Tuesday, September 1, 2015

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

AUGUST 2015 ENTERS THE RECORD BOOKS AS THIRD WARMEST
ON RECORD, AVERAGING 72.4 DEGREES

With plenty of heat and humidity, temperatures crested to
a maximum of 87F yesterday afternoon. With a maximum yesterday
of 87F and minimum of 68F, Monday adds a +10 departure from
normal to an already warm month that was 3.0 degrees warmer
than normal.

BHO Warmest Augusts, deg F (1885-2015)

1) 72.6 in 2012
2) 72.5 in 1988
3) 72.4 in 2015
4) 72.3 in 2005
5) 72.1 in 2002

BHO Warmest August Average Maximum Temperature, deg F (1885-2015)

1) 83.2 in 2005
2) 83.1 in 1949
3) 82.6 in 2015
4) 82.5 in 1988
82.5 in 2002
82.5 in 2012

BHO Warmest August Average Minimum Temperature, deg F (1885-2015)

1) 64.9 in 2001
2) 64.6 in 2012
3) 64.4 in 2005
64.4 in 2015
5) 64.3 in 2003

Exceptionally dry conditions have persisted on Great Blue Hill
as well, with August finishing 1.13 inches drier than normal.
On the year, precipitation now sits at 4.76 inches drier than
normal with little in the way of precipitation in the long
term forecast. Dusty, dry conditions are now present on top
of the hill.

A layer of smoke and haze once again appeared this morning, limiting
visibility at times to 15 miles or less. Calm winds and dry conditions
have done little to stir up any air. By this afternoon’s 1:00 PM EST
observation wind directions had shifted from N to nearly calm mid-morning,
to finally a steady sea breeze from the NE. Temperatures had maxed out
to a reading of 81F by that time.
PRELIMINARY STATS FOR AUGUST 2015

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 82.6 [+3.4] Avg. Min. 64.4 [+2.6] Mean      73.5 [+3.0] Corrected mean: 72.4
Max. for month: 92 on 18th
Min. for month: 58 on 8th, 10th, 28th

COOLING DEGREE DAYS
Total cooling units: 272 [+86] Total for the season: 537 [+129] Total for last season: 479

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 2.90 [-1.13] Greatest in 24 hrs: 1.24, 15th-16th

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 9.3
Avg. corrected wind speed: 10.0
Prevailing wind direction: WNW @ 15%
Peak gust and direction: 39 W on the 4th [TSTM GUST]

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: PENDING
Astronomical total minutes:   PENDING
Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few cirrus distant NW-N
Temperature: 70F; Dew Point: 62F; Wind: N at 7 kts,
Sea-level pressure: 30.05 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility:  15 miles, smoke layer in all directions, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 70F
6-hr Min temp: 65F
24-hr precip: 0.00 ins
BHO SA 1155 CLR 15 175/70/62/3607/005/ FEW CI DSNT NW-N K LYR
ALQDS HAZY/ 8/001 51016 10070 20065

10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, few small cumulus in all directions
Temperature: 78F; Dew Point 60F; Wind: estimated ENE at 5 kts
Wind Speed and Direction: Light and Variable
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 20 miles, thin smoke layer in all directions, hazy
BHO SA 1455 CLR 20 185/78/60/E0705/008/ FEW SML CU ALQDS THN K
LYR ALQDS HAZY WND LGT AND VRB/ 8/100 51010

1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, few small cumulus SE-NW
Temperature: 81F; Dew Point: 60F; Wind: NE at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.06 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog NNE-E, thin smoke layer in
all directions, hazy
6-hr Max temp: 81F
6-hr Min temp: 70F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 20 181/81/60/0407/006/ FEW SML CU SE-NW THN FG
NNE-E THN K LYR ALQDS HAZY/ 8/100 56004 10081 20070
SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2015

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..87   NORMAL…..77
MIN…..68   NORMAL…..60
MEAN….78   NORMAL…..68

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………..+10
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..+99  [+3.0 DEGREES/DAY]

COOLING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JAN TO DEC)
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..13    DEPARTURE………+9
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….272   DEPARTURE………+86
TOTAL COOLING UNITS FOR THE SEASON…………666   DEPARTURE……..+129
TOTAL COOLING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE…….479   DIFFERENCE…….+187

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….26  W     AT    3:24 P.M.*
ASOS……………………28  W     AT    1:41 P.M.
DAVIS…………………..26  W     AT    3:04 P.M. RMY 28
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………22  W     AT    3:08 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………22  W     AT    3:08 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..20  W     AT    3:08 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION……………11.3 WNW
ASOS……………………11.6
DAVIS…………………. 9.8  WNW [287 deg.] PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…..0.00  DEPARTURE…..-0.11
ASOS……………0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH………..2.90  DEPARTURE…..-1.13
ASOS…………..2.88
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..30.26  DEPARTURE…..-4.76
ASOS……………N/A ***
*** ASOS annual total not available due to erroneous readings

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR AUGUST CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/RMY 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

8/1  88/68/78/+6/0.06/729/84               28 WNW RMY N/A
8/2  86/62/74/+2/0.00/865/100              24 SW  RMY N/A
8/3  89/68/79/+7/0.00/690/80               31 S   RMY N/A
8/4  86/66/76/+4/0.31/422/49               45 W   RMY 50  TSTM
8/5  84/64/74/+2/0.00/765/89               28 WNW RMY 27
8/6  80/59/70/-2/0.00/685/80               22 W   RMY 21
8/7  78/61/70/-2/0.00/845/99               20 ESE RMY 18
8/8  77/58/68/-4/0.00/741/87               18 E   RMY N/A
8/9  72/59/66/-6/T/458/54                  27 NNE RMY 26
8/10 84/58/71/0/0.00/830/98                28 S   RMY N/A
8/11 70/63/67/-4/0.52/000/00               32 SSE RMY 35
8/12 83/65/74/+3/0.00/766/91               22 W   RMY 20
8/13 83/62/73/+2/0.00/832/99               18 WNW RMY 18
8/14 86/63/75/+4/0.00/837/100              21 S   RMY 23
8/15 91/66/79/+8/1.24/534/64               38 W   RMY 41  TSTM
8/16 87/65/76/+5/T/774/93                  16 W   RMY N/A TSTM
8/17 90/70/80/+9/0.00/805/97               17 W   RMY 18
8/18 92/70/91/+10/0.27/546/66              31 W   RMY 32  TSTM
8/19 87/69/78/+8/0.00/775/94               23 S   RMY 24
8/20 85/70/78/+8/0.00/723/88               22 ESE RMY 22
8/21 82/69/76/+6/0.31/98/12                21 S   RMY 23
8/22 73/66/70/0/T/98/12                    18 ENE RMY 16
8/23 70/66/68/-2/0.18/000/00               20 ENE RMY 18
8/24 78/67/73/+3/…./122/15               18 SSW RMY 19
8/25 85/68/77/+8/…./526/65               22 S   RMY 22
8/26 82/64/73/+4/…./629/78               21 NW  RMY 22
8/27 79/59/69/+0/0.00/…/..               22 W   RMY 23
8/28 80/58/69/+0/0.00/753/94               15 NW  RMY 15
8/29 81/60/70/+2/0.00/…/..               21 WSW RMY 21
8/30 86/65/76/+8/0.00/…/..               23 W   RMY 23
8/31 87/68/78/+10/0.00/…/..              26 W   RMY 28

9/1 low since midnight is 65F; normal low is now 59F

DAILY RECORDS FOR AUGUST 2015
None so far.

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

RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 1
HIGH 93F IN 1969, 2010
LOW 47F IN 1975
PRECIP 2.32 INCHES IN 2013
PEAK GUST 59e MPH S IN 1945, SSW IN 1965

RECORDS FOR SEPTEMBER 2
HIGH 99F IN 1953 (SEPTEMBER MAXIMUM RECORD)
LOW 44F IN 1909
PRECIP 2.73 INCHES IN 1947
PEAK GUST 55e MPH WNW IN 1944

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald