Thursday, February 16, 2023

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

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0640E
SUNSET:  1718E

SUNSHINE DIMINISHES WITH THICKENING HIGH CLOUDS, BUT RECORD
WARMTH STILL OCCURRING….

Record warmth is the main news of the day with the low since
midnight only dropping to 51F degrees. Not only was this a
ridiculous 31 degrees above the normal low, it also obliterated
the record high minimum for today’s date of 41F degrees set
back in 1976. This will also be the record warmest low
temperature for the month of February, providing the 51F holds
through midnight tonight. The previous warmest was 50F set on
the 21st in 2018!

So far we have not reached the record high temperature for
the date, which is 62F degrees set in 1954. However there is
still a chance we could tie or break this record this afternoon
providing more sun is realized. The high so far today has been
61F.

The wind became gusty for a time during the mid morning hours,
but it has since decreased again averaging around 10mph over
the last couple of hours. The peak so far today is 29mph. The
average speed for the day thus far is around 15mph.

Visibility has been decent all day with views of 60-70 miles
being observed.

The high so far today is 61F, which is 24 degrees above the
normal maximum of 37F. The low since midnight is 51F, which
is 31 degrees above the normal low of 20F.

————————————————————–

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Thin broken cirrus
Temperature: 51F; Dew Point: 39F; Relative Humidity: 62%
Wind: W @ 13 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1014.8 mb; 29.97 in. Hg: rising, then more rapidly
Visibility: 60 miles
6-hr Max temp: 53F
6-hr Min temp: 51F
24-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
24-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E250 -BKN 60 148/51/39/2713/997/ 8/001 53024 10053 20051

10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast cirrus, few breaks in overcast distant N-NE
Temperature: 57F; Dew Point: 36F; Relative Humidity: 43%
Wind: W @ 15G23 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1015.8 mb; 30.00 in. Hg: rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 60 miles
3-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1455 E250 OVC 60 158/57/36/2815G23/000/ FEW BINOVC DSNT N-NE/
8/004 51010

1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast cirrostratus, sun dimly visible
Temperature: 59F; Dew Point: 34F; Relative Humidity: 37%
Wind: W @ 9G15 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1014.7 mb; 29.96 in. Hg: rising, then falling
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 61F
6-hr Min temp: 51F
6-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1755 E220 OVC 70 147/59/34/2809G15/996/ SUN DMLY VSBL/
8/007 58011 10061 20051

————————————————————–

SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….56   NORMAL…..37
MIN…….35   NORMAL…..19
MEAN……46   NORMAL…..28

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL……..+18
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………..+82 [+5.3 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2022 THRU JUN 2023)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………19  DEPARTURE…….-18
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..488  DEPARTURE…….-82
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………3311  DEPARTURE……-662
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….3660  DEPARTURE……-349

PEAK WIND GUST (MPH):
Note: Instruments designated #1 = Main Tower, #2 = South Tower,
420C, Contacting, Merlin and Richards are all Main Tower.

420C (Official)…………39 SSW @  3:11 P.M.
VECTOR #1 (1-Sec)……….44 SSW @  1:57 P.M.
VECTOR #2 (1-Sec)……….47     @  2:29 P.M.
DAVIS #1……………….44 S   @  2:00 P.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………51 SSE @  2:30 P.M.
RMY #1 (Instantaneous)…..M
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..49 SSW @  2:29 P.M.
MERLIN…………………41 S
RICHARDS (C5C) (Inst)……44     @  1:57 P.M.

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………34 SSW @  2:42 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…………..31     @  2:28 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..32     @  3:01 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………31 S   @  2:28 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………35 SSE @  2:31 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……………..M
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..32 SSW @  3:01 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RICHARDS (C5C) AVERAGE………29     @  2:20 P.M.

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL……18.1 SSW [435 total miles] VECTOR #1…………….M
VECTOR #2…………….18.6
DAVIS #1……………..17.3 SSW
DAVIS #2……………..18.7 S
RMY #1……………….M
RMY #2……………….18.9 SSW
RICHARDS (C5C)………..M

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..0.00 DEPARTURE…..-0.14
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH…………..0.01 DEPARTURE…..-2.01
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……………6.80 DEPARTURE…..+0.28

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…………..0.0 DEPARTURE……-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH………………..0.1 DEPARTURE……-9.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON (2022-2023)……15.0 DEPARTURE…..-28.6

————————————————————–

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

2/1   30/18/24/-2/T/T/552/92              17 NW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 20
2/2   38/19/29/+3/0.00/0.0/518/86         25 SW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 29
2/3   28/-11/9/-17/T/T/557/92             56 WNW  VEC1 N/A    RMY 64
2/4   14/-14/0/-26/0.00/0.0/473/78        45 NW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 51
2/5   49/14/32/+5/0.00/0.0/359/59         38 SW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 43
2/6   47/30/39/+12/0.00/0.0/025/04        28 NE   VEC1 N/A    RMY 29
2/7   31/22/27/0/0.01/0.1/461/75          29 SSW  VEC1 N/A    RMY 33
2/8   46/31/39/+12/0.00/0.0/413/67        30 NW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 34
2/9   49/33/41/+14/T/0.0/149/24           31 SSE  VEC1 N/A    RMY 32
2/10  60/31/46/+19/0.00/0.0/603/97        43 W    VEC1 N/A    RMY 51
2/11  43/31/37/+10/0.00/0.0/625/100       41 WNW  VEC1 N/A    RMY 46
2/12  48/28/38/+10/0.00/0.0/339/54        22 SW   VEC1 N/A    RMY 24
2/13  42/33/38/+10/0.00/0.0/069/11        28 NE   VEC1 N/A    RMY 36
2/14  50/34/42/+14/0.00/0.0/…/..        30 NW   VEC1 33     RMY 35
2/15  56/35/46/+18/0.00/0.0/…/..        39 SSW  VEC1 44     RMY 49

2/16 The low since midnight is 51F, the daily normal low is 20F

DAILY RECORDS

02/03/2023: NEW RECORD MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -11F,
THIS BEATS THE OLD RECORD OF -7F SET IN 1955

02/04/2023: NEW RECORD MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -14F,
THIS BEATS THE OLD RECORD OF -4F SET IN 1886 AND 1908

02/10/2023: NEW RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 60F,
THIS BEATS THE OLD RECORD OF 56 SET IN 1909

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

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 16
HIGH 62F IN 1954
LOW -16F IN 1943
PRECIP 1.91 INCHES IN 1958
SNOWFALL 18.6 INCHES IN 1958
PEAK GUST 78 MPH W IN 1967

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 17
HIGH 61F IN 1981
LOW -16F IN 1896
PRECIP 1.86 INCHES IN 2003
SNOWFALL 20.0 INCHES IN 2003
PEAK GUST 72 MPH NW IN 1968

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas