Tuesday, February 23, 2021

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

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
SUNRISE: 0629E
SUNSET:  1727E

CLOUDS GIVE WAY TO BRIGHT SUNSHINE; LIGHT WINDS AND MILD TEMPS….

A much better day today following yesterday’s overcast
skies and periods of rain. Rainfall yesterday totaled 0.22″
as we continue to add to our surplus of precipitation for
the month.

Clouds this morning have given way to abundant sunshine
by early this afternoon. Temperatures are responding to
the strong insolation with the mercury rising into the
lower 40s.

Light winds are adding to the comfort of the day along with
the higher sun angle. The wind has only averaged around
9 mph since 7 A.M.

The high so far today is 43F, 4 degrees above the daily
average max of 39F. The low since midnight is 31F, 10
degrees above the daily average low of 21F.

We are now ranked as 7th snowiest February on record.
Per our Chief Scientist, Mike Iacono:

BHO Snowiest Februarys, inches (1886-2021):

1) 83.6 in 2015
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) 38.9 in 2021 (through 7 AM on the 23rd)
8) 37.0 in 1893
9) 36.0 in 1899

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratocumulus, breaks in overcast distant
N-E-S, higher clouds visible distant E-SE
Temperature: 31F; Dew Point: 30F; Relative Humidity: 96%
Wind: WSW @ 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.64 in Hg; rising, then falling
Visibility: 25 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 32F
6-hr Min temp: 31F
24-hr Precip: 0.22 ins.
24-hr Snow: Trace
Snow Depth: 13 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E35 OVC 25 036/31/30/2407/964/ BINOVC DSNT N-E-S
HIER CLDS VSBL E-SE HAZY TOTAL NEW SNW PST 24 HRS TRACE/
8/5// 4/013 50001 70022 10032 20031

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus/standing lenticular, broken cirrus
Temperature: 37F; Dew Point: 30F; Relative Humidity: 75%
Wind: WSW @ 8G15 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.63 in Hg; rising, then falling
Visibility: 30 miles, hazy
3-hr Precip: 0.00 ins.
3-hr Snow: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1455 E35 BKN 200 BKN 30 032/37/30/2408G15/963/
SCSL ALQDS HAZY/ 8/501 58004

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratocumulus, broken altocumulus, broken cirrus
Temperature: 41F, Dew point: 27F; Relative Humidity: 57%
Wind: SW @ 9G14 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.55 in Hg, falling, then more rapidly
Visibility: 35 miles, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 43F
6-hr Min temp: 31F
6-hr Precip: 0.00 ins.
6-hr Snow: 0.0 ins.
Snow Depth: 12 ins.
BHO SA 1755 30 SCT E95 BKN 200 BKN 35 006/41/27/2209G14/955/
HAZY/ 8/571 4/012 58026 10043 20031

SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…….40   NORMAL…..38
MIN…….21   NORMAL…..20
MEAN……31   NORMAL…..29

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR (1981-2010) NORMAL…… +2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………….-5 [-0.4 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………34  DEPARTURE…….-2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..832  DEPARTURE…….+4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………3876  DEPARTURE…..-483
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….3958  DEPARTURE……-82

PEAK WIND GUST (MPH):
420C/Official…………..41 S   @ 12:08 P.M.
AEROVANE (south tower)…..41 SSE @  6:20 P.M.
ASOS…………………..42 S   @ 12:10 P.M.
DAVIS #1……………….39 S   @  3:46 P.M.
DAVIS #2 (south tower)…..42 S   @  4:59 P.M.
RMY……………………44     @  5:42 P.M.
VECTOR…………………45     @ 12:10 P.M.
MERLIN…………………40

FASTEST MILE:
CONTACTING ANEMOMETER/OFFICIAL………………30 S   @ 12:10 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………….30 S   @ 12:10 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #1 AVERAGE……………28 SW  @ 12:10 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS #2 AVERAGE……………33 S   @  4:53 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE RMY AVERAGE………………..29 S   @ 12:07 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE VECTOR AVERAGE……………..30     @ 12:07 P.M.

AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION:
CONTACTING/OFFICIAL……15.5 S   [372 total miles] ASOS…………………15.5
DAVIS #1……………..15.2 SSW
DAVIS #2……………..17.0 S
RMY………………….15.2 SSW
VECTOR……………….15.6

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…….0.22  DEPARTURE….+0.06
ASOS………….0.23
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH………….5.46  DEPARTURE….+2.35
ASOS………….5.65
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR…………..7.78  DEPARTURE….+0.32
ASOS…………8.00

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST):
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HOURS ENDING 7 A.M………TRACE  DEPARTURE…. -0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH………………38.9  DEPARTURE….+27.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON……………..72.3  DEPARTURE….+28.2

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/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
M:    Missing data

02/01   32/21/27/+1/1.86/12.7/000/00      53 NE   AERO 65 NE   RMY 62
02/02   34/29/32/+6/0.91/1.6/000/00       52 NNE  AERO 55 NE   RMY 58
02/03   34/26/30/+4/0.01/0.2/036/06       20 NW   AERO 20 NW   RMY 22
02/04   37/26/32/+6/0.02/0.7/158/26       23 NW   AERO 22 NW   RMY M
02/05   39/26/33/+7/0.01/T/000/00         33 S    AERO 32 S    RMY 30
02/06   40/28/34/+8/0.00/0.0/595/97       42 WSW  AERO 41 WSW  RMY 47
02/07   35/25/30/+3/0.71/11.6/000/00      27 WNW  AERO 28 WNW  RMY 30
02/08   27/13/20/-7/0.00/0.0/619/100      29 NW   AERO 31 WNW  RMY 32
02/09   27/18/23/-4/0.17/2.2/000/00       16 N    AERO 16 N    RMY 17
02/10   31/15/23/-4/0.00/0.0/…/..       26 WNW  AERO 25 WNW  RMY 28
02/11   31/15/23/-4/0.00/0.0/…/..       28 NW   AERO 26 NW   RMY 31
02/12   25/8/17/-10/0.00/0.0/…/..       32 NW   AERO 35 NW   RMY 36
02/13   27/15/21/-7/0.00/0.0/…/..       20 NNW  AERO 20 NNW  RMY 23
02/14   34/24/29/+1/0.00/0.0/…/..       19 ENE  AERO 16 ENE  RMY 19
02/15   31/27/29/+1/0.11/0.0/…/..       21 NNE  AERO 21 NNE  RMY 22
02/16   44/29/37/+9/0.63/0.0/…/..       39 W    AERO 41 W    RMY 43
02/17   30/19/25/-3/0.00/0.0/…/..       40 W    AERO 41 WNW  RMY 40
02/18   29/21/25/-4/0.13/1.7/…/..       24 ENE  AERO 24 ENE  RMY 25
02/19   30/24/27/-2/0.66/7.7/…/..       24 NE   AERO 23 NE   RMY 24
02/20   32/19/26/-3/0.02/0.5/…/..       32 NW   AERO 35 NW   RMY 38
02/21   33/15/24/-5/0.00/0.0/…/..       27 NW   AERO 28 NW   RMY 29
02/22   40/21/31/+2/0.22/T/…/..         41 S    AERO 41 SSE  RMY 44

02/23 The low since midnight is 31F, the daily normal low is 21F

DAILY RECORDS

02/01 -RECORD SNOWFALL OF 12.7 INS, BREAKING PREVIOUS RECORD
OF 11.0 INS SET IN 1898
02/01 -RECORD PRECIPITATION OF 1.86 INS, BREAKING PREVIOUS
RECORD OF 1.30 INS SET IN 1898

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

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 23
HIGH 67F IN 2017
LOW -8F IN 1907
PRECIP 1.48 INCHES IN 1967
SNOWFALL 10.6 INCHES IN 1967
PEAK GUST 73 MPH WNW IN 1974

RECORDS FOR FEBRUARY 24
HIGH 71F IN 2017 [RECORD HIGH FOR MONTH] LOW -11F IN 1894
PRECIP 3.10 INCHES IN 1969
SNOWFALL 27.4 INCHES IN 1969 [HIGHEST CALENDAR DAY AMOUNT ON RECORD] PEAK GUST 63 MPH NE IN 1998

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas