Tuesday, March 24, 2020

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

SNOW CHANGED TO HEAVY RAIN LAST EVENING, DRYING OUT TODAY….

The storm that passed to our south last night brought some
accumulating snow followed by periods of much needed heavy
rain. Snow accumulated to 1.6″ late yesterday afternoon
before changing to rain. This brought our monthly snowfall
total to 2.8″, and our seasonal total to 27.6″. This is
still well below normal for both the month and season where
the departures are -7.6″ and -29.8″ respectively.

Once the snow changed to rain, rain came down heavy at times
with a storm total of 2.37″ of liquid measured. This is the
biggest event in quite some time. This has brought our monthly
total to 3.46″, which is now only 0.65″ below normal. The
yearly total is now 8.12″, which is still 4.41″ below normal
to date.

Today we’ve dried out nicely, however a lot of fair weather
clouds have developed keeping the skies mostly cloudy.
Visibility has been excellent however sitting at around 70
miles all day.

The overnight low was 33F, this is 4 degrees above the normal
low of 29F. The high so far today is 48F, 1 degree above the
normal max of 47F.

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus and stratus fractus, breaks in overcast
distant W-NW
Temperature: 33F; Dew Point: 33F; Relative Humidity: 100%
Wind: NNW at 8G18 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.02 ins. Hg: rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 35F
6-hr Min temp: 33F
24-hr Precip:  2.37 ins.
24-hr Snowfall: 1.6 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E5 OVC 70 165/33/33/3408G18/002/ BINOVC DSNT W-NW
FEW STRAFRA OCCLY DRFTG OVR SMT TOTAL NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 1.6 INS/
8/7// 51032 6/// 70237 10035 20033

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, few stratocumulus standing lenticular
all quadrants
Temperature: 41F; Dew Point: 36F; Relative Humidity: 82%
Wind: NNW at 9G17 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 ins. Hg: rising, then more rapidly
Visibility: 70 miles
3-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
3-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1455 E20 BKN 40 BKN 70 187/41/36/3409G17/008/ FEW SCSL
ALQDS/ 8/500 53022

1 P.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus
Temperature: 47F; Dew Point: 34F; Relative Humidity: 60%
Wind: N at 5 kts, wind light and variable
Sea-level pressure: 30.06 ins. Hg: steady, then falling
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 48F
6-hr Min temp: 33F
6-hr Precip:  0.00 ins.
6-hr Snowfall: 0.0 ins.
BHO SA 1755 E30 BKN 70 179/47/34/3605/006/ WND L/V/ 8/500 58008
10048 20033

SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2020

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..40   NORMAL…..46
MIN…..25   NORMAL…..29
MEAN….33   NORMAL…..38

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL………………. -5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………+167 [+7.1 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY……………32  DEPARTURE……. +5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..542  DEPARTURE……-167
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………4682  DEPARTURE……-595
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….5227  DEPARTURE……-545

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY………………..38 NNE AT 11:35 P.M.
AERO…………………….39 NNE AT 11:45 P.M.
ASOS…………………….38 NE  AT 11:35 P.M.
DAVIS……………………36 E   AT  6:58 P.M. RMY 38
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY………………….29 NNE AT 11:28 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE……………….25 NNE AT 11:30 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE………………28 E   AT  6:59 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION…………..12.4 SE
ASOS…………………..12.8
DAVIS………………….12.5 ESE  [113 deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….2.37  DEPARTURE……+2.18
ASOS…………..2.34
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….3.46  DEPARTURE……-0.65
ASOS…………..3.59
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..8.12  DEPARTURE……-4.41
ASOS…………..8.50

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….1.6  DEPARTURE…….+1.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….2.8  DEPARTURE…….-7.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..27.6  DEPARTURE……-29.8

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  33/15/24/-7/0.00/0.0/…/..         28 WNW AERO 28 WNW RMY 27
03/02  52/24/38/+7/T/T/…/..              40 S   AERO 39 S   RMY 41
03/03  64/45/55/+23/…./0.0/…/..        30 S   AERO 30 S   RMY N/A
03/04  50/38/44/+12/…./0.0/…/..        56 W   AERO 56 W   RMY 58
03/05  51/32/42/+10/0.00/0.0/…/..        31 W   AERO 31 NW  RMY 32
03/06  47/30/39/+7/…./…/…/..         46 NE  AERO 45 NE  RMY 46
03/07  43/26/35/+2/…./…/…/..         42 N   AERO 43 N   RMY 44
03/08  53/26/40/+7/0.00/0.0/…/..         31 W   AERO 30 W   RMY 28
03/09  72/40/56/+23/0.00/0.0/…/..        32 SW  AERO 32 SW  RMY 31
03/10  68/49/59/+26/0.00/0.0/…/..        48 WSW AERO 46 WSW RMY 49
03/11  56/37/47/+13/0.00/0.0/…/..        31 WNW AERO M  M   RMY 21
03/12  46/31/39/+5/…./0.0/…/..         21 SE  AERO 18 SE  RMY N/A
03/13  59/38/49/+15/…./0.0/…/..        46 WNW AERO 44 WNW RMY 46
03/14  51/35/43/+8/0.00/0.0/…/..         37 W   AERO 36 W   RMY 35
03/15  47/28/38/+3/0.00/0.0/…/..         28 NW  AERO 28 NW  RMY N/A
03/16  36/22/29/-6/0.00/0.0/…/..         21 NE  AERO 21 ESE RMY 21
03/17  43/28/36/0/…./0.4/…/..          29 W   AERO 30 W   RMY 29
03/18  54/31/43/+7/…./0.0/…/..         26 S   AERO 26 S   RMY 26
03/19  43/37/40/+4/…./0.0/…/..         36 E   AERO 35 E   RMY 34
03/20  66/37/52/+15/…./0.0/…/..        48 W   AERO 48 W   RMY 46
03/21  55/29/42/+5/0.00/0.0/…/..         45 W   AERO 48 W   RMY N/A
03/22  36/23/30/-7/0.00/0.0/…/..         23 NE  AERO 24 NE  RMY 23
03/23  40/25/33/-5/…./1.6/…/..         38 NNE AERO 39 NNE RMY 38

03/24 The low since midnight is 33F, daily normal minimum is 29F

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

RECORDS FOR MARCH 24
HIGH 70 IN 1920
LOW 6 IN 1906
PRECIP 1.51 INS. IN 1956
SNOWFALL 12.3 INS. IN 1956
PEAK GUST 71 MPH W IN 1968

RECORDS FOR MARCH 25
HIGH 76 IN 1910
LOW 8 IN 1888, 1956
PRECIP 1.84 INS. IN 1909
SNOWFALL 1.0 INS. IN 1912
PEAK GUST 69 MPH SE IN 1969

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Matt Douglas