Sunday, January 1, 2023

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

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0713E
SUNSET:  1622E

SUNSHINE RETURNS TODAY AFTER OVERNIGHT RAIN, CONTINUED MILD….

Happy New Year from all of us here at Blue Hill Observatory!

We’ve turned the calendar not only to a new month, but also
to a new year, but the same mild weather pattern is sticking
around for a few more days. Speaking of mild, temperatures
today are averaging 21F degrees above normal for the date, at
least up to this point of the day.

The overnight low was a very mild 47F degrees. If this were
to hold until midnight tonight, this would be a new record
high minimum for the date. The previous record was set just a
year ago with 43F degrees. However, it appears we’ll likely
drop below that value by midnight. Stay tuned!

Rainfall yesterday and overnight totaled 0.44 inches. 0.40″
of which fell before midnight. So the month of December will
go down as a wet month with 5.91″ being measured, 0.52″
above the 30 year (1991-2020) normal.

The wind today has been on the busy side with an average
speed of around 16mph. Frequent gusts over 30mph have been
occurring. The peak gust so far for the day is 39mph.

Visibility is excellent this afternoon reaching 80 miles,
after starting the day around 40 miles.

The high so far today is 53F, occurring back at midnight,
which is 17 degrees above the normal maximum of 36F. The low
since midnight is 47F, which is 26 degrees above the normal
minimum of 21F.

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PRELIMINARY STATS FOR DECEMBER 2022

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 41.7 [+1.5] Avg. Min. 27.0 [+2.1] Mean      34.4 [+1.9] 24-hour corrected mean: 34.1
Max. for month: 63F on the 30th
Min. for month:  6F on the 24th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units:    941 [-065] Total for the season:  1910 [-300] Total for last season: 1886

COOLING DEGREE DAYS
Total cooling units:      0 [ 000] Total for the season:   889 [+212] Total for last season:  717

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 5.91 [+0.52] Greatest in 24 hrs: 1.88 on the 16th

SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 2.7 [-9.9] Greatest in 24 hrs: 2.1 on the 11th

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 13.9 mph
Avg. corrected wind speed:   14.1 mph
Prevailing wind direction:   WSW [13%] Peak gust and direction:  74 SE on the 23rd

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 8820 of a possible 16470, or 54%
Astronomical total minutes: 9112 of a possible 17001, or 54%

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Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus all quadrants, few cirrus distant
SW-N
Temperature: 48F; Dew Point: 46F; Relative Humidity: 92%
Wind: WNW @ 14G21 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1005.7 mb; 29.70 in. Hg: rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 40 miles, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 53F
6-hr Min temp: 48F
24-hr Precip:  0.44 ins.
24-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1155 CLR 40 057/48/46/2914G21/970/ FEW SC ALQDS FEW CI
DSNT SW-N THN F ALQDS/ 8/501 51013 6003/ 70044 10053 20048

10 A.M.
Weather: Thin broken cirrus, few stratocumulus all quadrants
Temperature: 51F; Dew Point: 42F; Relative Humidity: 70%
Wind: WNW @ 16G26 kts, peak wind WNW 35mph at 9:03am
Sea-level pressure: 1008.3 mb; 29.78 in. Hg: rising, then more rapidly
Visibility: 70 miles
3-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1455 E250 -BKN 70 083/51/42/2916G26/978/ FEW SC ALQDS
PK WND 2930/03/ 8/501 53026

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken cirrostratus, few stratocumulus distant WNW-NW
Temperature: 49F; Dew Point: 38F; Relative Humidity: 65%
Wind: NW @ 14G24 kts, peak wind NW 33mph at 12:31pm
Sea-level pressure: 1009.1 mb; 29.80 in. Hg: rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 80 miles
6-hr Max temp: 52F
6-hr Min temp: 47F
24-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
24-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1755 E220 BKN 80 091/49/38/3114G24/980/ FEW SC DSNT WNW-NW
PK WND 3229/31/ 8/508 51008 10052 20047

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SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….54   NORMAL…..36
MIN…….43   NORMAL…..21
MEAN……49   NORMAL…..29

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL…….+20
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………….+64 [+1.9 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2022 THRU JUN 2023)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………16  DEPARTURE…….-20
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..941  DEPARTURE…….-65
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………1910  DEPARTURE……-300
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….1886  DEPARTURE…….+24

PEAK WIND GUST (MPH):
Official (1-Sec AVG)…….29 WSW @  2:28 A.M.
VECTOR #2 (Instantaneous)..30     @  2:30 A.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………29 WSW @  2:21 A.M.
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..30 WSW @  2:30 A.M.
VECTOR #1……OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS
DAVIS #1…….OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS
RMY #1………OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS
MERLIN………OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………23 WSW @  2:24 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..22     @  2:31 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………22 SW  @  2:31 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..22 WSW @  2:31 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE….OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL…….13.8 SSW [330 total miles] VECTOR #2……………..14.3
DAVIS #2………………14.3 SW
RMY #2………………..14.7 SW
RMY #1……….OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS
VECTOR #1…….OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS
DAVIS #1……..OUT OF SERVICE D/T RENOVATIONS

