Saturday, March 4, 2023

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

SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 2023
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0615E
SUNSET:  1737E

LOW PRESSURE WITH LOW VISIBILITY AND FROZEN PRECIPITATION…

Today has been dreary with lots of fog and frozen precipitation.
Pressure dropped over 20 millibars in a 24 hour period from
yesterday morning until this morning, getting close to a
bombogenesis, but not quite enough of a fall to consider it
as such. Winds have been gusty, making observations particularly
unpleasant today with whipping ice pellets flying in strong
winds of 25 mph gusting to 44 mph at 7 AM and light snow and fog
at the latter observations. Temperatures have been lower than
seasonable, staying in the low 30’s for the entirety of the day
so far, with a normal high temperature of 41. There were 5 inches
of snow on the ground at the 1 o’clock observation and more has
fallen since then, although at a slower pace than earlier today.

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PRELIMINARY STATS FOR FEBRUARY 2023

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 41.4 [+4.4] Avg. Min. 24.0 [+4.5] Mean      32.7 [+4.5] 24-hour corrected mean: 32.9
Max. for month: 61F on the 16th
Min. for month:-14F on the 4th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units:    897 [-132] Total for the season:  3720 [-712] Total for last season: 4083

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 1.86 [-2.14] Greatest in 24 hrs: 1.10 on the 22-23rd

SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 9.4 [-8.8] Greatest in 24 hrs: 4.0 on the 22-23rd

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 12.2 mph
Avg. corrected wind speed:   12.6 mph
Prevailing wind direction:   Southwest [12%] Peak gust and direction:  56 WNW on the 3rd

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 7698 of a possible 17148, or 45%
Astronomical total minutes: 7971 of a possible 17767, or 45%

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Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Light ice pellets, fog
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 32F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: E @ 21G38 knots
Sea-level pressure: 997.8 mb; 29.46 in. Hg: falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 1/8 mile
6-hr Max temp: 32F
6-hr Min temp: 30F
24-hr Precip:  0.07 ins.
24-hr Snowfall: 2.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 4 ins.
BHO SA 1155 X W3 1/8IP-F 978/32/32/1021G38/946/ 8//// 4/004 58043 70007
10032 20030

10 A.M.
Weather: Light snow, fog
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 32F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: NE @ 16G30 kts
Sea-level pressure: 996.9 mb; 29.46 in. Hg: falling then rising
Visibility: 1/8 mile
3-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
3-hr Snowfall: 0.5 ins.
BHO SA 1455 X W3 1/8S-F 969/32/32/0516G30/946/ 8//// 55009 6002/

1 P.M.
Weather: Light snow, fog
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 33F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: NNE @ 21G39 kts
Sea-level pressure: 999.2 mb; 29.51 in. Hg: rising unsteadily
Visibility: 1/8 mile
6-hr Max temp: 33F
6-hr Min temp: 32F
6-hr Precip:  0.04 ins.
6-hr Snowfall: 1.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 5 ins.
BHO SA 1755 X W3 1/8S-F 992/33/33/0321G39/951/ 8//// 4/005 52025
6004/ 10033 20032

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SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2023

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….44   NORMAL…..40
MIN…….29   NORMAL…..23
MEAN……37   NORMAL…..32

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL………+5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………+14 [+4.7 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2022 THRU JUN 2023)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………28  DEPARTURE……..-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH……………86  DEPARTURE…….-14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………3806  DEPARTURE……-726
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….4187  DEPARTURE……-381

PEAK WIND GUST (MPH):
Note: Instruments designated #1 = Main Tower, #2 = South Tower,
420C, Contacting, Merlin and Richards are all Main Tower.

420C (Official)…………33 NW  @ 12:09 A.M.
VECTOR #1 (1-Sec)……….34 NW  @ 12:09 A.M.
VECTOR #2 (1-Sec)……….34 NW  @ 12:09 A.M.
DAVIS #1……………….30 N   @ 12:09 A.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………30 N   @ 12:09 A.M.
RMY #1 (Instantaneous)…..36 NW  @ 12:09 A.M.
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..34 NW  @ 12:09 A.M.
MERLIN…………………43 E
RICHARDS (C5C) (Inst)……36     @ 12:09 A.M.

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………23 NW   @  12:08 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…………..24      @  12:18 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..24      @  12:18 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………24 NNW  @  12:10 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………24 NNW  @  12:10 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……………..23 NW   @  12:18 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..24 NW   @  12:10 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RICHARDS (C5C) AVERAGE………23      @  12:18 A.M.

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL……8.4 NNW [201 total miles] VECTOR #1…………….8.7
VECTOR #2…………….8.9
DAVIS #1……………..8.5 NNW
DAVIS #2……………..8.6 NNE
RMY #1……………….8.3 N
RMY #2……………….8.8 N
RICHARDS (C5C)………..9.1

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..0.07 DEPARTURE…..-0.10
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH…………..0.40 DEPARTURE…..-0.29
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……………9.05 DEPARTURE…..-0.14

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…………..2.0 DEPARTURE……+1.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH………………..2.0 DEPARTURE……-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON (2022-2023)……26.3 DEPARTURE…..-27.7

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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
VEC1: Vector #1 1-second gust
RMY:  R.M. Young 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   30/18/24/-2/T/T/552/92              17 NW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 20
2/2   38/19/29/+3/0.00/0.0/518/86         25 SW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 29
2/3   28/-11/9/-17/T/T/557/92             56 WNW  VEC1 N/A    RMY 64
2/4   14/-14/0/-26/0.00/0.0/473/78        45 NW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 51
2/5   49/14/32/+5/0.00/0.0/359/59         38 SW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 43
2/6   47/30/39/+12/0.00/0.0/025/04        28 NE   VEC1 N/A    RMY 29
2/7   31/22/27/0/0.01/0.1/461/75          29 SSW  VEC1 N/A    RMY 33
2/8   46/31/39/+12/0.00/0.0/413/67        30 NW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 34
2/9   49/33/41/+14/T/0.0/149/24           31 SSE  VEC1 N/A    RMY 32
2/10  60/31/46/+19/0.00/0.0/603/97        43 W    VEC1 N/A    RMY 51
2/11  43/31/37/+10/0.00/0.0/625/100       41 WNW  VEC1 N/A    RMY 46
2/12  48/28/38/+10/0.00/0.0/339/54        22 SW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 24
2/13  42/33/38/+10/0.00/0.0/069/11        28 NE   VEC1 N/A    RMY 36
2/14  50/34/42/+14/0.00/0.0/475/75        30 NW   VEC1 33 NW  RMY 35
2/15  56/35/46/+18/0.00/0.0/279/44        39 SSW  VEC1 44 SSW RMY 49
2/16  61/50/56/+28/T/0.0/108/17           29 W    VEC1 31 W   RMY 34
2/17  56/23/40/+11/0.06/0.1/000/00        44 NNW  VEC1 46 NNW RMY 46
2/18  39/19/29/0/0.00/0.0/643/100         41 NW   VEC1 42 NNW RMY 47
2/19  44/30/37/+8/0.00/0.0/129/20         32 S    VEC1 35 S   RMY 36
2/20  59/41/50/+21/0.00/0.0/208/32        35 W    VEC1 36 W   RMY 40
2/21  41/31/36/+7/0.22/1.4/000/00         26 W    VEC1 27 W   RMY 27
2/22  42/30/36/+6/0.23/0.5/242/37         33 WNW  VEC1 35 WNW RMY 36
2/23  32/25/29/-1/0.91/3.5/000/00         29 NNW  VEC1 M  M   RMY 21
2/24  33/16/25/-5/0.01/T/290/44           39 NW   VEC1 M  M   RMY 47
2/25  19/9/14/-16/0.02/0.5/000/00         17 NNW  VEC1 19 NNW RMY 19
2/26  35/16/26/-5/T/T/060/09              22 NNE  VEC1 23 W   RMY 24
2/27  33/22/28/-3/0.00/0.0/394/59         22 NNW  VEC1 23 ESE RMY 25
2/28  34/25/30/-1/0.40/3.3/000/00         32 ESE  VEC1 33 ESE RMY 34

DAILY RECORDS

02/03/2023: NEW RECORD MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -11F,
THIS BEATS THE OLD RECORD OF -7F SET IN 1955

02/04/2023: NEW RECORD MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -14F,
THIS BEATS THE OLD RECORD OF -4F SET IN 1886 AND 1908

02/10/2023: NEW RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 60F,
THIS BEATS THE OLD RECORD OF 56F SET IN 1909

02/16/2023: NEW RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 50F,
THIS BEATS THE OLD RECORD OF 41F SET IN 1976. THIS ALSO
TIES THE WARMEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR FEBRUARY SET
IN 2018

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

3/1   43/27/35/+4/0.00/0.0/…/..         20 NW   VEC1 21 SE  RMY 21
3/2   40/34/37/+5/0.31/0.0/…/..         35 NW   VEC1 36 NW  RMY 39
3/3   44/29/37/+5/…./0.0/…/..         33 NW   VEC1 34 NW  RMY 36

3/4  The low since midnight is 30, the daily normal low is 23F

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 4
HIGH 69 IN 1974
LOW -5 IN 1950 [RECORD LOW FOR MONTH] PRECIP 1.80 IN 1960
SNOWFALL 17.3 IN 1960
PEAK GUST 81e MPH SSW IN 1971

RECORDS FOR MARCH 5
HIGH 64 IN 1979
LOW -2 IN 1948
PRECIP 1.76 INS. IN 1920, 2001
SNOWFALL 12.0 INS. IN 1917
PEAK GUST 76e MPH WNW IN 1971

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Samantha Richard