Thursday, March 12, 2015
BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
COLD AIR RETURNS, WINDS RAMP UP OVERNIGHT
Following yesterday’s second consecutive day
of above normal temperatures, which peaked at 55F,
the mercury slid through the night, dropping just
below the freezing mark by sunrise. Winds have been
gusting from the W-NW well into the 40 MPH range.
Cool dry air has allowed for spectacular visibility
today, with our maximum of 90 miles being reported. The
summit of Grand Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH can be easily
seen with the naked eye from our tower this morning.
By the 1:00 PM EST observation clear, cold and gusty
conditions remained, with a maximum reading of
36F since the 7:00 AM EST observation.
Seasonal snowfall has now reached 143.4 inches, just
1.0 inch below the snowiest season on record set
in 1995-1996. For more information about this historic
winter, visit our web site at bluehill.org.
The average snow depth has fallen to 24 inches as of this
morning. This is the 38th consecutive day with 20 inches
or more of snow on the ground which is firmly in second
place all time. The record is 53 days set back in 1948.
BHO Greatest Seasonal Snowfall, inches (1885-2015):
1) 144.4 in 1995-1996
2) 143.4 in 2014-2015 (through 1 PM March 12th)
3) 136.0 in 1947-1948
4) 119.4 in 2004-2005
5) 113.1 in 2002-2003
6) 111.5 in 1915-1916
7) 109.6 in 1966-1967
8) 106.8 in 1955-1956
9) 103.4 in 1903-1904
10) 102.5 in 1922-1923
BHO Longest Duration of 20″+ Snow Depth, (1885-2015):
1) 53 days, 27 Dec, 1947 – 17 Feb, 1948
2) 38 days, 3 Feb – 12 Mar, 2015 (through 1 PM March 12th)
3) 34 days, 5 Feb – 9 Mar, 1920
34 days, 7 Feb – 12 Mar, 1978
5) 23 days, 25 Feb – 19 Mar, 1969
6) 21 days, 27 Jan – 16 Feb, 2011
7) 11 days, 15-25 Mar, 1916
11 days, 5-15 Jan, 1961
Today’s Observations:
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus in all directions
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 13F; Wind: NNW at 16G23 kts
Peak Wind: 29 knots NW @ 06:27 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.21 ins. Hg, rising rapidly
Visibility: 90 miles
6-hr Max temp: 37F
6-hr Min temp: 32F
24-hr snowfall: None
24-hr precip: None
Snow depth: 24 inches
BHO SA 1155 CLR 90 229/32/13/3316G23/021/ FEW SC ALQDS PRESRR
PK WND 3128/27/ 8/500 4/024 53068 10037 20032
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few stratocumulus overhead and
in all directions
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 17F; Wind: WNW at 18G26 kts
Peak Wind: 28 knots WNW @ 9:26 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 30.31 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 90 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 90 263/33/17/3018G26/031/
FEW SC OVHD AND ALQDS PK WND 2928/26/ 8/500 51034
1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus W-E and overhead
Temperature: 34F; Dew Point: 10F; WNW at 16G28 kts
Peak Wind: 30 knots NW @ 12:07 PM EST
Sea-Level Pressure: 30.28 ins. Hg, rising, then falling
Visibility: 90 miles
6-hr Max temp: 36F
6-hr Min temp: 31F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 90 255/34/10/3016G28/028/ FEW CU W-E AND OVHD
PK WND 3230/07/ 8/100 50008 10036 20031
SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..55 NORMAL…..43
MIN…..38 NORMAL…..25
MEAN….47 NORMAL…..34
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL………………………+13
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………………-18 [-1.8 DEGREES/DAY]
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..18 DEPARTURE……….-13
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….377 DEPARTURE……….+18
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..5085 DEPARTURE………+158
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4995 DIFFERENCE………+90
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………37 WNW AT 1:07 P.M.*
ASOS…………………..38 WNW AT 1:07 P.M.
DAVIS………………….37 WNW AT 1:08 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………..30 W AT 12:29 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………..29 W AT 12:30 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE…………….25 W AT 12:30 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………15.4 W
ASOS…………………15.1
DAVIS………………..13.4 W [266 degrees]
* last of several occurrences..