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..0.44 DEPARTURE…..+0.28
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH…………..5.91 DEPARTURE…..+0.52
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR…………..42.98 DEPARTURE….-10.88

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…………..0.0 DEPARTURE……-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH………………..2.7 DEPARTURE……-9.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON (2022-2023)…….2.7 DEPARTURE…..-12.4

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PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/AERO/RMY 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
M:    Missing data

12/1  40/30/35/-2/0.00/0.0/520/93         54 NW   AERO N/A    RMY 60
12/2  44/27/36/-1/0.00/0.0/535/96         24 SSW  AERO N/A    RMY 25
12/3  57/36/47/+11/0.31/0.0/000/00        54 SSW  AERO N/A    RMY 57
12/4  41/30/36/0/0.00/0.0/355/64          39 WNW  AERO N/A    RMY 41
12/5  48/29/39/+3/0.00/0.0/454/82         32 SSW  AERO N/A    RMY 32
12/6  54/38/46/+11/0.09/0.0/000/00        30 SSE  AERO N/A    RMY 31
12/7  56/46/51/+16/0.85/0.0/000/00        39 SSE  AERO N/A    RMY 39
12/8  53/33/43/+8/0.00/0.0/534/97         36 NNW  AERO N/A    RMY 39
12/9  44/29/37/+3/0.00/0.0/549/100        29 N    AERO N/A    RMY 30
12/10 31/27/29/-5/0.04/0.4/000/00         27 NE   AERO N/A    RMY 26
12/11 30/23/27/-7/0.15/2.1/000/00         25 NNE  AERO N/A    RMY 26
12/12 29/21/25/-9/T/T/395/72              24 N    AERO N/A    RMY 24
12/13 38/19/29/-4/0.00/0.0/547/100        38 NNW  AERO N/A    RMY 38
12/14 35/18/27/-6/T/0.1/546/100           42 NNW  AERO N/A    RMY 44
12/15 40/30/35/+2/0.09/0.0/000/00         40 E    AERO N/A    RMY 41
12/16 42/39/41/+9/1.88/0.0/000/00         47 E    AERO N/A    RMY 48
12/17 42/31/37/+5/0.45/0.1/044/08         37 WNW  AERO N/A    RMY 38
12/18 39/27/33/+1/0.00/0.0/365/67         29 NW   AERO N/A    RMY 28
12/19 39/25/32/0/0.00/0.0/469/86          41 WNW  AERO N/A    RMY 41
12/20 38/25/32/+1/0.00/0.0/544/100        34 NW   AERO N/A    RMY 35
12/21 37/22/30/-1/0.00/0.0/496/91         17 N    AERO N/A    RMY 17
12/22 43/28/36/+5/0.28/0.0/038/07         44 E    AERO N/A    RMY 45
12/23 55/15/35/+4/1.37/T/000/00           74 SE   AERO N/A    RMY 74
12/24 17/6/12/-18/0.00/0.0/529/97         37 WSW  AERO N/A    RMY 39
12/25 25/9/17/-13/0.00/0.0/540/99         29 WSW  AERO N/A    RMY 31
12/26 32/15/24/-6/0.00/0.0/519/95         23 WSW  AERO N/A    RMY 23
12/27 34/22/28/-2/0.00/0.0/246/45         23 WNW  AERO N/A    RMY 22
12/28 40/22/31/+2/0.00/0.0/071/13         35 SSW  AERO N/A    RMY 36
12/29 54/33/44/+15/0.00/0.0/421/77        27 SW   AERO N/A    RMY 28
12/30 63/39/51/+22/0.00/0.0/395/72        26 SSW  AERO N/A    RMY 28
12/31 54/43/49/+20/0.40/0.0/000/00        29 WSW  AERO N/A    RMY 30

1/1 The low since midnight is 47F, the daily normal low is 21F

DAILY RECORDS

12/16/2022: NEW RECORD PRECIPITATION AMOUNT OF 1.88 INS,
THIS BEATS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.67 INS SET IN 1960

12/23/2022: NEW RECORD PEAK GUST OF 74 MPH SE,
BEATING THE OLD RECORD OF 67 MPH SSE IN 2004

12/30/2022: NEW RECORD HIGH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 63F DEGREES,
BEATING THE OLD RECORD OF 60F DEGREES SET IN 1984

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 1
HIGH 58F IN 1966
LOW -6F IN 1918
PRECIP 1.45 INS. IN 1982
SNOWFALL 7.2 INS. IN 1938
PEAK GUST 90e MPH S IN 1945

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2
HIGH 62F IN 1890
LOW -7F IN 1899,1918
PRECIP 2.10 INS. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 10.9 INS. IN 2014
PEAK GUST 85e MPH S IN 1942

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas