Thursday, January 25, 2024

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

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)
SUNRISE: 0705E
SUNSET:  1649E

PERIODS OF RAIN OVERNIGHT, GRADUAL DRYING TODAY UNDER OVERCAST
SKIES AND MILD TEMPERATURES….

Periods of rain overnight left 0.51″ of water in the rain
gauge, continuing the theme of the very wet month. To date,
the monthly total stands at 7.60″, which is over 4″ above
normal. With a week still to go in the month, this total is
likely to increase further.

The wet conditions gradually waned during the morning hours
as areas of drizzle finally came to an end during the mid
morning. The air is starting to dry out a bit as reflected
by the relative humidity easing from the 100% mark to
around 90% by the 1pm observation.

Temperatures are quite mild for late January standards.
Readings are in the upper 40s, and did touch 50F for a time
earlier in the day. This is a good 15F or so degrees above
normal for the date.

The wind has been steadily veering from the south, through
west, to north, and now finally northeast. The average speed
for the day so far is around 13mph. The peak gust so far is
35mph, which occurred just after 5am this morning.

Visibility was quite limited this morning with thin fog and
drizzle, but has improved markedly early this afternoon to
around 70 miles after the 1pm observation.

The maximum temperature so far today is 50F degrees, this is
16 degrees above the normal high of 34F. The minimum temperature
so far since midnight is 39F degrees, this is 21 degrees above
the normal low of 17F.

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Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratus fractus, broken stratocumulus,
overcast nimbostratus, few lower stratus fractus all quadrants and
occasionally drifting over summit
Temperature: 48F; Dew Point: 48F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: WSW @ 9G16 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1018.7 mb; 30.08 in. Hg: falling, then rising
Visibility: 7 miles, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 49F
6-hr Min temp: 41F
24-hr Precip: 0.51 inches
24-hr Snowfall: 0.0 inches
Snow Depth: Trace
BHO SA 1155 2 SCT E12 BKN 65 OVC 7 187/48/48/2509G16/008/ FEW LWR STFRA
ALQDS AND OCNLY DRFTG OVR SMT THN F ALQDS R-E10B30E55/ 8/72/ 4/000 53001
6014/ 70051 10049 20041

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, broken altocumulus/altostratus,
overcast cirrostratus, few breaks in overcast distant NW-NNE,
few stratus fractus all quadrants, higher clouds visible distant NW-NNE
Temperature: 47F; Dew Point: 47F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: WNW @ 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1020.2mb; 30.13 in. Hg: rising, then more rapidly
Visibility: 10 miles, thin fog
3-hr Precip: Trace
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 inches
BHO SA 1455 60 SCT E120 BKN 180 OVC 10 202/47/47/2908/013/ FEW BINOVC
DSNT NW-NNE FEW STFRA ALQDS HIER CLDS VSBL DSNT NW-NNE THN F ALQDS
L-B02E44/ 8/777 53015 6000/

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus/altostratus, broken cirrostratus,
overcast cirrus, few breaks in overcast distant NW-NE, few stratocumulus
all quadrants
Temperature: 49F; Dew Point: 46F; Relative Humidity: 90%
Wind: N @ 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 1020.2 mb; 30.13 in. Hg: rising, then falling
Visibility: 60 miles
6-hr Max temp: 50F
6-hr Min temp: 47F
6-hr Precip: Trace
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 inches
Snow Depth: 0 inches
BHO SA 1755 E100 BKN 180 BKN 250 OVC 60 202/49/46/3607/013/ FEW BINOVC
DSNT NW-NE FEW SC ALQDS/ 8/576 50000 6000/ 10050 20047

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SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2024

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….39   NORMAL…..34
MIN…….29   NORMAL…..17
MEAN……34   NORMAL…..26

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1991-2020) NORMAL…………+8
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..+65 [+2.5 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON: JUL 2023 THRU JUN 2024)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………31  DEPARTURE……..-8
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..852  DEPARTURE…….-67
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………2747  DEPARTURE……-382
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….2634  DEPARTURE……+113

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

F420C (Official)……….E26 S    @  06:45 P.M.
VECTOR #1 (1-Sec)……….26 S    @  06:45 P.M.
VECTOR #2 (1-Sec)……….24 S    @  06:26 P.M.
DAVIS #1……………….27 S    @  09:38 P.M.
DAVIS #2 ………………28 S    @  09:42 P.M.
RMY #1 (Instantaneous)…..26 S    @  07:04 P.M.
RMY #2 (Instantaneous)…..25 S    @  06:26 P.M.
MERLIN…………………M
RICHARDS (C5C) (Inst)……26      @  07:04 P.M.

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………19 S    @  09:39 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #1 AVERAGE…………..18      @  09:42 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR #2 AVERAGE…………..19      @  07:01 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………17 S    @  11:59 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………21 S    @  09:42 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #1 AVERAGE……………..18 S    @  09:42 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY #2 AVERAGE……………..19 S    @  07:01 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RICHARDS (C5C) AVERAGE………17      @  09:42 P.M.

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL…….8.9 S [213 total miles] VECTOR #1……………..9.3
VECTOR #2……………..9.7
DAVIS #1………………8.4 SSE
DAVIS #2………………8.5 SSE
RMY #1………………..9.4 SSE
RMY #2……………….10.1 SSE
RICHARDS (C5C)…………9.5

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……..0.51 DEPARTURE…..+0.37
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH…………..7.60 DEPARTURE…..+4.07
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR (2024)……..7.60 DEPARTURE…..+4.07

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…………..0.0 DEPARTURE……-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………….18.7 DEPARTURE……+4.8
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON (2023-2024)……19.0 DEPARTURE…..-10.0

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PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/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

1/1   37/25/31/+2/0.00/0.0/296/54         15 N   VEC1 14 N   RMY 15
1/2   39/19/29/+1/0.00/0.0/550/100        17 WNW VEC1 17 WNW RMY 17
1/3   42/25/34/+6/0.00/0.0/347/63         20 WNW VEC1 21 WNW RMY 21
1/4   42/21/32/+4/T/T/237/43              37 NNW VEC1 36 NNW RMY 39
1/5   32/17/25/-3/0.00/0.0/542/98         40 NW  VEC1 39 NW  RMY 39
1/6   34/24/29/+1/0.11/0.2/022/04         36 E   VEC1 36 E   RMY 36
1/7   33/21/27/0/0.84/13.0/000/00         38 ENE VEC1 37 ENE RMY 42
1/8   32/21/27/0/0.00/0.0/406/73          28 NW  VEC1 28 NW  RMY 31
1/9   40/23/32/+5/0.98/T/000/00           46 SE  VEC1 49 SE  RMY 46
1/10  53/41/47/+20/1.90/0.0/201/36        70 SSE VEC1 69 SSE RMY 75
1/11  43/35/39/+12/0.00/0.0/162/29        45 WNW VEC1 43 WNW RMY 47
1/12  47/33/40/+13/0.00/0.0/533/95        29 SE  VEC1 28 ESE RMY 28
1/13  57/36/47/+21/1.72/0.0/146/26        47 ESE VEC1 51 ESE RMY 49
1/14  39/22/31/+5/0.02/0.4/328/58         53 WNW VEC1 52 WNW RMY 54
1/15  31/17/24/-2/T/T/475/84              30 WNW VEC1 29 WNW RMY 30
1/16  34/19/27/+1/0.61/3.2/000/00         36 NW  VEC1 33 NW* RMY 31*
1/17  25/13/19/-7/0.00/0.0/529/93         29 NW  VEC1 28 W*  RMY 27*
1/18  26/13/20/-6/0.00/0.0/069/12         30 WSW VEC1 30 WSW RMY 29
1/19  27/16/22/-4/T/T/000/00              31 NW  VEC1 30 NW  RMY 34
1/20  20/10/15/-11/0.05/0.7/172/30        30 NW  VEC1 30 NW  RMY 31
1/21  25/10/18/-8/0.00/0.0/513/89         30 NW  VEC1 31 NW  RMY 32
1/22  37/13/25/-1/0.00/0.0/416/72         35 SW  VEC1 35 SW  RMY 36
1/23  38/30/34/+8/0.07/0.5/006/01         30 WSW VEC1 30 WSW RMY 31
1/24  39/29/34/+8/0.40/0.7/000/00         26 S   VEC1 26 S   RMY 26

1/25 The low since midnight is 39F, the daily normal low is 17F

* Reading impacted by icing

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JANUARY DAILY RECORDS TO DATE

1/13: RECORD PRECIPITATION OF 1.72 INS,
BEATS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 1.54 INS SET IN 1979

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 25
HIGH 56F IN 2010
LOW -9F IN 1935
PRECIP 2.24 INS. IN 1979
SNOWFALL 12.5 INS. IN 1941
PEAK GUST 81 MPH WNW IN 1972

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 26
HIGH 68F IN 1950 [RECORD HIGH TIE FOR MONTH] LOW -5F IN 1920
PRECIP 1.60 INS. IN 1958
SNOW 9.0 INS. IN 1898
WIND 90e MPH SE IN 1978

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas