Sign In Become a Member
Daily Discussions

Thursday, August 13, 2026

August 13, 2026

BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026 ALL TIMES ARE…

Agreement required — click “Accept & Continue” below to review and accept the Data Use & Privacy Policy

Access to this content requires acceptance of our Data Use & Privacy Policy.

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0449E
SUNSET:  1848E

ANOTHER WARM AND SOMEWHAT HUMID DAY WITH A MIX OF CLOUDS AND SUN….

Starting to sound like a broken record these days as the weather
has been in carbon copy mode pretty much all week. Today yet
another is featuring a decent amount of sunshine with some
periods of clouds mixed in for good measure. Also the pesky thin
smoke layer aloft returned for a period of time this morning.
All in all though it’s a pretty nice day for mid August.

Temperatures started the day in the mid 60s once again and rose
to the mid 80s by early this afternoon. It is a bit more humid
than yesterday as we are ahead of an approaching cold front. Dew
point values have poked back up into the mid 60s today.

Winds have again been fairly light for most of the day save for
a brief period around 2:40am this morning when an outflow
boundary from severe thunderstorms to our southwest blew through
the area. A general westerly wind has been averaging at around
9mph for the day so far. The peak gust for the day so far, which
occurred with the outflow boundary early this morning, is 23mph.

Visibility has been a bit more limited today than yesterday as
one would expect with the higher humidity levels. The view has
was holding at around 30 miles throughout the morning, but has
improved a bit to around 40 miles early this afternoon.

The maximum temperature so far today is 84F, which is 3 degrees
above the normal high of 81F. The minimum temperature since
midnight is 65F, which is 2 degrees above the normal low of 63F.

————————————————————–

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altostratus, broken altocumulus/castellanus,
few stratocumulus distant SE-SSW and distant W-WNW
Temperature: 67F; Dew Point: 64F; Relative Humidity: 90%
Wind: WSW @ 7G14 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1010.5 mb; 29.84 in. Hg: falling, then rising
Visibility: 30 miles, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 67F
6-hr Min temp: 65F
24-hr Precip: 0.01 inches
BHO SA 1155 65 SCT E120 BKN 30 105/67/64/2407G14/984/
FEW SC DSNT SE-SSW AND DSNT W-WNW THN F ALQDS/ 8/570 53001
6001/ 70001 10067 20065

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, scattered altocumulus
Temperature: 77F; Dew Point: 66F; Relative Humidity: 67%
Wind: W @ 4 kts, wind light
Sea-level pressure: 1010.8 mb; 29.85 in. Hg: rising unsteadily
Visibility: 30 miles, hazy
3-hr Precip: 0.00 inches
BHO SA 1455 35 SCT 095 SCT 30 108/77/66/2704/985/
THN K LYR ALF ALQDS HAZY WND LGT/ 8/250 52003

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken cumulus, towering cumulus distant SE-SSE,
moderate cumulus all quadrants
Temperature: 84F; Dew Point: 63F; Relative Humidity: 49%
Wind: WNW @ 8G16 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1010.6 mb; 29.84 in. Hg: rising, then falling
Visibility: 40 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 84F
6-hr Min temp: 67F
6-hr Precip: 0.00 inches
BHO SA 1755 E45 BKN 40 106/84/63/3008G16/984/ TCU DSNT SE-SSE
MDT CU ALQDS HAZY/ 8/200 58002 10084 20067

————————————————————–

SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2026

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….85   NORMAL…..81
MIN…….64   NORMAL…..63
MEAN……75   NORMAL…..72

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL…………….+3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………………+51 [+4.1 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2026 THRU JUN 2027)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………..0  DEPARTURE………0
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH (AUG)………..0  DEPARTURE……..-2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………….2  DEPARTURE……..-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE………..2  DEPARTURE………0

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JAN 2026 THRU DEC 2026)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………….10  DEPARTURE……..+3
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH (AUG)………142  DEPARTURE…….+50
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………..639  DEPARTURE……+160
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE………594  DEPARTURE…….+45

PEAK WIND GUST (MPH):
Note: Instruments designated #1 = Main Tower, #2 = South Tower,
F420C, Contacting, Merlin, and Richards are all on Main Tower.
E=Estimated *=Last of multiple occurrences

F420C (Official)………..18 W    @   04:33 P.M.*
VECTOR #1 (1-Sec)……….18 W    @   05:42 P.M.
VECTOR #2 (1-Sec)……….19 W    @   04:25 P.M.
DAVIS #1……………….18 WSW  @   04:09 P.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………17 W    @   04:26 P.M.
RMY #1 (Instantaneous)…..18 W    @   04:09 P.M.
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..18 W    @   04:25 P.M.
MERLIN………………….M
RICHARDS (C5C) (Inst)……17 WNW  @   03:46 P.M.

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………13 W    @   04:14 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…………..13 W    @   04:11 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..14 W    @   04:24 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………14 W    @   04:11 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………13 W    @   04:25 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……………..13 W    @   04:11 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..13 W    @   04:27 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RICHARDS (C5C) AVERAGE………13 W    @   04:11 P.M.

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL……..8.0 W [193 total miles] VECTOR #1………………8.4
VECTOR #2………………8.7
DAVIS #1……………….8.4 WNW
DAVIS #2……………….8.0 WNW
RMY #1…………………8.3 WNW
RMY #2…………………8.5 WNW
RICHARDS (C5C)………….8.6

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..0.01 DEPARTURE…..-0.12
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH (AUG)……..0.72 DEPARTURE…..-0.86
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR (2026)…….24.82 DEPARTURE…..-7.46

————————————————————–

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/VEC1/RMY GUST
PEAK GUST: F420C (Official)
VEC1: Vector #1 1-second gust
RMY:  R.M. Young #1 wind gust recording system (Instantaneous)
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
….: Data not yet available, records not finalized
M:    Missing data

8/1  87/64/76/+3/0.00/719/83             23 SSW VEC1 24 S   RMY 24
8/2  83/68/76/+3/0.01/406/47             29 S   VEC1 28 S   RMY 30
8/3  76/65/71/-2/0.70/121/14             44 SSW VEC1 44 SSW RMY 45 TSTM
8/4  85/61/73/0/0.00/860/100             18 W   VEC1 18 W   RMY 19
8/5  87/63/75/+2/0.00/694/81             21 W   VEC1 21 WSW RMY 20
8/6  91/68/80/+7/0.00/539/63             21 SW  VEC1 21 SW  RMY 22
8/7  92/73/83/+10/T/793/93               20 SW  VEC1 20 SW  RMY 21
8/8  90/70/80/+8/T/723/85                29 W   VEC1 29 WSW RMY 28
8/9  88/69/79/+7/0.00/…/..             28 W   VEC1 27 W   RMY 28
8/10 87/66/77/+5/0.00/…/..             24 W   VEC1 24 W   RMY 25
8/11 86/67/77/+5/0.00/…/..             26 WNW VEC1 26 WNW RMY 28
8/12 85/64/75/+3/T/…/..                18 W   VEC1 18 W   RMY 18

8/13 The low since midnight is 65F, the daily normal low is 63F.

————————————————————–

AUGUST DAILY RECORDS TO DATE

8/7 TIED RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 73F;
ALSO SET IN 2018 AND 2022

————————————————————–

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

RECORDS FOR AUGUST 13
HIGH 98F IN 1944, 2002
LOW 47F IN 1902, 1957
PRECIP 2.92 INCHES IN 1989
PEAK GUST 52 MPH SSE IN 1963

RECORDS FOR AUGUST 14
HIGH 99F IN 2002
LOW 46F IN 1964
PRECIP 3.06 INCHES IN 1919
PEAK GUST 61 MPH WNW IN 1963

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas

Please follow and like us:
Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center · Legal

Data Use & Privacy Policy

Please read the full Policy before accessing Observatory data · Effective January 1, 2025

Notice: By accessing, downloading, or using any Blue Hill Observatory data or services, you unconditionally accept and agree to be bound by this Policy in its entirety. If you do not agree, you may not access or use Observatory data.
Effective January 1, 2025 · Milton, Massachusetts · bluehill.org
Part I — Data Use Policy
§ 01

Ownership and Proprietary Rights

All observational records, compiled datasets, metadata, database structures, and related materials provided by the Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center are the exclusive property of the Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center. The Observatory has maintained continuous weather observations at the summit of Great Blue Hill since 1885, and the entirety of that record — its compilation, structure, curation, and organization — constitutes a proprietary database protected under applicable United States law, including copyright law and common law database protections.

All rights not expressly granted in this Policy are reserved by the Observatory. No access to or use of Observatory data shall be construed as a waiver of any rights or as a license to use data beyond the scope expressly stated herein.

§ 02

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. For interactions with international users, this Policy shall apply to the maximum extent permitted by applicable local law.

Any dispute arising from or related to this Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. By accessing Observatory data, all users consent to personal jurisdiction in Massachusetts and waive any objection to the venue or inconvenience of such forum.

§ 03

Permitted Uses

Observatory data are made available for the following limited, non-commercial purposes only:

  • Personal study and analysis
  • Educational classroom use
  • Student projects
  • Non-commercial academic research
  • Publication of analyses, figures, models, or conclusions derived from the data, subject to the attribution requirements of Section 4

All other uses require prior written authorization from the Observatory.

§ 04

Attribution Requirement

Any use of Observatory data in any published, presented, or publicly distributed work must include the following verbatim acknowledgment:

“Data provided by the Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center, Milton, Massachusetts. Continuous weather observations since 1885.”

Failure to include proper attribution is a material violation of this Policy.

§ 05

Prohibited Uses

Unless explicitly authorized in writing, Users may not:

  • Resell, license, sublicense, or commercially exploit Observatory data in any form
  • Redistribute the dataset in whole or in part to any third party
  • Publish the dataset for download by third parties
  • Host, mirror, or archive the dataset on any external website, repository, or storage service
  • Upload the dataset to any public or institutional data repository
  • Provide the data through APIs, automated services, or subscription platforms
  • Incorporate the data into any commercial product, software, application, or service
  • Use the data for AI or machine learning systems intended for commercial use or external distribution
  • Use the data to create derivative datasets that enable reconstruction of the underlying observations
§ 06

Commercial Licensing

Organizations seeking to use Observatory data for commercial purposes must obtain a license prior to any such use. Licensing inquiries: data@bluehill.org.

§ 07

Automated Access

Automated scraping, bulk harvesting, or systematic downloading of Observatory data is strictly prohibited without prior written authorization.

§ 08

Enforcement and Remedies

Violation of this Policy may result in immediate revocation of data access, pursuit of legal remedies available under United States law, and referral to applicable authorities. The Observatory reserves all rights to seek injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys’ fees in connection with any unauthorized use of its data.

Part II — Privacy Policy
§ 09–10

Scope & Information Collected

This section governs the collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal information from visitors to the Blue Hill Observatory website and users of its data services. The Observatory may collect contact information (name, email, organization) when voluntarily submitted, usage data including IP addresses and pages visited, and data download records.

§ 11–12

How We Use Information & Retention

Information is used solely for: responding to inquiries and licensing requests; monitoring and enforcing compliance with this Policy; improving website performance; and communicating Observatory news to opted-in users. The Observatory does not sell, rent, or share personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. Data access records may be retained indefinitely for compliance and enforcement purposes.

§ 13

International Users and Data Transfers

The Observatory is located in the United States. International users acknowledge their information will be processed in the United States under U.S. law. Users requiring specific data processing agreements under non-US law must contact data@bluehill.org before accessing data.

§ 14–16

Cookies, Security & Children’s Privacy

The Observatory website may use cookies for analytics and functionality. By continuing to use the site, users consent to cookie use. The Observatory implements reasonable measures to protect personal information but cannot guarantee absolute security. Observatory data services are not directed at children under 13.

Part III — General Provisions
§ 17–20

Modifications, Severability, Entire Agreement & Contact

The Observatory reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time. Updated versions will be posted at bluehill.org. Continued use of Observatory data following any modification constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy. This Policy constitutes the entire agreement between the User and the Observatory. Questions and licensing inquiries: Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center, Milton, Massachusetts — data@bluehill.org

By accessing, downloading, or using any Blue Hill Observatory data or services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Policy.
Effective January 1, 2025 · Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center · Milton, Massachusetts