Tuesday, January 12, 2016

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

GUSTY WIND CALM, SUNNY AND COLD THIS MORNING
AHEAD OF SNOW SHOWERS TONIGHT

For a second consecutive day winds averaged near 20 MPH, with
winds gusting slightly lower in the 40 MPH range. Excellent
visibility of 80 miles yesterday had decreased somewhat this
morning with lighter winds and chilly conditions. Overnight,
temperatures dipped to a minimum of 19F.

By today’s 1:00 PM EST observation cirrus and altocumulus were
becoming more dense, with visibility dropping from 70 miles
this morning to 50 miles at our afternoon observation. Temperatures
were climbing slowly but steadily, reaching 34F by observation
time.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, broken cirrus
Temperature: 19F; Dew Point: 7F; Wind: estimated S at 4 kts
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 20F
6-hr Min temp: 19F
24-hr precip: 0.00 in.
Snow depth: 0 ins.
BHO SA 1155 120 SCT E250 BKN 70 191/19/7/E1704/009/
WND LGT/ 8/031 53001 10020 20019

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered cirrus, few stratocumulus distant offshore
NE, few dense cirrus distant W-WNW
Temperature: 28F; Dew Point: 9F; Wind: estimated SE at 5 kts
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.04 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 60 miles, light distant haze
BHO SA 1455 250 SCT 60 172/28/9/E1405/004/ FEW SC DSNT OFFSHR NE
FEW DNS CI DSNT W-WNW LGT DSNT HZ ALQDS WND LGT/ 8/502 56019

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, broken cirrus,
few stratocumulus and cumulus NNE-SSW, few altocumulus
lenticularis in al directions
Temperature: 34F; Dew Point: 18F; Wind: S at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.89 ins. Hg, falling rapidly
Visibility: 50 miles, light distant haze
6-hr Max temp: 34F
6-hr Min temp: 19F
BHO SA 1755 E90 BKN 200 BKN 50 123/34/18/1709/989/
FEW SC/CU NNE-SSW FEW ACSL ALQDS PRESFR LGT DSNT HZ ALQDS/
8/842 58049 10034 20019

SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..48   NORMAL…..34
MIN…..21   NORMAL…..17
MEAN….35   NORMAL…..25

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………..+10
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..+66 [+5.8 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..30   DEPARTURE………-10
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….363   DEPARTURE………-65
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..2019   DEPARTURE……..-714
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……2528   DIFFERENCE…….-509

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….43  W   AT   4:48 A.M.
AEROVANE………………..45  WSW AT   4:46 A.M.
ASOS……………………42  W   AT   5:03 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..40  W   AT   4:47 A.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………33  W   AT  12:47 P.M.*
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………31  W   AT  12:19 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..28  W   AT  12:49 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION……………18.7 WNW
ASOS……………………18.3
DAVIS…………………..15.5 WNW [297 Deg.] *last of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.00  DEPARTURE……-0.14
ASOS…………..0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….1.55  DEPARTURE……-0.01
ASOS…………..1.67
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..1.55  DEPARTURE……-0.01
ASOS…………..1.67

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.2  DEPARTURE…….-6.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON……………1.5  DEPARTURE……-20.7

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
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

1/1   37/29/33/+6/0.00/0.0/…/..           29 W               RMY 29
1/2   37/27/32/+5/0.00/0.0/…/..           31 W               RMY N/A
1/3   41/27/34/+8/0.00/0.0/…/..           28 W               RMY 29
1/4   30/10/20/-6/T/T/000/00                29 NNW             RMY 29
1/5   23/4/14/-12/0.00/0.0/…/..           28 NNW             RMY N/A
1/6   43/17/30/+4/0.00/0.0/…/..           24 SW              RMY 24
1/7   43/25/34/+8/0.00/0.0/…/..           21 SW              RMY N/A
1/8   40/28/34/+8/T/0.0/…/..              28 E   AERO 25 ENE RMY 25
1/9   39/36/38/+12/T/0.0/…/..             21 ENE AERO 20 ENE RMY N/A
1/10  58/38/48/+23/1.55/0.0/000/00          53 SSE AERO 55 SSE RMY 53
1/11  48/21/35/+10/0.00/0.0/…/..          43 W   AERO 45 WSW RMY N/A

1/12  low since midnight is 19F; normal low is now 17F

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2016

**1/10/16: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 58F, BREAKS
PREVIOUS RECORD OF 54F SET BACK IN 2000**

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

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 12
HIGH 57F IN 1913, 1975
LOW -15F IN 1886
PRECIP 2.04 INS. IN 2011
SNOW 18.2 INS. IN 2011
WIND 84e MPH S IN 1980

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 13
HIGH 57F IN 1890,1932
LOW -10F IN 1912,1914
PRECIP 1.54 INS. IN 1979
SNOWFALL 12.6 INS. IN 1964
PEAK GUST 74 MPH NE IN 1964

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald