23         20 NNE AERO 20 MPH NNE RMY 21
9/6  68/46/57/-10/0.00/751/97        18 WSW AERO 17 MPH WSW RMY N/A
9/7  78/51/65/-1/0.00/594/77         20 WSW AERO 21 MPH WSW RMY 21
9/8  74/50/62/-4/0.00/646/84         31 NW  AERO 33 MPH NW  RMY 32
9/9  69/47/58/-8/T/529/69            23 SW  AERO 23 MPH SSW RMY N/A
9/10 73/56/65/0/0.03/007/01          30 S   AERO 32 MPH S   RMY 33
9/11 93/68/81/+16/0.00/654/86        25 SW  AERO 27 MPH SW  RMY N/A
9/12 85/66/76/+11/0.47/455/60        32 S   AERO 33 MPH S   RMY 34   TSTM
9/13 79/58/69/+5/0.17/242/32         24 NNW AERO 25 MPH NNW RMY 23
9/14 67/52/60/-4/0.00/361/48         21 NW  AERO 21 MPH NW  RMY 21
9/15 70/48/59/-5/0.00/547/73         17 WSW AERO 18 MPH WSW RMY 20
9/16 66/46/56/-7/0.02/179/24         29 NNW AERO 31 MPH NNW RMY 30
9/17 60/40/50/-13/0.00/722/97        27 NNE AERO 27 MPH NNE RMY 26
9/18 73/47/60/-2/0.00/726/98         18 W   AERO 18 MPH WSW RMY 20
9/19 78/51/65/+3/0.00/731/99         17 WSW AERO 16 MPH WSW RMY 18
9/20 78/54/66/+4/0.00/706/96         18 SSW AERO 18 MPH SSW RMY 23
9/21 74/57/66/+4/T/512/70            35 S   AERO 40 MPH S   RMY N/A
9/22 70/49/60/-1/0.39/365/50         38 S   AERO 39 MPH S   RMY 42
9/23 63/43/53/-7/0.00/711/98         25 NW  AERO 26 MPH NW  RMY 28
9/24 65/40/53/-7/0.00/702/97         22 ENE AERO 22 MPH ENE RMY 23
9/25 64/45/55/-5/0.00/512/71         18 N   AERO 18 MPH N   RMY 19
9/26 63/52/58/-1/0.00/…/..         16 ENE AERO 14 MPH ENE RMY 16
9/27 64/52/58/-1/0.00/…/..         21 NE  AERO 20 MPH NE  RMY 20
9/28 70/52/61/+3/0.00/…/..         16 NNE AERO 15 MPH NNE RMY 15
9/29 65/50/58/0/0.00/…/..          15 ESE AERO 15 MPH ESE RMY 15

9/30 our morning low temp: 51F; the normal low is now 49F

DAILY RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 2013
9/1  – NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION OF 2.32 INCHES;
surpasses previous record of 1.60 inches set in 1927
9/11 – TIED DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 93F;
ties record of 93F set in 1983

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

RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 30
HIGH 84F IN 1986
LOW 31F IN 1992
PRECIP 1.93 INCHES IN 1946
PEAK GUST 58 MPH SSE IN 1999

RECORDS FOR OCTOBER 1
HIGH 85F IN 1927
LOW 30F IN 1992
PRECIP 1.44 INCHES IN 1984
PEAK GUST 68e MPH SSE IN 1977

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling