Wednesday, April 5, 2017

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

OVERCAST SKIES ARE SLOW TO CLEAR

Cloudy conditions from yesterday’s storm persisted
through early afternoon today despite the high pressure
over the area.  Skies remained overcast with ceiling
heights slowly rising throughout the day.  Visibility
had improved to 50 miles by 1:00PM EST with distant
fog still visible in all directions.

Precip. from yesterday’s storm measured 0.53 inches this
morning at 7:00AM EST, making 0.78 inches the storm total.
April precip. now measures 2.99 inches, which is 2.31
inches above normal.  Annual precip. measures 17.11 inches,
which is 2.43 inches above normal.

PRELIMINARY STATS FOR MARCH 2017

TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 39.8 [-4.5] Avg. Min. 23.4 [-3.2] Mean      31.6 [-3.9] 24-hour corrected mean: 31.6
Max. for month: 61F on 1st
Min. for month:  4F on 12th

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units: 1025 [+109] Total for the season: 4902 [-582] Total for last season: 4419

PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 4.84 [-0.74] Greatest in 24 hrs: 2.15 on the 14th

SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 11.4 [-1.3] Greatest in 24 hrs: 7.3 in. on 14th

WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 14.3
Avg. corrected wind speed: 14.6
Prevailing wind direction: W at 18%
Peak gust and direction: 60 NE on 14th

SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 11,490 minutes of possible 21,516 or 53%
Astronomical total minutes: 11,899 minutes of possible 22,264 or 53%

March 2017’s average temperature measured 31.6F which was
colder than each of the last three winter months. March has
been colder than February of the same year three times in
the past, and colder than all three preceding winter months
only once before in 1936-1937.

BHO Lowest Mar-Feb 24-hour Mean Temperature Difference, deg F (1885-2017):

1) -5.4 in 1984
2) -3.1 in 1960
3) -2.2 in 2017
4) -0.3 in 1937
5) +0.8 in 1890
+0.8 in 1997
7) +0.9 in 1939
8) +1.2 in 1954

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus
Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 35F; Wind: NNW at 6 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.90 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 20 miles, except 10 miles NNW-NE,
distant fog in all directions
6-hr Max temp: 37F
6-hr Min temp: 35F
24-hr precip: 0.53 in.
24-hr snowfall: 0.0 in.
BHO SA 1155 E5 OVC 20 126/35/35/3306/990/ VSBY NNW-NE 10 DSNT FG ALQDS
WND LGT/ 8/6// 53032 MANUAL 70053 ASOS 70056 10037 20035

10 A.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus
Temperature: 38F; Dew Point: 36F; Wind: N at 6 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 30 miles, except 40 miles SSE-SE,
distant fog in all directions
BHO SA 1455 E6 OVC 30 144/38/36/3504/996/ VSBY SSE-SE 40 DSNT FG ALQDS
WND LGT/ 8/6// 51018

1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast stratus
Temperature: 39F; Dew Point: 36F; Wind: ENE at 5 kts,
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 29.97 ins. Hg, falling then rising
Visibility: 50 miles, distant fog in all directions
6-hr Max temp: 41F
6-hr Min temp: 35F
BHO SA 1755 E13 OVC 50 149/39/36/0605/997/ DSNT FG ALQDS WND LGT/
8/6// 53005 10041 20035

SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..42   NORMAL…..51
MIN…..35   NORMAL…..33
MEAN….39   NORMAL…..42

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………….-3
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………….-4 [-1.2 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..26   DEPARTURE……….+3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..98   DEPARTURE……….+4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..5000   DEPARTURE……..-578
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……4515   DIFFERENCE…….+485

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….41 ESE AT 10:33 A.M.
AERO……………………43 ESE AT 10:32 A.M.
ASOS……………………43 ESE AT 10:33 A.M.
DAVIS…………………..38 ESE AT 10:31 A.M. RMY 42
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………30 ESE AT 10:33 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………30 ESE AT 10:33 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..27 SE  AT 10:33 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….16.2 ESE
ASOS………………….15.6
DAVIS…………………13.8 ESE [110 deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….0.53  DEPARTURE……+0.36
ASOS…………..0.56
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….2.99  DEPARTURE……+2.31
ASOS…………..2.94
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR……….17.11  DEPARTURE……+2.43
ASOS……………N/A ***
*** ASOS annual total not available due to erroneous readings

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0  DEPARTURE…….-0.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….2.7  DEPARTURE…….+1.9
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON…………..66.4  DEPARTURE…….+5.9

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

3/1  61/46/54/+23/0.01/0.0/000/00          41 S   AERO 45 S   RMY 45
3/2  55/26/41/+10/T/T/509/75               58 W   AERO 61 W   RMY 59
3/3  36/19/28/-4/T/T/592/87                38 W   AERO 44 W   RMY N/A
3/4  20/7/14/-18/T/T/622/91                45 NW  AERO 48 NW  RMY 51
3/5  29/5/17/-15/0.00/0.0/687/100          35 WNW AERO 43 WNW*RMY N/A
3/6  40/11/26/-6/0.00/0.0/641/93           18 WNW AERO 17 NW* RMY N/A
3/7  47/29/38/+5/0.01/0.0/000/00           32 S   AERO 35 S   RMY 36
3/8  55/43/49/+16/0.05/0.0/320/46          35 W   AERO 36 W   RMY 37
3/9  49/35/42/+9/0.0/0.0/684/98            53 W   AERO 59 W   RMY 58
3/10 35/20/28/-5/0.27/2.9/000/00           35 WNW AERO 44 WNW RMY 40
3/11 20/7/14/-20/0.02/0.2/612/87           43 W   AERO 47 W   RMY 50
3/12 25/4/15/-19/0.00/0.0/679/96           32 W   AERO 40 WNW RMY N/A
3/13 33/8/21/-13/0.00/0.0/667/94           25 WNW AERO 29 WNW RMY N/A
3/14 38/23/31/-4/2.15/7.3/000/00           60 NE  AERO 62 NE  RMY 62
3/15 27/15/21/-14/0.00/0.0/536/75          36 W   AERO 37 W   RMY N/A
3/16 33/17/25/-10/0.00/0.0/696/97          36 W   AERO 37 W   RMY 38
3/17 40/22/31/-5/0.00/0.0/577/80           25 WNW AERO 24 WNW RMY 27
3/18 36/24/30/-6/0.00/0.0/557/77           26 ENE AERO 24 ENE RMY 26
3/19 35/28/32/-4/0.01/T/153/21             39 N   AERO 37 N   RMY 39
3/20 49/29/39/+2/0.00/0.0/686/94           31 N   AERO 35 N   RMY 36
3/21 52/34/43/+6/0.00/0.0/418/57           28 W   AERO 26 W   RMY N/A
3/22 38/15/27/-10/T/T/603/82               46 NW  AERO 50 NW  RMY 51
3/23 36/13/25/-13/0.00/0.0/716/97          36 WNW AERO 35 WNW RMY 38
3/24 44/25/35/-3/0.02/T/000/00             37 S   AERO 38 S   RMY 39
3/25 44/31/38/0/0.07/0.07/000/00           22 NE  AERO 20 NE  RMY 21
3/26 42/29/36/-3/0.00/0.0/232/31           25 ENE AERO 23 ENE RMY 25
3/27 43/33/38/-1/0.51/0.0/000/00           22 E   AERO 18 E   RMY N/A
3/28 40/33/37/-2/0.69/0.0/000/00           16 N   AERO 15 N   RMY N/A TSTM
3/29 46/33/40/0/0.11/0.0/053/07            37 NW  AERO 36 NW  RMY 37  TSTM
3/30 50/30/40/0/0.00/0.0/659/87            23 NW  AERO 21 NW  RMY N/A
3/31 37/32/35/-6/0.92/1.0/000/00           25 E   AERO 30 E   RMY N/A

DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2017

3/11/17: DAILY RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 20F,
TIES PREVIOUS RECORD SET IN 1885

3/14/17: DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM SNOWFALL OF 7.3 INS,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 6.7 INS SET IN 1958

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR APRIL 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

4/1  35/31/33/-8/2.21/2.7/000/00           40 ENE AERO 41 ENE RMY 41
4/2  53/30/42/+1/0.00/0.0/…/..           32 NW  AERO 33 NW  RMY 34
4/3  60/35/48/+6/0.00/0.0/…/..           21 W*  AERO 20 NW  RMY N/A
4/4  42/35/39/-3/0.78/0.0/…/..           41 ESE AERO 43 ESE RMY 42

4/5  Low temp since midnight is 35F; normal low is now 34F

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

RECORDS FOR APRIL 5
HIGH 81 IN 1928
LOW 15 IN 1995
PRECIP 2.15 IN. IN 1987
SNOWFALL 4.0 IN. IN 1898
PEAK GUST 76 MPH WNW IN 1963

RECORDS FOR APRIL 6
HIGH 82 IN 1921
LOW 16 IN 1982
PRE 1.72 INS IN 1886
SNOW 12.3 INS IN 1982
WIND 71e MPH WNW IN 1940

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Cecilia Borries-Strigle