Tuesday, March 12, 2019

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

TEMPERATURES RETURN TO NORMAL, AND GREAT
VISIBILITY IS SEEN THIS AFTERNOON….

Cloud cover this morning broke up throughout the day,
with only some scattered cumulus being seen past noontime.
We saw a visibility of 85 miles at the 10 A.M. and 1 P.M.
observations. Humidity was relatively low today, staying
below 60% and still dropping. The high so far today is 41F,
2 degrees below the daily normal maximum of 43F. The low
since midnight is 28F, 3 degrees above the normal minimum
of 25F. Houghton’s Pond and Lake Ponkapoag are still frozen
over despite abundant sunlight and above freezing daytime
temperatures.

PRELIMINARY STATS FOR FEBRUARY 2019

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 37.3 [+0.5] Avg. Min. 21.6 [+2.5] Mean      29.5 [+1.6] 24-hour corrected mean: 29.2
Max. for month: 62F on the 5th
Min. for month: 5F  on the 1st

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units:    990 [-47] Total for the season:  4486 [-82] Total for last season: 4122

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 3.61 [-0.46] Greatest in 24 hrs: 1.14 ins. on the 12th-13th

SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 12.1 [-1.8] Greatest in 24 hrs: 4.7 ins. on the 17th-18th

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 12.9
Avg. corrected wind speed: 13.3
Prevailing wind direction: WNW at 22%
Peak gust and direction: 66 W on 25th

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 9132 minutes of possible 17148 or 53%
Astronomical total minutes:   9476 minutes of possible 17766 or 53%

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altostratus, overcast cirrostratus,
few cumulus in all directions
Temperature: 31F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: NW at 7G13 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.03 ins. Hg, rising steadily
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 32F
6-hr Min temp: 28F
24-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 6 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E110 BKN 300 OVC 70 169/31/21/3107G13/003/
FEW CU ALQDS/ 8/116 4/006 51017 10032 20028

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus
Temperature: 36F; Dew Point: 21F; Wind: NW at 12G25 kts,
Peak wind: 30 MPH (26 kts) NW at 9:23 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.07 ins. Hg, rising steadily
Visibility: 85 miles
3-hr Precip: 0.00 ins.
BHO SA 1455 E45 BKN 85 182/36/21/3112G25/007/
PK WND 3126/23/ 8/400 51013

1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered cumulus
Temperature: 40F; Dew Point: 22F; Wind: NW at 15G24 kts,
Peak Wind: 32 MPH (28 kts) NW at 10:48 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 30.07 ins. Hg, falling steadily
Visibility: 85 miles
6-hr Max temp: 41F
6-hr Min temp: 30F
6-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
6-hr snowfall: 0.0 ins.
Snow depth: 5 ins.
BHO SA 1755 50 SCT 85 181/40/22/3115G24/007/
PK WND 3128/1548/ 8/100 4/005 58001 10041 20030

SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2019

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..48   NORMAL…..43
MIN…..33   NORMAL…..25
MEAN….41   NORMAL…..34

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….+7
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH……………………-56 [-5.3 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..24   DEPARTURE………-7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….415   DEPARTURE……..+56
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..4901   DEPARTURE……..-26
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4451   DIFFERENCE……+450

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………..40 NW  AT 10:45 A.M.
AERO…………………….37 NNW AT 10:45 P.M.
ASOS…………………….42 W   AT 10:45 A.M.
DAVIS……………………41 W   AT 10:45 A.M. RMY 41
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………….32 NW  AT 10:45 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………….30 W   AT 10:46 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE………………32 WSW AT 10:46 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..16.3 NNE
ASOS…………………..15.5
DAVIS………………….16.4 WSW [253 deg.]

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……….2.85  DEPARTURE…….+1.93
ASOS…………..2.91
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….11.79  DEPARTURE…….+1.45
ASOS………….11.96

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE……..-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………21.0  DEPARTURE…….+15.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..45.5  DEPARTURE……..-7.1

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 19/5/12/-14/0.00/0.0/552/95          29 W   AERO 28 W   RMY N/A
02/02 30/7/19/-7/0.00/0.0/318/55           32 WSW AERO 32 WSW RMY 31
02/03 38/27/33/+7/0.00/0.0/126/22          26 S   AERO 25 S   RMY N/A
02/04 59/33/46/+20/0.00/0.0/540/93         25 SSW AERO 28 SSW RMY N/A
02/05 62/39/51/+25/0.00/0.0/354/60         30 WNW AERO 29 WNW RMY 32
02/06 39/28/34/+8/0.35/T/396/67            24 NNW AERO 23 NNW RMY N/A
02/07 37/31/34/+7/0.35/0.0/000/00          28 ENE AERO 24 ENE RMY 28
02/08 51/27/39/+12/0.07/0.0/204/34         46 W   AERO 46 WNW RMY 51
02/09 32/20/26/-1/0.00/0.0/594/100         50 WNW AERO 52 WNW RMY 52
02/10 33/18/26/-1/0.00/0.0/510/85          24 WNW AERO 23 WNW RMY 25
02/11 34/21/28/+1/0.00/0.0/318/53          24 NNW AERO 23 NNW RMY 25
02/12 33/13/23/-4/0.90/2.8/000/00          32 E   AERO 30 E   RMY 26
02/13 39/29/34/+6/0.26/0.1/018/03          36 W   AERO 32 W   RMY 36
02/14 37/26/32/+4/0.00/0.0/594/97          44 WNW AERO 42 WNW RMY 45
02/15 49/29/39/+11/0.11/0.0/060/10         40 S   AERO 40 S   RMY 44
02/16 44/26/35/+7/0.00/0.0/504/82          25 NW  AERO 25 NW  RMY N/A
02/17 37/19/28/0/0.01/T/618/100            30 NNW AERO 25 NNW RMY N/A
02/18 30/16/23/-6/0.41/4.7/000/00          35 NW  AERO 36 NW  RMY 41
02/19 30/10/20/-9/0.00/0.0/618/99          35 NW  AERO 33 NW  RMY N/A
02/20 26/12/19/-10/0.12/0.3/000/00         16 WNW AERO 14 SSW RMY N/A
02/21 43/21/32/+3/0.33/0.7/294/47          36 W   AERO 33 W   RMY 38
02/22 43/30/37/+8/0.00/0.0/504/80          22 NW  AERO 21 NW  RMY 23
02/23 38/24/31/+1/0.00/0.0/336/53          18 NNW AERO 16 NNW RMY N/A
02/24 45/30/38/+8/0.40/0.0/000/00          41 W   AERO 37 W   RMY 47
02/25 37/25/31/+1/0.03/T/336/57            66 W   AERO 59 W   RMY M
02/26 29/14/22/-8/0.00/0.0/642/100         46 WNW AERO 39 WNW RMY 47
02/27 22/9/16/-15/0.10/1.2/180/28          35 WNW AERO 26 WNW RMY N/A
02/28 28/15/22/-9/0.17/2.3/486/75          22 NW  AERO 18 NW  RMY 22

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 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

03/01 38/17/28/-3/…./…/…/..           16 NNW AERO 13 NNW RMY 22
03/02 31/27/29/-2/…./…/…/.. 29 NNE AERO 22 NNE RMY 30
03/03 40/25/33/+1/…./…/…/..           21 ESE AERO 14 ESE RMY N/A
03/04 35/18/27/-5/…./…/…/..           33 W   AERO 18 W   RMY 32
03/05 29/10/20/-12/0.00/0.0/…/..          28 WNW AERO 12 SW  RMY N/A
03/06 24/10/17/-15/0.00/0.0/…/..          40 WNW AERO 25 WNW RMY 41
03/07 26/6/16/-17/0.00/0.0/…/..           35 W   AERO 18 W   RMY 34
03/08 35/11/23/-10/0.00/0.0/…/..          23 WSW AERO M  M   RMY M
03/09 43/22/33/0/0.00/0.0/…/..            20 WSW AERO M  M   RMY N/A
03/10 40/26/33/0/…./…/…/..            32 ESE AERO 23 S   RMY 32
03/11 48/33/41/+7/…./…/…/..           40 NW  AERO 37 NNW RMY 41

03/12 Low temp since midnight is 28F; normal low is 25F

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 23.0 INS. IN 2018
PEAK GUST 76 MPH ENE IN 1993 [THE “STORM OF THE CENTURY”]

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Benjamin Turner