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00 DEPARTURE…..-0.17
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….0.75 DEPARTURE…..-1.17
ASOS…………..0.78
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….12.09 DEPARTURE…..+1.88
ASOS……………N/A ***
*** ASOS annual totals 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…………….5.9 DEPARTURE……+0.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON………….143.4 DEPARTURE…..+90.8
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/-8/0.00/0.0/582/97 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/-15/0.00/0.0/593/98 31 NW RMY N/A
2/4 36/14/25/-1/0.00/0.0/164/27 31 S RMY 33
2/5 34/4/19/-7/0.15/3.5/000/00 38 NW RMY 39
2/6 19/-2/9/-17/0.00/0.0/392/64 28 NW RMY 27
2/7 25/14/20/-7/0.08/1.1/000/00 25 WSW RMY N/A
2/8 29/11/20/-7/0.78/12.2/000/00 30 NNE RMY 29
2/9 19/12/16/-11/1.61/14.0/000/00 29 N RMY 28
2/10 28/12/20/-7/0.10/0.8/081/13 29 N RMY 29
2/11 24/15/20/-7/0.03/1.4/000/00 30 N RMY 29
2/12 28/14/21/-6/0.02/0.6/000/00 31 NW RMY N/A
2/13 20/2/11/-17/0.00/0.0/630/100 35 NW RMY 35
2/14 26/1/14/-14/0.36/7.2/241/38 24 NW RMY N/A
2/15 18/-6/6/-22/0.81/14.4/000/00 53 NW RMY 59
2/16 17/-8/5/-23/0.00/0.0/606/95 43 NW RMY N/A
2/17 21/5/13/-15/0.12/2.0/064/10 18 NW RMY 16
2/18 28/15/22/-7/0.01/0.4/039/06 17 W RMY N/A
2/19 26/6/16/-13/0.10/3.7/116/18 40 W RMY 43
2/20 15/0/8/-21/0.00/0.0/630/97 38 W RMY 40
2/21 32/3/18/-11/0.23/1.9/462/71 39 SSW RMY 42
2/22 39/27/33/+4/0.13/0.2/327/50 25 WSW RMY N/A
2/23 28/1/15/-15/0.00/0.0/204/31 38 WNW RMY 44
2/24 18/-6/6/-24/T/T/574/87 26 S RMY 27
2/25 32/11/22/-8/0.07/3.1/650/98 35 W RMY 36
2/26 21/15/18/-12/0.04/0.6/000/00 25 NE RMY 24
2/27 25/9/17/-14/0.00/0.0/669/100 20 NW RMY N/A
2/28 30/5/18/-13/0.00/0.0/671/100 22 NW RMY N/A
3/1 29/14/22/-9/…./…/…/.. 25 SSW RMY 25
3/2 35/22/29/-2/…./…/…/.. 44 WNW RMY 48
3/3 32/13/23/-9/…./2.8/…/.. 33 S RMY N/A
3/4 41/32/37/+5/…./…/000/00 33 SW RMY 36
3/5 36/16/26/-6/0.02/0.2/000/00 28 NW RMY 29
3/6 26/5/16/-16/0.00/0.0/…/.. 28 NW RMY 25
3/7 38/13/26/-7/0.00/0.0/…/.. 30 WSW RMY 30
3/8 41/25/33/0/T/T/…/.. 38 WNW RMY 41
3/9 45/28/37/+4/0.00/0.0/…/.. 40 W RMY 39
3/10 52/32/42/+9/…./0.0/…/.. 28 S RMY 27
3/11 55/38/47/+13/…./0.0/…/.. 37 WNW RMY N/A
3/12 morning low temp: 32F since midnight, normal low is now 25F
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
– NEW DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL FOR 9 FEBRUARY 2015
SNOWFALL 14.0 INS. surpasses previous record:
13.0 ins. in 1969
– NEW DAILY RECORD SNOWFALL FOR 15 FEBRUARY 2015
SNOW 14.4 INS. surpasses previous record:
11.2 ins. in 1940
DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2015
-NONE SO FAR
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
RECORDS FOR MARCH 12
HIGH 72 IN 2012
LOW 2 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.87 INS. IN 1888
SNOWFALL 9.7 INS. IN 1959
PEAK GUST 66 MPH SE IN 1962
RECORDS FOR MARCH 13
HIGH 72 IN 1990
LOW -1 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.47 INS. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 10.0 INS. IN 1993
PEAK GUST 76 MPH ENE IN 1993 [THE “STORM OF THE CENTURY”]
TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald
