Thursday, March 17, 2016

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

RAIN SHOWERS OVERNIGHT BRING 0.16 INCHES OF NEW PRECIP-
TEMPS ON THE RISE TODAY AHEAD OF WEEKEND COLD

Two rounds of rain showers overnight, one before and one after
midnight brought 0.16 inches of new rain and two brief spikes
in barometric pressure and wind gusts. Just prior to 1:00 AM EST
winds gusted twice to 30 MPH from the WNW according to our F420C
anemometer.

Yesterday’s temperatures reached a maximum of 48F; however, with
a minimum reading of 39F, temperatures still managed to average
9 degrees warmer than normal. This positive temperature departure
has added to an already much warmer than normal month of March
that now averages 8.0 degrees above normal per day.

Thick fog this morning lifted before the 10:00 AM EST observation,
and by 1:00 PM EST temperatures had reached a maximum reading so
far of 62F. Cumulonimbus were observed during the afternoon observation
as well with pop-up showers visible throughout the area.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Thick fog
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 40F; Wind: SW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.83 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 1/8 of a mile, thick fog
6-hr Max temp: 42F
6-hr Min temp: 40F
24-hr precip: 0.16 ins.
BHO SA 1155 W2 X 1/8F 103/40/40/2308/983/
8//// 56004 ASOS 60011 70016 MANUAL 70016 10042 20040

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus/cumulus fractus distant WSW-NE,
few altocumulus lenticularis distant W-NNW, few cirrus
in all directions, thin fog in all directions
Temperature: 49F; Dew Point: 47F; Wind: WSW at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 29.80 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 50 miles, thin fog in all directions
BHO SA 1455 CLR 50 091/49/47/2407/980/ FEW CU/CUFRA DSNT WSW-NE
FEW ACSL DSNT W-NNW FEW CI ALQDS THN FG ALQDS/ 8/741 58012

1 P.M.
Weather: Light rain showers beginning 12:25 ending 12:30 PM EST,
cumulonimbus E moving E, cumulonimbus distant NW moving E,
showers E-SW, scattered moderate cumulus, scattered cirrus
Temperature: 61F; Dew Point: 33F; Wind: W at 15G25 kts,
Peak Wind: 26 knots W at 12:00 PM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.70 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 70 miles, except 30 miles E, showers
6-hr Max temp: 62F
6-hr Min temp: 40F
6-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1755 60 SCT 250 SCT 70 058/61/33/2615G25/970/
RW-B25E30 VSBY E 30 MI CB E MOV E CB DSNT NW MOV E
SHWRS E-SW MDT CU DSNT ALQDS PK WND 2726/00/ 8/904 58033
MANUAL 6000/ 10062 20040

SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..48   NORMAL…..44
MIN…..39   NORMAL…..26
MEAN….44   NORMAL…..35

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….+9
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..+131 [+8.0 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..21   DEPARTURE……….-9
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….380   DEPARTURE……..-131
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..4063   DEPARTURE…….-1016
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……5248   DIFFERENCE……-1185

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….25 E    AT 8:28 P.M.*
ASOS……………………25 N    AT 3:03 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..22 E    AT 8:26 P.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………18 E    AT 8:25 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………18 E    AT 8:28 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..17 ENE  AT 8:26 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….8.9 N
ASOS………………….8.8
DAVIS…………………7.6 N [012 Deg.]

*ADDITIONAL PEAK GUST

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.16  DEPARTURE……-0.02
ASOS…………..0.16
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….2.32  DEPARTURE……-0.45
ASOS…………..2.36
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….11.69  DEPARTURE……+0.50
ASOS………….12.32

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.5  DEPARTURE…….-7.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..38.6  DEPARTURE……-16.6

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/ AERO/RMY GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system 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

3/1   45/30/38/+7/0.00/0.0/602/89           54 W   AERO 60 W   RMY 53
3/2   52/21/37/+6/0.41/0.0/204/30           44 WNW AERP 47 NW  RMY 42
3/3   34/16/25/-7/0.00/0.0/641/94           30 WNW AERO 36 WNW RMY N/A
3/4   30/24/27/-5/…./…/000/00           32 N   AERO 38 N   RMY 34
3/5   35/20/28/-4/0.00/0.0/536/78           31 N   AERO 36 N   RMY N/A
3/6   40/25/33/+1/0.00/0.0/593/86           21 SSE AERO 21 SSE RMY N/A
3/7   49/29/39/+6/0.00/0.0/173/25           43 SSW AERO 48 SSW RMY 45
3/8   55/35/45/+12/0.00/0.0/647/93          23 S   AERO 24 S   RMY N/A
3/9   75/38/57/+24/0.00/0.0/594/85          32 S   AERO 36 S   RMY 33
3/10  64/50/57/+24/…./0.0/000/00          31 NNW AERO 38 NNW RMY 32
3/11  56/38/47/+13/T/0.0/331/47             28 NNW AERO 36 NNW RMY 29
3/12  58/31/45/+11/0.00/0.0/650/92          30 SW  AERO 33 SW  RMY 30
3/13  63/46/55/+21/0.00/0.0/…/..          32 NW  AERO 35 NW  RMY 30
3/14  46/36/41/+6/…./T/000/00             32 E   AERO 33 E   RMY N/A
3/15  45/39/42/+7/…./0.0/000/00           36 ENE AERO 38 ENE RMY 34
3/16  48/39/44/+9/…./0.0/…/..           25 E   AERO 28 E   RMY N/A

3/17  low temp since midnight is 40F; normal now 27F

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2016

***3/9/16: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 75F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 71F SET BACK IN 2000.***

***3/10/16: NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 50F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 42F SET AND TIED IN 1977, 2006***

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 17
HIGH 69 IN 2003
LOW 6 IN 1885
PRECIP 1.97 INS. IN 1968
SNOWFALL 6.5 INS. IN 1956
PEAK GUST 70 MPH SSW IN 1973

RECORDS FOR MARCH 18
HIGH 72 IN 2012
LOW 0 IN 1885
PRECIP 5.61 INS. IN 1968 [RECORD FOR MONTH] SNOWFALL 9.3 INS. IN 1985
PEAK GUST 71e MPH WNW IN 1941

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald