Tuesday, March 13, 2018

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2018
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

NOR’EASTER BRINGS NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO
GREAT BLUE HILL…

Snow began early this morning sometime after
2:00 A.M. and has continued, heavy at times,
throughout the day. So far by 1:00 P.M. we
have measured a storm total of 15 ins. So far
this is a daily record breaking amount of snow
and it is still snowing. The previous daily
record of 10.0 ins. was set in 1993. The snow
began wet but as temperatures began dropping
just after 7:00 A.M. and the snow became finer
and fluffier. As it became finer and winds
picked up snow began blowing causing large
drifts on top Great Blue Hill. The winds have
been strong today and we observed a wind shift
from the NNE to North just after 7:00 A.M. We
have had frequent gust of 39 kts (45 MPH) and
a peak gust so far of 52 kts (60 MPH).
Visibility has been poor due to fog and
blowing snow. We had a 1/4 mile of visibility
during each observation.

BHO Greatest March Snowstorms,
inches (1885-2017):

1) 30.3 on 3-5 Mar, 1960
2) 30.0 on 31 Mar – 1 Apr, 1997
3) 29.8 on 6-8 Mar, 2013
4) 23.0 on 5-7 Mar, 2001
5) 19.5 on 19-20 Mar, 1956
6) 17.8 on 15-16 Mar, 1967
7) 17.5 on 20-22 Mar, 1958
8) 16.9 on 11-14 Mar, 1939
9) 15.4 on 29-30 Mar, 1984

BHO Greatest Snowstorms,
inches (1885-2017):

1) 38.7 on 24-28 Feb 1969
2) 30.8 on 26-28 Jan 2015
3) 30.3 on 3-5 Mar 1960
4) 30.1 on 6-7 Feb 1978
5) 30.0 on 31 Mar – 1 Apr 1997
6) 29.8 on 6-8 Mar 2013
7) 26.6 on 8-9 Feb 2013
8) 24.7 on 17-18 Feb 2003
9) 24.3 on 5-7 Dec 2003

BHO Greatest March Calendar Day Snowfalls,
inches (1885-2017):

1) 18.0 on 8 Mar, 2013
2) 17.6 on 19 Mar, 1956
3) 17.3 on 4 Mar, 1960
4) 15.5 on 6 Mar, 2001
5) 15.0 on 31 Mar, 1997
6) 13.5 on 29 Mar, 1984
7) 13.0 on 5 Mar, 1891
8) 12.8 on 3 Mar, 1960
9) 12.3 on 24 Mar, 1956

BHO Greatest March Monthly Snowfall,
inches (1885-2017):

1) 52.0 in 1956
2) 42.2 in 1916
3) 41.4 in 2001
4) 41.0 in 1967
5) 37.8 in 2013
6) 35.5 in 1993
7) 33.9 in 1960
8) 30.6 in 1958
9) 29.0 in 1890

BHO Greatest March Monthly Precipitation,
inches (1885-2017):

1) 18.81 in 2010
2) 13.07 in 2001
3) 10.96 in 1968
4) 10.02 in 1983
5) 9.53 in 1953
6) 9.00 in 1984
7) 8.72 in 1993
8) 8.09 in 1956
9) 7.98 in 1994
10) 7.89 in 1942

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Heavy snow and fog
Temperature: 30F; Dew Point: 30F; Wind: NNE at 24G40 kts,
Peak Wind: 43 kts (50 MPH) NNE at 06:42
Sea-level pressure: 29.52 ins. Hg, falling unsteadily
Visibility: 1/4 mile
6-hr Max temp: 34F
6-hr Min temp: 30F
24-hr precip:  0.85 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 5.8 ins.
Snow depth: 6 ins.
BHO SA 1155 W3 X 1/4S+F 996/30/30/0224G40/952/ NEW SNW
PST 24 HRS 5.8 INS. PK WND 0243/42/ 8//// 4/010 57024
MANUAL 70085 ASOS 70088 10034 20030

10 A.M.
Weather: Heavy occasionally blowing and drifting snow,
fog, overcast nimbostratus
Temperature: 28F; Dew Point: 26F; Wind: N at 23G36 kts,
Peak Wind: 40 kts (46 MPH) N at 9:20 A.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.41 ins. Hg, falling, then more rapidly
Visibility: 1/4 mile
3-hr precip:  0.47 ins.
3-hr snowfall: 5.7 ins.
BHO SA 1455 E5 OVC 1/4S+F 959/28/26/3523G36/941/ NEW SNW
PST 3 HRS 5.7 INS. OCNL BLWG/DRFTG SNW PK WND 3540/20/
8/6// 58037 MANUAL 6047/ ASOS 60058

1 P.M.
Weather: Occasionally blowing and drifting snow, fog,
overcast nimbostratus
Temperature: 27F; Dew Point: 25F; Wind: NNW at 24G39 kts,
Peak Wind: 42 kts (48 MPH) at 12:24 P.M.
Sea-level pressure: 29.35 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 1/4 mile
6-hr Max temp: 31F
6-hr Min temp: 26F
6-hr precip:  0.78 ins.
6-hr snowfall: 9.2 ins.
Snow depth: 16 ins.
BHO SA 1755 E5 OVC 1/4SF 939/27/25/3324G39/935/ NEW SNW
PST 6 HRS 9.2 INS. OCLN BLWG/DRFTG SNW PK WND 3342/24/
8/6// 4/016 58020 MANUAL 6078/ ASOS 60084 10031 20026

SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2018

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..39   NORMAL…..43
MIN…..26   NORMAL…..25
MEAN….33   NORMAL…..34

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL……………………….-1
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………………+29 [+2.2 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY………….32   DEPARTURE……….+1
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………361   DEPARTURE………-29
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON……….4483   DEPARTURE……..-475
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…..4291   DIFFERENCE…….+192

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….36 ENE AT 11:30 P.M.
AERO……………………33 ENE AT 11:28 P.M.
ASOS……………………39 ENE AT  9:09 P.M.
DAVIS…………………..33 M   AT  9:09 P.M ** RMY 29
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………26 ENE AT 10:05 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………26 ENE AT  9:09 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..24 M   AT 11:59 P.M.**
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….12.5 ENE
ASOS………………….12.9
DAVIS…………………11.1 **
** Davis direction malfunctioning

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.85  DEPARTURE……+0.69
ASOS…………..0.88
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….6.61  DEPARTURE……+4.71
ASOS…………..7.20
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….16.72  DEPARTURE……+6.40
ASOS………….18.05

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….5.8  DEPARTURE……..+5.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH……………22.7  DEPARTURE…….+16.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..67.4  DEPARTURE…….+14.3

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

3/01 61/37/49/+18/0.00/0.0/…/..    39 ENE AERO 37 ENE RMY N/A
3/02 40/32/36/+5/3.47/0.7/000/00     73 NNE AERO 70 NNE RMY N/A
3/03 40/32/26/+4/T/T/…/..          52 NNE AERO 50 NNE RMY 49
3/04 39//34/37/+5/T/T/…/..         36 NNE AERO 32 NNE RMY 32
3/05 40/29/35/+3/…/1.2/…/..      40 NE  AERO 39 NE  RMY 40
3/06 34/29/32/0/0.00/0.0/…/..      20 N   AERO 16 N   RMY N/A
3/07 35/31/33/0/…./…/000/00      52 ENE AERO 53 ENE RMY 50
3/08 34/28/31/-2/…./…/…/..     44 NNE AERO 47 NNE RMY N/A
3/09 36/24/30/-3/T/T/…/..          28 W   AERO 26 W   RMY N/A
3/10 37/28/33/0/0.00/0.0/…/..      38 WNW AERO 38 WNW RMY 41
3/11 42/26/34/0/0.00/0.0/…/..      28 NW  AERO 26 NW  RMY 29
3/12 39/26/33/-1/T/T/…/..          36 ENE AERO 33 ENE RMY N/A

3/13 Low temp since midnight is 26F; normal low is now 25F

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2018

3/02/18: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION OF 3.47 INS.
PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 2.15 INS. SET IN 1983

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 13
HIGH 72 IN 1990
LOW -1 IN 1885
PRECIP 2.47 INS. IN 1993
SNOWFALL 10.0 INS. IN 1993
PEAK GUST 76 MPH ENE IN 1993 [THE “STORM OF THE CENTURY”]

RECORDS FOR MARCH 14
HIGH 74 IN 1946
LOW 8 IN 1926
PRECIP 4.95 INS. IN 2010
SNOWFALL 7.3 INS. IN 2017
PEAK GUST 67 MPH ENE IN 2010

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Kaitlin Geagan