Thursday, February 19, 2015

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

FLUFFY SNOW FALLS QUICKLY OVERNIGHT, BRINGS 3.9 INCHES,
SHOWERS BRING 0.2 INCHES TODAY,
BRINGS SEASONAL TOTAL TO 131.3 INCHES

Dry, fluffy snow fell quickly starting just before midnight,
falling moderately just thereafter. Snow depth at the
7:00 AM EST observation ticked up to 44 inches. Snow for
the month of February is now up to 77.2 inches for the
month, which increases the record for the snowiest month
on record here in 130 years.

Very light snow began again this morning at 11:17 AM EST
with snow showers scattered throughout the region. Snow
became steadier right around noon, before ending at 12:37 PM.

By the 1:00 PM EST observation the summit of Great Blue
Hill was in the clear but surrounded by snow showers in
all directions. 0.2 inches of new snow was recorded at this
time, along with a maximum temperature of 26F. Today will
be the 25th consecutive day since January 26th with mean
temperatures below normal, which is the longest such period
in over a decade.

Snow for the season now totals 131.3 inches, placing
this season at Blue Hill firmly in third place
on the list of snowiest seasons. February 2015 is also
the snowiest February on record, as well as the
snowiest month on record. This latest storm has also
made it onto the list of single greatest storm totals
in February and all time. See below:
BHO Greatest Snowstorms, inches (1885-2015):

1) 38.7 on 24-28 Feb, 1969
2) 30.8 on 26-28 Jan, 2015
3) 30.3 on 3-5 Mar, 1960
4) 30.1 on 6-7 Feb, 1978
5) 30.0 on 31 Mar – 1 Apr, 1997
6) 29.8 on 6-8 Mar, 2013
7) 27.7 on 7-10 Feb, 2015
8) 26.6 on 8-9 Feb, 2013
9) 24.7 on 17-18 Feb, 2003
10) 24.3 on 5-7 Dec, 2003
11) 23.0 on 5-7 Mar, 2001
12) 22.2 on 16-17 Feb, 1958
13) 21.6 on 14-15 Feb, 2015
14) 21.0 on 9-10 Feb, 1969

BHO Greatest February Snowstorms, inches (1885-2015):

1) 38.7 on 24-28 Feb, 1969
2) 30.1 on 6-7 Feb, 1978
3) 27.7 on 7-10 Feb, 2015
4) 26.6 on 8-9 Feb, 2013
5) 24.7 on 17-18 Feb, 2003
6) 22.2 on 16-17 Feb, 1958
7) 21.6 on 14-15 Feb, 2015
8) 21.0 on 9-10 Feb, 1969

BHO Snowiest February, inches (1885-2015):

1) 77.4 in 2015 (through Feb 19 at 1:00 PM EST)
2) 65.4 in 1969
3) 51.3 in 2003
4) 45.2 in 1967
5) 40.4 in 1920
6) 39.7 in 2013
7) 37.0 in 1893

BHO Snowiest January-February, inches (1886-2015):

1) 120.3 in 2015 (through Feb 19 at 1:00 PM EST)
2) 77.9 in 1948
3) 70.2 in 2005
4) 68.7 in 1904
5) 67.5 in 1920
6) 66.9 in 1994

BHO Greatest Snow Depth, inches (1895-2015):
1) 46 in February 2015
2) 43 in March 1969
3) 42 in January 1948
4) 41 in February 1969
5) 39 in February 1948
6) 38 in February 1920
7) 33 in February 1978
33 in January 1996
9) 31 in February 2003
31 in February 2011
11)30 in March 1960
30 in March 1978

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, few stratocumulus distant
NE-ESE, light fog
Temperature: 20F; Dew Point: 17F; Wind: WSW at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.61 ins. Hg, falling, then rising
Visibility: 15 miles, light fog in all directions
6-hr max temp: 22F
6-hr min temp: 18F
24-hr precip: 0.09 inches
24 hr snowfall: 3.9 inches
Snow depth: 44 inches
BHO SA 1155 E100 BKN 15 028/20/17/2507/961/
FEW SC DSNT NE-ESE LGT FG ALQDS NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 3.9 INS/
8/530 4/044 55003 ASOS 60003 70010 MANUAL 70009 10022 20018

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus in all directions, few
altocumulus distant offshore E, light fog
Temperature: 24F; Dew Point: 19F; Wind: estimated WSW at 6 kts
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.59 ins. Hg, rising, then falling
Visibility: 25 miles, light fog
BHO SA 1455 CLR 25 019/24/19/E2506/959/ FEW CU ALQDS FEW AC
DSNT OFFSHR E LGT FG ALQDS/ 8/130 58009

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, snow began 11:17 AM ends
12:37 PM, showers in all directions
Temperature: 24F; Dew Point: 15F; Wind: W at 13G19 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.54 ins. falling then more quickly
Visibility: 10 miles, obscured by showers in all directions
6-hr max temp: 26F
6-hr min temp: 19F
6-hr precip: 0.01 inches
6-hr snowfall: 0.2 inches
BHO SA 1755 E3 BKN 10 004/24/15/2713G19/954/ S-B1617E37 SHWRS
ALQDS NEW SNW PST 3 HRS 0.2 INS/ 8/500 58015 MANUAL 60001 10026
20019
SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2015

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..28   NORMAL…..37
MIN…..15   NORMAL…..20
MEAN….22   NORMAL…..29

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………………….-7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………..-198 [-11.2 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..43  DEPARTURE………..+6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….881  DEPARTURE………+197
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..4229  DEPARTURE……….+14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4215  DIFFERENCE……….-7

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………17 W   AT 10:53 P.M.
ASOS…………………..16 W   AT 10:55 P.M.
DAVIS………………….16 WNW AT 11:06 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..12 W   AT 10:54 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..13 W   AT 10:55 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….11 WNW AT 11:37 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….7.2 NNE
ASOS…………………..N/A **
DAVIS………………..6.3 N [358 degrees] * last of several occurrences…
** ASOS SENSOR CURRENTLY DOWN

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.09  DEPARTURE…..-0.06
ASOS……………N/A ***
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….5.64  DEPARTURE…..+3.17
ASOS……………N/A ***
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….10.85  DEPARTURE…..+4.12
ASOS……………N/A ***
*** ASOS February and annual totals not available due to erroneous readings
on February 9-10th and 14-15th

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….3.9  DEPARTURE……+3.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………77.2  DEPARTURE…..+68.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON………….131.1  DEPARTURE…..+89.1

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOWFALL/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

2/1  28/8/18/-8/0.00/0.0/…/..               29 WNW RMY N/A
2/2  29/8/19/-7/1.53/16.5/000/00              44 NE  RMY 46
2/3  21/0/11/-15/0.00/0.0/…/..              31 NW  RMY N/A
2/4  36/14/25/-1/0.00/0.0/…/..              31 S   RMY 33
2/5  34/4/19/-7/0.15/3.5/…/..               38 NW  RMY 39
2/6  19/-2/9/-17/0.00/0.0/…/..              28 NW  RMY 27
2/7  25/14/20/-7/…./…/…/..              25 WSW RMY N/A
2/8  29/11/20/-7/…./…/000/00              30 NNE RMY 29
2/9  19/12/16/-11/…./…/000/00             29 N   RMY 28
2/10 28/12/20/-7/…./…/…/..              29 N   RMY 29
2/11 24/15/20/-7/0.03/1.4/…/..              30 N   RMY 29
2/12 28/14/21/-6/0.02/0.6/…/..              31 NW  RMY N/A
2/13 20/2/11/-17/0.00/0.0/…/..              35 NW  RMY 35
2/14 26/1/14/-14/…./…/…/..              24 NW  RMY N/A
2/15 18/-6/6/-22/…./…/…/..              53 NW  RMY 59
2/16 17/-8/5/-23/0.00/0.0/…/..              43 NW  RMY N/A
2/17 21/5/13/-15/0.12/2.0/…/..              18 NW  RMY 16
2/18 28/15/22/-7/…./…/…/..              17 W   RMY N/A

2/19 morning low temp: 18F since midnight, normal low is now 20

DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2015

– NEW DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL FOR 2 FEBRUARY 2015
SNOWFALL 16.5 INS. surpasses previous record:
5.5 ins. in 1916, 1934

DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 19
HIGH 66F IN 1981
LOW -5F IN 1923
PRECIP 2.73 INCHES IN 1972
SNOWFALL 12.0 INCHES IN 1893
PEAK GUST 76 MPH ENE IN 1972

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 20
HIGH 66F IN 1930
LOW -4F IN 1966
PRECIP 1.90 INCHES IN 1934
SNOWFALL 15.0 INCHES IN 1921,1934
PEAK GUST 78 MPH NW IN 1972

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald