Saturday, March 2, 2024

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

SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2024
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0617E
SUNSET:  1736E

OVERCAST AND SEASONABLY WARM AS STORM MOVES IN…

We began the morning under an overcast with some very light
rain, which came to an end quickly after the 7am observation.
Since then, gray skies have been the rule, with light rain not
beginning again until around 11:30am. So far, we have only received
a trace of precipitation here on the hill.

Temperatures are a bit above average today, due to the southerly flow
ahead of the storm. Temperatures have risen from the mid 30s this
morning to the mid 40s by early afternoon. The dew point has lagged
behind by a few degrees.

Winds have shifted from the south-southwest to the south-southeast,
with an average speed of around 12mph. The past few hours have been slower.
The peak gust for the day is only around 23 mph, taking place mid-morning.

Visibility has been on the decline, starting at 40 miles and dropping to
only 15 miles by 1pm due to thin fog.

The maximum temperature so far today is 46F degrees, which is 6
degrees above the normal high of 40F. The minimum temperature since
midnight is 32F degrees, which is 9 degrees above the normal low
of 23F.

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PRELIMINARY STATS FOR FEBRUARY 2024

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 40.9 [+3.9] Avg. Min. 25.0 [+5.5] Mean      33.0 [+4.8] 24-hour corrected mean: 32.7
Max. for month: 62F on the 27th
Min. for month: 11F on the 25th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units:    922 [-107] Total for the season:  3888 [-544] Total for last season: 3720

COOLING DEGREE DAYS
Total cooling units:    000 [ 000] Total for the season:   000 [ 000] Total for last season:  000

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 1.32 [-2.68] Greatest in 24 hrs: 0.65 on the 13th

SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 5.2 [-13.0] Greatest in 24 hrs: 4.3 on the 13th

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 11.5 mph
Avg. corrected wind speed:   12.0 mph
Prevailing wind direction:   South-Southwest [14%] Peak gust and direction:  62 WNW on the 28th and 29th

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 10548 of a possible 17796, or 59%
Astronomical total minutes: 10916 of a possible 18424, or 59%

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Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, overcast altocumulus/altostratus,
very light rain, virga distant N-NE
Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 33F; Relative Humidity: 92%
Wind: S @ 11 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1033.4 mb; 30.52 in. Hg: rising, then falling
Visibility: 40 miles
6-hr Max temp: 35F
6-hr Min temp: 32F
24-hr Precip: Trace
24-hr Snowfall: 0.0 inches
Snow Depth: 0 inches
BHO SA 1155 E40 BKN 90 OVC 40R- 334/35/33/1911/052/ FEW BINOVC DSNT
NE-ESE PCPN VRY LGT VIRGA DSNT N-NE/ 8/57/ 58001 6000/ 70000 10035
20032

10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast altocumulus/altostratus
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 36F; Relative Humidity: 83%
Wind: S @ 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1032.4 mb; 30.49 in. Hg: falling unsteadily
Visibility: 30 miles
3-hr Precip:  0.00 inches
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 inches
BHO SA 1455 E80 OVC 30 324/41/36/1809/049/ 8/07/ 57010

1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, very light rain
Temperature: 45F; Dew Point: 42F; Relative Humidity: 89%
Wind: SSE @ 6 kts, wind light
Sea-level pressure: 1029.9 mb; 30.41 in. Hg: falling, then more rapidly
Visibility: 15 miles, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 46F
6-hr Min temp: 35F
6-hr Precip:  Trace
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 inches
Snow Depth: 0 inches
BHO SA 1755 E20 OVC 15R- 299/45/42/1506/041/ PCPN VRY LGT THN F ALQDS
WND LGT/ 8/5// 58025 6000/ 10046 20035

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SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2024

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….41   NORMAL…..40
MIN…….18   NORMAL…..23
MEAN……30   NORMAL…..31

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL…………-1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………-1 [-0.8 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2023 THRU JUN 2024)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………35  DEPARTURE……..+1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH……………35  DEPARTURE……..+1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………3923  DEPARTURE……-543
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….3750  DEPARTURE……+173

PEAK WIND GUST (MPH):
Note: Instruments designated #1 = Main Tower, #2 = South Tower,
F420C, Contacting, Merlin, and Richards are all Main Tower.
E=Estimated

F420C (Official)……….E30 NW   @  12:57 A.M.
VECTOR #1 (1-Sec)……….30 WNW  @  12:13 A.M.
VECTOR #2 (1-Sec)……….35 WNW  @  01:00 A.M.
DAVIS #1……………….31 WNW  @  12:57 A.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………31 WNW  @  01:00 A.M.
RMY #1 (Instantaneous)…..33 NW   @  12:57 A.M.
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..35 WNW  @  01:00 A.M.
MERLIN………………….M
RICHARDS (C5C) (Inst)……31      @  12:13 A.M.

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………23 NW   @  12:59 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…………..22      @  12:59 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..24      @  12:58 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………23 WNW  @  12:59 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………23 NW   @  12:58 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……………..21 NW   @  12:59 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..23 WNW  @  12:58 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RICHARDS (C5C) AVERAGE………22      @  12:59 A.M.

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL……10.7 WSW [257 total miles] VECTOR #1…………….10.9
VECTOR #2…………….11.4
DAVIS #1……………..10.7 WSW
DAVIS #2……………..11.1 WSW
RMY #1……………….10.7 WSW
RMY #2……………….11.3 WSW
RICHARDS (C5C)………..10.9

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…….TRACE DEPARTURE…..-0.17
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH………….TRACE DEPARTURE…..-0.17
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR (2024)…….10.56 DEPARTURE…..+1.89

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…………..0.0 DEPARTURE……-0.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH………………..0.0 DEPARTURE……-0.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON (2023-2024)……26.1 DEPARTURE…..-26.5

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PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/VEC1/RMY GUST
PEAK GUST: F420C (Official)
VEC1: Vector #1 1-second gust
RMY:  R.M. Young #1 wind gust recording system (Instantaneous)
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized
M:    Missing data

2/1   40/30/35/+9/0.00/0.0/012/02         25 SW  VEC1 24 SW  RMY 26
2/2   39/31/35/+9/0.03/T/000/00           23 N   VEC1 24 N   RMY 25
2/3   35/26/31/+5/0.00/0.0/338/56         26 N   VEC1 26 NNW RMY 28
2/4   39/20/30/+4/0.00/0.0/607/100        28 NNW VEC1 28 NNW RMY 27
2/5   39/22/31/+4/0.00/0.0/597/98         29 N   VEC1 29 N   RMY 30
2/6   35/26/31/+4/0.00/0.0/251/41         26 N   VEC1 26 N   RMY 26
2/7   39/26/33/+6/0.00/0.0/436/71         21 NE  VEC1 21 NE  RMY 24
2/8   44/29/37/+10/0.00/0.0/457/74        16 S   VEC1 16 S   RMY 16
2/9   47/30/39/+12/0.00/0.0/229/37        31 SSW VEC1 31 SSW RMY 31
2/10  58/35/47/+20/0.02/0.0/385/62        26 NW  VEC1 26 NW  RMY 30
2/11  45/34/40/+13/0.00/0.0/119/19        30 NW  VEC1 30 NW  RMY 31
2/12  47/29/38/+10/0.00/0.0/470/75        21 N   VEC1 20 N   RMY 20
2/13  35/25/30/+2/0.65/4.3/000/00         40 NNE VEC1 41 NNE RMY M
2/14  29/21/25/-3/0.00/0.0/562/89         53 NW  VEC1 53 NW  RMY 54
2/15  38/18/28/0/0.03/0.4/527/83          37 SW  VEC1 36 SW  RMY 37
2/16  37/26/32/+4/T/T/599/94              50 WNW VEC1 47 WNW RMY 51
2/17  33/21/27/-2/T/T/128/20              36 WNW VEC1 38 WNW RMY 38
2/18  35/17/26/-3/0.00/0.0/418/65         39 SW  VEC1 40 SW  RMY 41
2/19  36/21/29/0/0.00/0.0/639/99          29 WNW VEC1 29 WNW RMY 28
2/20  36/16/26/-3/0.00/0.0/648/100        22 N   VEC1 22 N   RMY 21
2/21  39/24/32/+3/0.00/0.0/553/85         23 ESE VEC1 23 ESE RMY 22
2/22  42/24/33/+3/T/0.0/589/90            26 SSW VEC1 26 SSW RMY 25
2/23  41/33/37/+7/0.07/0.0/000/00         25 SSW VEC1 26 SSW RMY 27
2/24  37/17/27/-3/0.00/0.0/217/33         28 NW  VEC1 29 NNW RMY 29
2/25  37/11/24/-6/0.00/0.0/649/98         26 SSW VEC1 26 NW  RMY 27
2/26  54/26/40/+9/0.00/0.0/439/66         31 SE  VEC1 32 SW  RMY 33
2/27  62/29/46/+15/0.13/0.0/434/65        42 S   VEC1 42 S   RMY 42
2/28  54/35/45/+14/0.33/T/000/00          62 WNW VEC1 61 WNW RMY 64
2/29  35/22/29/-2/T/T/613/91              62 WNW VEC1 60 WNW RMY 65

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FEBRUARY DAILY RECORDS TO DATE

2/27 MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 62F SETS A NEW DAILY RECORD,
BEATING THE OLD RECORD OF 61F SET IN 1976

2/29 RECORD PEAK WIND GUST OF 62 MPH WNW
BEATING THE OLD RECORD OF 60 MPH SET IN 1968

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PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/VEC1/RMY GUST
PEAK GUST: F420C (Official)
VEC1: Vector #1 1-second gust
RMY:  R.M. Young #1 wind gust recording system (Instantaneous)
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized
M:    Missing data
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated)

3/1   41/18/30/-1/0.00/0.0/…/..         30 NW  VEC1 30 WNW RMY 33

3/2 The low since midnight is 32F, the daily normal low is 23F.

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MARCH DAILY RECORDS TO DATE

NONE…

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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, 2020
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: Joshua Polen