Thursday, December 24, 2015

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

CHRISTMAS EVE DAY TEMPS. SOAR TO NEW WARM RECORDS IN 60’S
NEW RECORD ESTABLISHED FOR DEC. 24 AT 62F 10:00 A.M.
OLD RECORD 61F ONE YEAR AGO…TEMP. STILL RISING
DECEMBER AVERAGES WARMEST ON RECORD AS THE
MONTHLY MEAN SURPASSES 12 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL

The new record high temperature was set at 10 A.M.
this morning when 62 degrees was recorded beating
61 degrees set just one ago.
The minimum temperature of 48 degrees will set a
new record high minimum if the thermometer does not
drop to 46 degrees which is not too likely.

So far this season, there has been no measurable snow on Blue Hill.
This season is now the fourth latest on record for the first
occurrence of measurable snowfall with no snow likely over the next week.

BHO Latest First Measurable Snowfall, (1885-2014)

1) January  13, 2000  (7.0 inches)
2) January   1, 1954  (0.8 inches)
3) December 29, 1941  (0.4 inches)
4) December 22, 1998  (0.6 inches)
5) December 16, 1973  (0.4 inches)
6) December 15, 1891  (0.3 inches)

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement with heavy fog, very light drizzle
Temperature: 50F; Dew Point: 50F; Wind: SW @ 7 kts
Wind: Direction backing northwest to southwest past hour
Sea-level pressure: 29.91 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 1/16 mile, heavy fog
6-hr Max temp: 55F
6-hr Min temp: 48F
24-hr precip: 0.92 in.
BHO SA 1155 W3 X 1/16L-F 130/50/50/2208/991/ WND BACKING/
8//// 51013 ASOS 60007 ASOS 70093 MANUAL 70092 10055 20048

10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus, stratus occasionally over summit
Temperature: 62F; Dew Point: 62F; Wind: SSW at 18G25 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.92 ins. Hg, rising
Visibility: 1 mile variable 1/16 to 2 miles increasing rapidly
3-hour precip: trace
BHO SA 1455 E5 OVC 1VF 133/62/62/2018G25/992/ STRA OCNLY DRFTG
OVR SMT VSBY 1V2 INCR RPDLY/ 8/6// 50003 MANUAL 6000/

SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..56   NORMAL…..37
MIN…..47   NORMAL…..21
MEAN….52   NORMAL…..29

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………+23
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………..+274  [+11.7 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..13   DEPARTURE………-23
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….469   DEPARTURE……..-276
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..1471   DEPARTURE……..-536
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……1845   DIFFERENCE…….-374

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….30  E   AT  8:03 P.M.
ASOS……………………30  E   AT  8:03 P.M.
DAVIS…………………..27  E   AT  8:02 P.M. RMY 27
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………21  E   AT  8:03 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………23  E   AT  8:03 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..20  E   AT  8:03 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….10.4  ESE
ASOS………………….10.6
DAVIS………………….9.5  ESE [120 Deg.] * Last of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…..0.92  DEPARTURE……+0.76
ASOS……………0.93
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH………..2.80  DEPARTURE……-0.91
ASOS……………2.83
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..42.22  DEPARTURE…..-10.03
ASOS…………….N/A ***
*** ASOS annual total not available due to erroneous readings

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……-9.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON………….TRACE  DEPARTURE…..-11.8

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 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/…./0.0/000/00           19 NNE RMY 19
12/2  53/37/45/+9/…./0.0/000/00           25 SSE RMY 25
12/3  53/37/45/+9/…./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/…/..           39 W   RMY 40
12/20 40/28/34/+4/0.00/0.0/…/..           24 W   RMY N/A
12/21 51/31/41/+11/T/0.0/…/..             38 SSW RMY 42
12/22 57/49/53/+24/0.28/0.0/000/00          35 SW  RMY 35
12/23 56/47/52/+23/…./…/…/..          30 E   RMY 27

12/24 low since midnight is 48F; normal low is now 21F

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**

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

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 24
HIGH 61 IN 2014 (NEW RECORD BEING SET IN 2015)
LOW -6 IN 1943
PRECIP 2.21 INS. IN 1994
SNOWFALL 12.3 INS. IN 1961
PEAK GUST 79e MPH SE IN 1941

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 25
HIGH 62 IN 1889
LOW -11 IN 1980
PRECIP 1.37 INS. IN 2002
SNOWFALL 8.5 INS. IN 2002
PEAK GUST 80 MPH NW IN 1971

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Robert Skilling