Thursday, August 15, 2024

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2024
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0452E
SUNSET:  1844E

WILDFIRE SMOKE CONTINUES ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE AREA MAKING FOR
RATHER HAZY CONDITIONS….

Other than the smoke from wildfires out in the Pacific
Northwest creating hazy surface conditions and a milky sky,
warm and dry weather continues today, at least to this point.
Skies were generally clear this morning (in terms of no clouds)
except for a band of high thin broken cirrus clouds that passed
from north to south across the area early this morning. Now
convective clouds are developing as the risk for showers and
thunderstorms increase later this afternoon.

Temperatures continue to run close to normal today with readings
reaching the low to mid 80s early this afternoon. The dew point
is sneaking upwards a bit, reaching the mid 60s by early this
afternoon.

The wind has been on the light side most of the day, even going
calm at times during the mid to late morning hours. The average
speed for the day so far is around 6mph. The peak gust so far
for the day is a measly 13mph, which occurred just after
midnight.

Visibility has been greatly reduced due to haziness from the
smoke. The view has been only around 15 miles all day.

The maximum temperature so far today is 83F, which is 2 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: Thin broken cirrus, thin smoke layer all quadrants
Temperature: 68F; Dew Point: 62F; Relative Humidity: 80%
Wind: NNW @ 4 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1017.9 mb ; 30.06 in. Hg: rising unsteadily
Visibility: 15 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 68F
6-hr Min temp: 65F
24-hr Precip:  0.00 inches
BHO SA 1155 E250 -BKN 15 179/68/62/3304/006/ THN K LYR ALQDS HAZY
WND LGT/ 8/001 52010 10068 20065

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, thin smoke layer all quadrants
Temperature: 77F; Dew Point: 62F; Relative Humidity: 60%
Wind: W @ 2 kts, wind light and variable
Sea-level pressure: 1017.6 mb; 30.05 in. Hg: rising, then falling
Visibility: 15 miles, hazy
3-hr Precip: 0.00 inches
BHO SA 1455 CLR 15 176/77/62/2802/005/ THN K LYR ALQDS HAZY
WND L/V/ 8/000 58003

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus, thin scattered cirrus, towering cumulus
all quadrants, thin smoke layer all quadrants
Temperature: 81F; Dew Point: 64F; Relative Humidity: 56%
Wind: W @ 3 kts, wind light and variable
Sea-level pressure: 1016.9 mb; 30.03 in. Hg: falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 15 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 83F
6-hr Min temp: 68F
6-hr Precip: 0.00 inches
BHO SA 1755 40 SCT 250 -SCT 15 169/81/64/2603/003/ TCU ALQDS
THN K LYR ALQDS HAZY WND L/V/ 8/201 56007 10083 20068

————————————————————–

SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2024

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….82  NORMAL…..81
MIN…….62  NORMAL…..63
MEAN……72  NORMAL…..72

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL……………0
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………….+16 [+0.9 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2024 THRU JUN 2025)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………….0  DEPARTURE………0
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………….2  DEPARTURE……..-1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON……………2  DEPARTURE……..-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……….0  DEPARTURE……..+2

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JAN 2024 THRU DEC 2024)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………….7  DEPARTURE………0
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..123  DEPARTURE…….+16
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………….620  DEPARTURE……+127
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……..515  DEPARTURE……+105

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

F420C (Official)……….E16 NNW  @   01:43 A.M.
VECTOR #1 (1-Sec)……….15 NNW  @   07:09 A.M.
VECTOR #2 (1-Sec)……….16 NNW  @   01:42 A.M.
DAVIS #1……………….15 NNW  @   01:46 A.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………15 NNW  @   01:37 A.M.
RMY #1 (Instantaneous)…..15 NNW  @   07:10 A.M.
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..15 NNW  @   01:42 A.M.
MERLIN………………….M
RICHARDS (C5C) (Inst)…..OTS

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………12 NNW  @   05:04 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…………..12      @   01:48 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..12      @   01:30 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………12 NW   @   01:48 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………12 NNW  @   01:35 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……………..12 NNW  @   01:48 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..12 NW   @   01:30 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RICHARDS (C5C) AVERAGE……..OTS

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL…….6.0 NNW [143 total miles] VECTOR #1……………..6.9
VECTOR #2……………..7.2
DAVIS #1………………6.7 N
DAVIS #2………………6.7 NNE
RMY #1………………..6.9 NNE
RMY #2………………..7.2 NNE
RICHARDS (C5C)…………OTS

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..0.00 DEPARTURE…..-0.13
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH…………..2.04 DEPARTURE…..+0.21
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR (2024)…….40.29 DEPARTURE…..+7.76

————————————————————–

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   92/71/82/+9/T/779/90                24 W   VEC1 24 W   RMY 23
8/2   94/73/84/+11/0.01/579/67            31 SSW VEC1 31 SSW RMY 30 TSTM
8/3   92/75/84/+11/0.00/612/71            29 W   VEC1 28 W   RMY 28
8/4   85/68/77/+4/0.20/318/37             29 WSW VEC1 29 WSW RMY 31 TSTM
8/5   90/67/79/+6/T/686/80                28 SSW VEC1 28 SSW RMY 29
8/6   73/60/67/-6/0.56/009/01             26 ENE VEC1 26 ENE RMY 26
8/7   69/57/63/-10/0.18/119/14            25 NE  VEC1 23 NE  RMY 23
8/8   72/58/65/-7/0.09/187/22             20 ESE VEC1 20 ESE RMY 19
8/9   82/62/72/0/0.48/127/15              50 SSW VEC1 48 S   RMY 50
8/10  85/68/77/+5/0.37/659/78             41 SSW VEC1 41 SSW RMY 43
8/11  81/63/72/0/0.00/741/88              30 W   VEC1 29 SW  RMY 30
8/12  77/59/68/-4/0.15/638/76             35 WNW VEC1 34 WNW RMY 36
8/13  80/58/69/-3/0.00/787/94             21 NW  VEC1 22 NW  RMY 21
8/14  82/62/72/0/0.00/676/81              16 NNW VEC1 15 NNW RMY 15

8/15  The low since midnight is 65F, the daily normal low is 63F.

————————————————————–

AUGUST DAILY RECORDS TO DATE

8/3  RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 75F,
TIED THE PREVIOUS RECORD SET IN 2020

————————————————————–

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

RECORDS FOR AUGUST 15
HIGH 95F IN 1928
LOW 47F IN 1964
PRECIP 1.89 INCHES IN 2011
PEAK GUST 44e MPH S IN 1941

RECORDS FOR AUGUST 16
HIGH 95F IN 1944
LOW 50F IN 1927
PRECIP 1.31 INCHES IN 1951
PEAK GUST 45e MPH N IN 1951

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas