Sunday, January 3, 2016
BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
MILD STREAK EXTENDS ANOTHER DAY BUT LIKELY TO END TOMORROW
With a +6 departure, yesterday extended our streak of above average
temperature days to 32, and today will likely make it 33 in a row, with the
temperature rising to a high so far of 41F after a morning low of 27F, both
of these values being above average. Skies were mostly cloudy thanks to
some mid-level clouds near sunrise this morning, but cleared quickly by
mid-morning. Stratocumulus clouds have started to overspread the area
early this afternoon. Southwesterly to westerly winds have added a bit of a
chill to the air, averaging around 15mph with gusts near 30mph. An arctic
front is expected to pass through the region tonight, which will usher in
much colder air for the next couple days, likely bringing an end to this
long mild stretch.
DECEMBER FINISHES AS THE WARMEST ON RECORD…NEARLY FIVE
DEGREES WARMER THAN PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE MONTH…
THIRD RECORD WARM MONTH IN 2015…GREATEST POSITIVE TEMPERATURE
DEPARTURE FOR ANY MONTH…DECEMBER ALSO AMONG CLOUDIEST ON RECORD…
BHO Warmest Decembers (24-hour Mean), deg F (1885-2015)
1) 42.9 in 2015
2) 38.1 in 2006
3) 37.5 in 2011
4) 37.3 in 2001
5) 37.2 in 1891
6) 36.9 in 1998
7) 36.7 in 1990
BHO Largest Monthly 24-Hour Mean Temperature Departure from the Long-Term
Mean, deg F (1885-2015):
1)+13.1 in December 2015
2) +9.9 in January 1913
3) +9.3 in January 1932
4) +9.1 in March 1946
5) +9.0 in March 2012
6) +8.9 in January 1937
7) +8.5 in February 1984
BHO Lowest December Sunshine, hours (1885-2015):
1) 72.9 in 1972 [27%] 2) 81.0 in 1982 [29%] 3) 87.2 in 1933 [32%] 4) 88.2 in 1996 [32%] 5) 89.0 in 1922 [32%] 6) 89.5 in 1981 [33%] 7) 91.1 in 1906 [33%] 8) 92.0 in 2012 [34%] 9) 92.9 in 2013 [34%] 10) 93.3 in 2015 [34%]
PRELIMINARY STATS FOR DECEMBER 2015
TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 50.5 [+11.4]
Avg. Min. 36.9 [+13.3]
Mean 43.7 [+12.4]
24-hour Corrected Mean: 42.9 [+13.1]
Max. for month: 67 on 24th
Min. for month: 23 on 29th, 30th
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total cooling units: 654 [-389]
Total for the season: 1656 [-649]
Total for last season: 2060
PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 4.27 [-0.49]
Greatest in 24 hrs: N/A
Snowfall: 1.3 [-12.1]
Greatest in 24 hrs: 1.3 ins. on the 29th
WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 11.3
Avg. corrected wind speed: 11.8
Prevailing wind direction: W @ 12%
Peak gust and direction: 48 W on the 15th
SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 5598 mins. of possible 16470 or 34%
Astronomical total minutes: 5786 mins. of possible 17002 or 34%
Long-term average for December is 46%
Today’s Observations:
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus
Temperature: 28F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: SW at 12 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.78 ins. Hg, falling
Visibility: 30 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 30F
6-hr Min temp: 27F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins.
Snow depth: Trace
BHO SA 1155 E140 BKN 30 086/28/21/2212/978/ HAZY/ 8/05/ 57010 10030 20027
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few altocumulus distant W-NNW and ENE
Temperature: 36F; Dew Point: 22F; Wind: WSW at 13G22 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.80 ins. Hg, falling then rising
Visibility: 35 miles, hazy
BHO SA 1455 CLR 35 092/36/22/2513G22/980/
FEW AC DSNT W-NNW AND ENE HAZY/ 8/050 53006
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, few altocumulus WNW
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 22F; Wind: W at 13G20 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.74 ins. Hg, falling then falling more slowly
Visibility: 55 miles, distant haze
6-hr Max temp: 41F
6-hr Min temp: 28F
BHO SA 1755 40 SCT 55 071/40/22/2613G20/974/ FEW AC WNW DSNT HZ/
8/550 56021 10041 20028
SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2016
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..37 NORMAL…..35
MIN…..27 NORMAL…..19
MEAN….32 NORMAL…..27
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL………………….+5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………….+11 [+5.5 DEGREES/DAY]
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..33 DEPARTURE……….-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..65 DEPARTURE………-12
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..1721 DEPARTURE……..-660
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……2133 DIFFERENCE…….-412
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….31 W AT 1:36 A.M.
ASOS……………………32 W AT 1:36 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..27 W AT 2:04 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………23 W AT 1:21 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………23 W AT 1:36 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..20 W AT 11:15 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….13.5 W
ASOS………………….12.4
DAVIS…………………11.8 W [277 Deg.]
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00 DEPARTURE……-0.14
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….0.00 DEPARTURE……-0.29
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..0.00 DEPARTURE……-0.29
ASOS…………..0.00
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0 DEPARTURE…….-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.0 DEPARTURE…….-1.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON……………1.3 DEPARTURE……-15.8
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER/JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/RMY 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
12/1 42/30/36/-1/0.16/0.0/000/00 19 NNE RMY 19
12/2 53/37/45/+9/0.20/0.0/000/00 25 SSE RMY 25
12/3 53/37/45/+9/0.01/0.0/162/29 43 WNW RMY 42
12/4 47/32/40/+5/0.00/0.0/444/80 32 NW RMY 32
12/5 50/33/42/+7/0.00/0.0/548/99 21 W RMY N/A
12/6 57/35/46/+11/0.00/0.0/531/96 22 SW RMY N/A
12/7 54/37/46/+12/0.00/0.0/353/64 31 NE RMY N/A
12/8 42/35/39/+5/0.01/0.0/000/00 32 NE RMY 31
12/9 44/34/39/+5/…./0.0/044/08 28 SSE RMY N/A
12/10 57/41/49/+16/T/0.0/209/38 29 SE RMY N/A
12/11 56/44/50/+17/0.00/0.0/049/09 28 SSW RMY 28
12/12 59/46/53/+20/0.00/0.0/367/67 23 W RMY N/A
12/13 54/44/49/+17/0.00/0.0/000/00 18 ESE RMY 19
12/14 60/43/52/+20/…./0.0/000/00 32 S RMY N/A
12/15 61/45/53/+21/…./0.0/371/68 48 W RMY 51
12/16 45/34/40/+9/0.00/0.0/415/76 25 N RMY N/A
12/17 53/36/45/+14/…./0.0/000/00 29 SE RMY 28
12/18 50/35/43/+12/…./0.0/000/00 29 NW RMY 30
12/19 38/30/34/+4/0.00/0.0/480/88 39 W RMY 40
12/20 40/28/34/+4/0.00/0.0/491/90 24 W RMY N/A
12/21 51/31/41/+11/T/0.0/000/00 38 SSW RMY 42
12/22 57/49/53/+24/0.28/0.0/000/00 35 SW RMY 35
12/23 54/47/51/+22/…./0.0/000/00 30 E RMY 27
12/24 67/48/58/+29/…./0.0/033/06 37 SSW RMY 39
12/25 64/52/58/+30/…./0.0/240/44 23 N RMY N/A
12/26 53/40/47/+19/…./0.0/436/80 26 NNW RMY N/A
12/27 52/35/44/+16/…./0.0/000/00 36 NW RMY 33
12/28 35/27/31/+3/T/T/355/65 33 NW RMY 33
12/29 38/23/31/+4/…./1.3/000/00 35 ENE RMY 35
12/30 34/23/29/+2/…./T/000/00 17 SSE RMY N/A
12/31 44/32/38/+11/…./0.0/258/47 25 WNW RMY 25
1/1 37/29/33/+6/0.00/0.0/…/.. 29 W RMY 29
1/2 37/27/32/+5/0.00/0.0/…/.. 31 W RMY N/A
1/3 low since midnight is 27F; normal low is now 18F
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2015
**12/13/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 44F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 43F SET IN 1919, TIED 1983
**12/24/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 67F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 61F SET IN 2014
**12/24/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 48F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 46F SET IN 1900
**12/25/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 64F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 62F SET IN 1889
**12/25/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 52F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 46F SET IN 1964
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 3
HIGH 64F IN 2000
LOW -4F IN 1904
PRECIP 1.93 INS. IN 1999
SNOW 11.3 INS. 1996
PEAK GUST 92 MPH S IN 1960
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 4
HIGH 60F IN 2000
LOW -8F IN 1904, 1981
PRECIP 1.79 INS. IN 1982
SNOW 8.6 INS. 1923, 1941
PEAK GUST 84 MPH S IN 1982
TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O’Brien
