Sunday, January 17, 2016

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

THICKENING OVERCAST TODAY WITH STORM TO THE SOUTH

The sky was filled mostly with high clouds early this morning, and the
overcast steadily lowered throughout the day.  Another significant coastal
storm is located to our south, after one moved through yesterday and brought
with it 1.03 inches of rainfall, with just a little light snow as it pulled
away.  This next one will likely be too far offshore to have a major impact,
but some light snow is expected tonight and into tomorrow.  The temperature
has risen to a seasonable high of 33F after a warm morning low of 28F.
January is running above average by about five degrees so far, with slightly
above average precipitation but below normal snowfall. Visibility has been
very good today, over 80 miles at times, with a light NW breeze.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, broken cirrus, few altocumulus
lenticularis distant W-WNW
Temperature: 29F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: WNW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.83 ins. Hg, rising then rising more slowly
Visibility: 40 miles
6-hr Max temp: 32F
6-hr Min temp: 28F
24-hr precip: 0.53 ins.
24-hr snowfall: Trace
Snow depth: Trace
BHO SA 1155 30 SCT E250 BKN 40 100/29/21/2908/983/ FEW ACSL DSNT W-WNW
NEW SNW PST 24 HRS TRACE/ 8/541 51018 ASOS 70057 MANUAL 70053 10032 20028

10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus, few stratocumulus mostly distant W and NW-E,
break in overcast north, partial halo visible
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 22F; Wind: NNW at 8 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WNW-N
Sea-level pressure: 29.87 ins. Hg, rising then rising more slowly
Visibility: 80 miles
BHO SA 1455 E170 OVC 80 115/33/22/3308/987/ FEW SC MSTLY DSNT W
AND NW-E BINOVC N PARTIAL HALO WND 30V01/ 8/57/ 51015

1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus, few stratocumulus distant N-ESE, small
brush fire 2 miles NW with thin smoke plume drifting SSE
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 23F; Wind: estimated NNW at 5 kts,
Wind: Light and variable
Sea-level pressure: 29.82 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 75 miles
6-hr Max temp: 33F
6-hr Min temp: 29F
BHO SA 1755 E120 OVC 75 098/32/23/E3405/982/ FEW SC DSNT N-ESE
SML BRUSH FIRE 2 MI NW THN K PLUME DRFTNG SSE WND L/V/
8/57/ 58017 10033 20029

SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2016

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..41   NORMAL…..33
MIN…..32   NORMAL…..17
MEAN….37   NORMAL…..25

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………..+12
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..+84 [+5.1 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..28   DEPARTURE………-12
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….545   DEPARTURE………-82
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..2201   DEPARTURE……..-731
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……2732   DIFFERENCE…….-531

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….32  NNW  AT  10:30 A.M.
ASOS……………………29  NW   AT  11:38 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..27  NW   AT  10:52 A.M. RMY 28
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………21  NNW  AT  10:30 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………21  NNW  AT  10:31 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..18  NNW  AT  11:24 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..11.5 N
ASOS…………………..11.5
DAVIS………………….10.1 NNW [337 Deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.53  DEPARTURE……+0.39
ASOS…………..0.57
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….2.78  DEPARTURE……+0.50
ASOS…………..2.92
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..2.78  DEPARTURE……+0.50
ASOS…………..2.92

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..Trace  DEPARTURE…….-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….2.6  DEPARTURE…….-6.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON……………3.9  DEPARTURE……-21.1

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/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

1/1   37/29/33/+6/0.00/0.0/005/01           29 W               RMY 29
1/2   37/27/32/+5/0.00/0.0/461/84           31 W               RMY N/A
1/3   41/27/34/+8/0.00/0.0/501/91           28 W               RMY 29
1/4   30/10/20/-6/T/T/000/00                29 NNW             RMY 29
1/5   23/4/14/-12/0.00/0.0/552/100          28 NNW             RMY N/A
1/6   43/17/30/+4/0.00/0.0/553/100          24 SW              RMY 24
1/7   43/25/34/+8/0.00/0.0/521/94           21 SW              RMY N/A
1/8   40/28/34/+8/T/0.0/000/00              28 E   AERO 25 ENE RMY 25
1/9   39/36/38/+12/T/0.0/000/00             21 ENE AERO 20 ENE RMY N/A
1/10  58/38/48/+23/1.55/0.0/000/00          53 SSE AERO 55 SSE RMY 53
1/11  48/21/35/+10/0.00/0.0/559/100         43 W   AERO 45 WSW RMY N/A
1/12  35/19/27/+2/…./…/359/64           30 SE  AERO N/A    RMY N/A
1/13  30/17/24/-1/…./…/551/98           50 W   AERO 58 W   RMY 54
1/14  28/17/23/-2/T/T/…/..                26 W   AERO N/A    RMY 25
1/15  40/23/32/+7/0.00/0.0/…/..           26 ESE AERO 25 ESE RMY 23
1/16  41/32/37/+12/1.03/T/…/..            32 NNW AERO 32 NNW RMY 28

1/17 low since midnight is 28F; normal low is now 17F

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2016

**1/10/16: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 58F, BREAKS
PREVIOUS RECORD OF 54F SET BACK IN 2000**

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 17
HIGH 55F IN 1973,1995
LOW -8F IN 1907,1982
PRECIP 1.43 INS. IN 1956
SNOWFALL 13.4 INS. IN 1956
PEAK GUST 62 MPH S IN 1994

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 18
HIGH 62F IN 1973,1990
LOW -10F IN 1982
PRECIP 1.68 INS. IN 1915
SNOWFALL 13.0 INS. IN 1948
PEAK GUST 85 MPH SSE IN 2006

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O’Brien