Sunday, March 16, 2014

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2014
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

COLD, DRY, AND WINDY

This morning’s low temperature of 25F was only slightly below average for
this time of year.  However, by the 1:00 observation this afternoon the
temperature had only risen to a maximum of 34F, more typical of January than
mid-March.  Adding to the sting of the unseasonable cold has been a steady
WNW wind that has gusted over 30mph at times.  Shortly after 3:00 yesterday
afternoon, a period of strong winds hit the summit, with a peak gust of
50mph.  The past few days have all been rather windy at times, with peak
gusts of at least 35mph for the last four days, including today.  There has
been plenty of sunshine all day today, with some passing stratocumulus and
cirrus clouds.  The air has been very dry today because of the WNW wind,
with the dew point under 10F this afternoon.  The visibility has been good
today, up to 75 miles this afternoon.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus distant W-ENE, few cirrus mostly S-NW
Temperature: 26F; Dew Point: 13F; Wind: WNW at 13G22 kts,
Wind: Direction variable W-NW
Wind: Peak wind: 27 kts W at 6:37 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.04 ins. Hg, rising
Visibility: 55 miles, except 35 miles W-NW
6-hr max temp: 33F
6-hr min temp: 25F
24-hr. precip: Trace
Snow depth: 1 inch
BHO SA 1155 CLR 55 174/26/13/2913G22/004/ SC DSNT W-ENE FEW CI MSTLY S-NW
DSNT HZ VSBY W-NW 35 WND 26V32 PK WND 2827/37/ 8/501 4/001 52018
MANUAL 7000/ 10033 20025

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus, few stratocumulus distant all quadrants
Temperature: 29F Dew Point: 9F; Wind: WNW at 15G24 kts,
Wind: Direction variable W-NW
Wind: Peak wind 30 kts WNW at 9:30 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, rising then rising more slowly
Visibility: 70 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 250 SCT 70 192/29/9/3017G24/010/ FEW SC ALQDS LGT DSNT HZ
WND 27V33 PK WND 2930/30/ 8/501 51018

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus, few cumulus fractus E-SW, few stratocumulus
distant all quadrants except SE-SW
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 7F; Wind: W at 15G20 kts,
Wind: Direction variable WSW-NNW
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 75 miles
6-hr max temp: 34F
6-hr min temp: 26F
BHO SA 1755 250 SCT 75 193/32/7/2815G20/010/ FEW CUFRA E-SW
FEW SC DSNT ALQDS XCPT SE-SW WND 24V33 PK WND 2826/41/ 8/501
50001 10034 20026

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2014

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..54    NORMAL…..44
MIN…..35    NORMAL…..26
MEAN….45    NORMAL…..35

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………………+10
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………-47 [-3.3 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..20  DEPARTURE………-10
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….528  DEPARTURE………+47
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..5119  DEPARTURE………+70
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4564  DIFFERENCE…….+555

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………50 WNW  AT   3:05 P.M.
AERO…………………..58 WNW  AT   3:05 P.M.
ASOS…………………..53 WNW  AT   3:05 P.M.
DAVIS………………….51 WNW  AT   3:04 P.M. RMY 54
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..38 WNW  AT   3:04 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..38 WNW  AT   3:05 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….36 WNW  AT   3:06 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………18.3 SSW
ASOS…………………18.0
DAVIS………………..16.4 SW [229 deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…Trace  DEPARTURE………….-0.18
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….0.70  DEPARTURE………….-1.89
ASOS…………..0.70
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….10.79  DEPARTURE………….-0.22
ASOS………….11.24

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..  0.0  DEPARTURE…………..-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….2.5  DEPARTURE…………..-4.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..84.3  DEPARTURE………….+30.0

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/…./…/…/..         29 NNW AERO 30 MPH NNW RMY 30
3/13 33/12/23/-11/…./…/…/..         43 NW  AERO 45 MPH NW  RMY 45
3/14 37/10/24/-11/0.00/0.0/…/..         39 SSW AERO 41 MPH SSW RMY 42
3/15 54/35/45/+10/0.02/0.0/…/..         50 WNW AERO 58 MPH WNW RMY 54

3/16 morning low temp: 25F; the normal low is now 26F

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 16
HIGH 73 IN 1990
LOW 8 IN 1932
PRE 1.95 INS. IN 1900
SNOW 10.0 INS. IN 1896
WIND 79 MPH NE IN 1956

RECORDS FOR MARCH 17
HIGH 69 IN 2003
LOW 6 IN 1885
PRECIP 1.97 INS. IN 1968
SNOWFALL 6.5 INS. IN 1956
PEAK GUST 70 MPH SSW IN 1973

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O’Brien