Thursday, March 3, 2016

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

TEMPS DROP FROM 52F YESTERDAY MORNING TO 16F EARLY TODAY

Rain showers came to an end yesterday morning as a cold front
swept through the region once again this week, ushering in a
more Arctic-like air mass. Yesterday’s maximum temperature of
52F came around sunrise yesterday morning with temperatures
dropping quickly through the 40s, 30s and finally 21F by midnight.

By early this morning temperatures bottomed out at 16F, some 7
degrees colder than today’s daily normal minimum temperature of
23F. Mostly sunny skies and a north-westerly wind have kept
temperatures suppressed today, and by the 1:00 PM EST observation
skies remained clear with temperatures hitting their warmest
mark of 32F so far.

With a warm end to the month of February, the average monthly
temperature of 32.2F is the 11th warmest February on record,
and when combined with the warmest December on record and a
warm month of January, this winter just barely became the warmest
on record with an average temperature of 34.9F.
BHO Warmest Februarys, deg F (1885-2016):

1) 34.9 in 1984
2) 34.3 in 2012
3) 34.0 in 1998
4) 33.9 in 1954
33.9 in 1981
6) 33.7 in 1976
7) 33.6 in 1997
33.6 in 2002
9) 33.1 in 1925
10) 32.6 in 1991
11) 32.2 in 2016
12) 31.9 in 1960
31.9 in 1999

BHO Warmest Winters, deg F (1885-2016):

1) 34.9 in 2015-2016
2) 34.8 in 2001-2002
3) 34.3 in 2011-2012
4) 32.6 in 1997-1998
5) 32.3 in 1936-1937
32.3 in 1998-1999
PRELIMINARY STATS FOR FEBRUARY 2016

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 42.2 [+5.4] Avg. Min. 22.5 [+3.4] Mean      32.4 [+4.5] 24-hour Corrected Mean: 32.2
Max. for month:  64 on 1st
Min. for month: -14 on 14th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units: 928 [-109] for 28 days
Total for the season: 3670 [-789] for 28 days
Total for last season: 4708

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 5.60 [+1.53] Greatest in 24 hrs:
Snowfall: 22.5 [+8.6] Greatest in 24 hrs: n/a

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 14.4
Avg. corrected wind speed: 14.7
Prevailing wind direction: WNW @ 14%
Peak gust and direction: 76 S on the 25th

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 9,000 out of possible 17,796 or 51%
Astronomical total minutes:   9,302 out of possible 18,418 or 51%
Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus NE-SW, few altocumulus
distant SSE-SW
Temperature: 19F; Dew Point: 9F; Wind: NW at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.16 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 75 miles
6-hr Max temp: 20F
6-hr Min temp: 16F
24-hr precip: 0.27 ins.
BHO SA 1155 CLR 75 213/19/9/3207/016/ FEW CU NE-NW FEW AC DSNT
SSE-SW/ 8/130 51027 ASOS 70027 MANUAL 70027 10020 20016

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few small cumulus NE-SW, few cirrus
distant S-SW
Temperature: 25F; Dew Point: 6F; Wind: W at 14G20 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.20 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 75 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 75 228/25/6/2814G20/020/ FEW SML CU NE-SW FEW CI
DSNT S-SW/ 8/101 51015

1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus distant offshore E,
few cirrus distant ESE-SW
Temperature: 32F; Dew Point: 5F; Wind: WSW at 11G19 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.19 ins. Hg, rising, then falling and lower
Visibility: 75 miles
6-hr Max temp: 32F
6-hr Min temp: 18F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 75 225/32/5/25110G19/019/ FEW CU DSNT OFFSHR E
FEW CI DSNT ESE-SW/ 8/101 58003 10032 20018
SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..52   NORMAL…..40
MIN…..21   NORMAL…..22
MEAN….37   NORMAL…..31

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….+6
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………+13 [+6.3 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..28   DEPARTURE……….-6
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..55   DEPARTURE………-13
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..3738   DEPARTURE……..-897
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4787   DIFFERENCE……-1049

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….44 WNW AT 11:38 A.M.
ASOS……………………44 NNW AT 10:32 P.M.
DAVIS…………………..40 SSE AT  3:32 A.M. RMY 43
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………33 SSE AT  3:42 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………32 S   AT  3:43 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..30 SSE AT  3:43 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION……………21.3 WNW
ASOS……………………19.7
DAVIS…………………..18.5 WSW [251 Deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.27  DEPARTURE……+0.10
ASOS…………..0.27
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….0.41  DEPARTURE……+0.06
ASOS…………..0.43
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..9.78  DEPARTURE……+0.84
ASOS………….10.39

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-1.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..38.1  DEPARTURE……-10.4

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 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

2/1   64/40/52/+26/0.00/0.0/305/51          36 WNW AERO 37 W   RMY 34
2/2   48/31/40/+14/0.00/0.0/602/100         23 NW  AERO 23 WNW RMY N/A
2/3   55/34/45/+19/0.80/0.0/000/00          55 SSE AERO 58 SSE RMY 53
2/4   55/39/47/+21/0.08/0.0/000/00          37 W   AERO 36 W   RMY 35
2/5   39/19/29/+3/1.62/12.5/000/00          37 NNW AERO 39 NNW RMY 35
2/6   35/17/26/0/0.00/0.0/532/87            25 SSW AERO 24 SSW RMY 23
2/7   43/26/35/+8/0.00/0.0/577/94           35 ENE AERO 35 ENE RMY N/A
2/8   36/16/26/-1/…./…/000/00           53 NE  AERO 55 NE  RMY 53
2/9   26/17/22/-5/…./…/000/00           21 N   AERO 22 N   RMY N/A
2/10  33/21/27/+0/0.01/0.0/006/01           23 W   AERO 23 W   RMY 21
2/11  26/7/17/-10/T/T/131/21                39 W   AERO 47 W   RMY 42
2/12  23/4/13/-14/0.00/0.0/433/69           31 WNW AERO 38 WNW RMY 21
2/13  21/-7/7/-21/0.00/0.0/459/73           41 W   AERO 46 WNW RMY 43
2/14  10/-14/-2/-30/0.00/0.0/632/100        33 WNW AERO 46 WNW RMY N/A
2/15  32/-2/15/-13/…./1.2/178/28          24 E   AERO 28 E   RMY N/A
2/16  55/32/44/+16/…./0.0/006/01          65 SSE AERO 69 SSE RMY 64
2/17  43/30/37/+9/0.00/0.0/576/90           33 W   AERO 35 W   RMY N/A
2/18  32/20/26/+3/0.00/0.0/637/99           25 NNW AERO 29 NW  RMY 25
2/19  39/16/28/-1/0.01/T/452/70             24 SSW AERO 26 SSW RMY N/A
2/20  58/31/45/+16/…./…/363/56          44 SSW AERO 44 SSW RMY 41
2/21  53/39/46/+17/0.00/0.0/475/73          39 WNW AERO 43 WNW RMY 39
2/22  45/29/37/+8/0.00/0.0/608/93           18 NW  AERO 20 NW  RMY 17
2/23  37/25/31/+1/…./T/000/00             26 E   AERO 26 E   RMY N/A
2/24  60/33/47/+17/…./0.0/000/00          60 S   AERO 66 S   RMY N/A
2/25  63/37/50/+15/…./0.0/218/33          76 S   AERO 84 S   RMY N/A
2/26  38/22/30/0/…./0.0/665/100           42 WNW AERO 44 WNW RMY 41
2/27  38/16/27/-4/0.00/0.0/654/98           31 SSW AERO 31 SSW RMY 33
2/28  56/34/45/+14/0.00/0.0/335/50          32 S   AERO 37 SSW RMY N/A
2/29  63/41/52/+21/T/0.0/458/68             39 W   AERO 41 W   RMY N/A

3/1   45/30/38/+7/0.00/0.0/…/..           54 W   AERO 60 W   RMY 53
3/2   52/21/37/+6/0.41/0.0/…/..           44 WNW AERP 47 NW  RMY 42

3/3 morning low temp. since midnight 16F; normal now 23F

DAILY RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 2016

2/14/16: **NEW DAILY RECORD LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -14F,
SURPASSING PREVIOUS RECORD OF -8F SET IN 1979**

2/14/16: **TIED DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 10F,
MATCHING PREVIOUS RECORD OF 10F SET IN 1979**

2/25/16: **NEW DAILY RECORD PEAK WIND GUST OF 76 MPH S,
SURPASSING PREVIOUS RECORD OF 75 MPH S IN 1965**

2/29/16: **NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 63F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 56F SET BACK IN 1976**

2/29/16: **DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM OF 41F TIES RECORD
SET IN 1896**

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 3
HIGH 64 IN 1991
LOW -1 IN 1950
PRECIP 2.36 INS. IN 1972
SNOWFALL 12.8 INS. IN 1960
PEAK GUST 78e MPH E IN 1942

RECORDS FOR MARCH 4
HIGH 69 IN 1974
LOW -5 IN 1950
PRECIP 1.80 IN 1960
SNOWFALL 17.3 IN 1960
PEAK GUST 81e MPH SSW IN 1971

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald