Saturday, March 22, 2014

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

GUSTY WINDS AGAIN TODAY WITH MILD TEMPERATURES AND LOTS OF CLOUDS
BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS MOVES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON

Winds have increased from the south ahead of a cold front that is crossing
our region this afternoon.  The average speed since 7:00 A.M. is over 15mph,
with a peak gust so far of 51mph.  Despite mostly cloudy skies for much of
the day, the temperature reached 53F this afternoon after a slightly cooler
than normal morning low of 26F.  Precipitation was seen moving in from the
west early this afternoon in the form of a band of rain showers ahead of the
cold front. The visibility in that direction decreased from 70 miles early
this morning to only about 20 miles as the sky darkened and rain moved in.
The air has been dry all day, which has kept the rain light.  Any rainfall
is much appreciated, as we are now 2.72 inches below normal for precipitation
this month.  The barometer has fallen significantly today, with the sea-level
pressure dropping from 29.98 ins. Hg at 7:00 this morning to 29.72 ins. Hg
at 1:00 P.M.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, broken altostratus, overcast cirrus, few
lower altocumulus N-E, Sun dimly visible, break in overcast distant offshore
NNE-E
Temperature: 29F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: S at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.98 ins. Hg, falling
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
6-hr max temp: 29F
6-hr min temp: 26F
Snow depth: Trace
BHO SA 1155 85 SCT E100 BKN 250 OVC 70 154/29/19/1810/998/ FEW LWR AC N-E
SUN DMLY VSBL BINOVC DSNT OFFSHR NNE-E LGT DSNT HZ/ 8/077 57009 10029 20026

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, broken altostratus, thin overcast cirrus,
Sun visible
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 23F; Wind: S at 18G25 kts
Wind: Direction variable SSE-SSW
Sea-level pressure: 29.85 ins. Hg, falling then falling more rapidly
Visibility: 60 miles, distant haze
BHO SA 1455 95 SCT E110 BKN 250 –OVC 60 108/40/23/1816G25/985/ SUN VSBL
DSNT HZ WND 15V21/ 8/077 58046

1 P.M.
Weather: Light rain, broken nimbostratus, overcast altostratus, few
stratocumulus and cumulus NE-S, light rain began 12:31 P.M.
Temperature: 49F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: WSW at 11G22 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SSW-W
Peak Wind: 32 kts SSW at 12:06 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.72 ins. Hg, falling then falling more slowly
Visibility: 50 miles
6-hr max temp: 53F
6-hr min temp: 29F
BHO SA 1755 E45 BKN 100 OVC 50R- 063/49/38/2411G22/972/ FEW SC AND CU NE-S
VSBY NW-NNE 15 SSW-WNW 30 R-B31 WND 21V28 PK WND 2032/06/ 8/12/ 56045
MANUAL 6000/ 10053 20029

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..42    NORMAL…..46
MIN…..29    NORMAL…..28
MEAN….36    NORMAL…..37

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….-1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………-65 [-3.3 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..29  DEPARTURE……….+1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….729  DEPARTURE………+75
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..5320  DEPARTURE………+98
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4771  DIFFERENCE…….+549

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………40 W    AT   3:14 P.M.
AERO…………………..41 W    AT   3:14 P.M.
ASOS…………………..41 W    AT   3:55 P.M.
DAVIS………………….40 W    AT   3:13 P.M. RMY 42
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..33 W    AT   3:53 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..31 WNW  AT   3:55 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….28 W    AT   3:14 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………18.8 W    AT   3:55 P.M.
ASOS…………………18.0
DAVIS………………..16.4 W [277 deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00  DEPARTURE………….-0.20
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….1.00  DEPARTURE………….-2.72
ASOS…………..1.01
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….11.09  DEPARTURE………….-1.05
ASOS………….11.55

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..  0.0  DEPARTURE…………..-0.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….2.5  DEPARTURE…………..-7.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..84.3  DEPARTURE………….+27.6

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/…./…/…/..          24 E   AERO 23 MPH E   RMY 26
3/20 51/35/43/+6/…./0.0/…/..          36 W   AERO 37 MPH W   RMY 39
3/21 42/29/36/-1/0.00/0.0/…/..          40 W   AERO 41 MPH W   RMY 42

3/22 morning low temp: 26F; the normal low is now 28F

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2014
None so far.

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 22
HIGH 81 IN 2012
LOW 3 IN 1885
PRE 3.48 INS. IN 2001
SNOW 8.7 INS. 1967
WIND 84e MPH E IN 1977

RECORDS FOR MARCH 23
HIGH 78 IN 1938
LOW 3 IN 1934
PRE 2.52 INS. IN 2010
SNOW 3.0 INS. IN 1977
WIND 78e MPH W IN 1940

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O’Brien