Wednesday, December 23, 2015

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

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2015
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

NEAR RECORD WARMTH RETURNS TO THE REGION- TEMPS STRUGGLE
TO DIP INTO THE UPPER 40S- TUESDAY TEMPERATURE DEPARTURE
+24 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL

With the exception of approximately 45 minutes this morning,
temperatures have remained steadily in the 50s for almost 24 hours.
Temperatures are forecasted for possible record-breaking warmth
tomorrow in the mid 60s. Tomorrow’s daily record maximum temperature
of 61F, set just last year, will likely be in jeopardy as the
month of December continues on a significantly warmer than
normal trend. Temperatures are now averaging 11.2 degrees
above normal per day this month.

So far this season, there has been no measurable snow on Blue Hill.
This season is now the fourth latest on record for the first
occurrence of measurable snowfall with no snow likely over the next week.

BHO Latest First Measurable Snowfall, (1885-2014)

1) January  13, 2000  (7.0 inches)
2) January   1, 1954  (0.8 inches)
3) December 29, 1941  (0.4 inches)
4) December 22, 1998  (0.6 inches)
5) December 16, 1973  (0.4 inches)
6) December 15, 1891  (0.3 inches)

Today’s Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Overcast cirrostratus, thin spots in overcast distant E,
patchy dense fog below the summit in all directions
Temperature: 50F; Dew Point: 48F; Wind: estimated NW at 2 kts
Wind Speed and Direction: Light and Variable
Sea-level pressure: 30.22 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 35 miles, thin fog
6-hr Max temp: 51F
6-hr Min temp: 49F
24-hr precip: 0.28 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E250 OVC 35 234/50/48/E3102/022/ PTCHY DNS FG BLO SMT
ALQDS THN SPT INOVC DSNT E THN FG ALQDS WND LGT AND VRB/ 8/006
51019 ASOS 70029 MANUAL 70028 10051 20049

10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altostratus, overcast cirrostratus,
dense fog distant below the summit SE-SSW, thin patchy
fog below the summit in all directions, sun dimly visible
Temperature: 53F; Dew Point: 48F; Wind: estimated S at 3 kts
Wind Speed: Light
Sea-level pressure: 30.29 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 65 miles, thin fog
BHO SA 1455 E200 BKN 250 OVC 65 257/53/48/E1703/029/
DNS FG DSNT BLO SMT SE-SSW THN PTCHY FG BLO SMT ALQDS
THN FG ALQDS SUN DMLY VSBL WND LGT/ 8/016 51023

1 P.M.
Weather: Overcast altostratus, few altocumulus
lenticularis NE-WNW
Temperature: 54F; Dew Point: 49F; Wind: ESE at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.23 ins. Hg, steady, then falling
Visibility: 65 miles, thin fog
6-hr Max Temp: 54F
6-hr Min Temp: 50F
BHO SA 1755 E180 OVC 65 236/54/49/1208/023/ FEW ACSL NE-WNW
THN FG ALQDS/ 8/01/ 58021 10054 20050

SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..57   NORMAL…..37
MIN…..49   NORMAL…..22
MEAN….53   NORMAL…..29

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………+24
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH………………..+227  [+11.2 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..12   DEPARTURE………-24
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH………….456   DEPARTURE……..-253
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..1458   DEPARTURE……..-513
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……1822   DIFFERENCE…….-364

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….35  SW  AT  5:04 P.M.
ASOS……………………35  SW  AT  5:04 P.M.
DAVIS…………………..33  SW  AT  5:03 P.M. RMY 35
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………26  SW  AT  5:04 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………25  SW  AT  5:05 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..23  SW  AT  5:05 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….14.2 WSW
ASOS………………….13.6
DAVIS…………………12.7 SW [224 Deg.] * Last of several occurrences…

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M…..0.28  DEPARTURE……+0.12
ASOS……………0.29
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH………..1.88  DEPARTURE……-1.67
ASOS……………1.90
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..41.30  DEPARTURE…..-10.79
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……-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.0  DEPARTURE……-8.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON………….TRACE  DEPARTURE…..-11.3

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 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

12/1  42/30/36/-1/…./0.0/000/00           19 NNE RMY 19
12/2  53/37/45/+9/…./0.0/000/00           25 SSE RMY 25
12/3  53/37/45/+9/…./0.0/162/29           43 WNW RMY 42
12/4  47/32/40/+5/0.00/0.0/444/80           32 NW  RMY 32
12/5  50/33/42/+7/0.00/0.0/548/99           21 W   RMY N/A
12/6  57/35/46/+11/0.00/0.0/531/96          22 SW  RMY N/A
12/7  54/37/46/+12/0.00/0.0/353/64          31 NE  RMY N/A
12/8  42/35/39/+5/0.01/0.0/000/00           32 NE  RMY 31
12/9  44/34/39/+5/…./0.0/044/08           28 SSE RMY N/A
12/10 57/41/49/+16/T/0.0/209/38             29 SE  RMY N/A
12/11 56/44/50/+17/0.00/0.0/049/09          28 SSW RMY 28
12/12 59/46/53/+20/0.00/0.0/367/67          23 W   RMY N/A
12/13 54/44/49/+17/0.00/0.0/000/00          18 ESE RMY 19
12/14 60/43/52/+20/…./0.0/000/00          32 S   RMY N/A
12/15 61/45/53/+21/…./0.0/371/68          48 W   RMY 51
12/16 45/34/40/+9/0.00/0.0/415/76           25 N   RMY N/A
12/17 53/36/45/+14/…./0.0/000/00          29 SE  RMY 28
12/18 50/35/43/+12/…./0.0/000/00          29 NW  RMY 30
12/19 38/30/34/+4/0.00/0.0/…/..           39 W   RMY 40
12/20 40/28/34/+4/0.00/0.0/…/..           24 W   RMY N/A
12/21 51/31/41/+11/T/0.0/…/..             38 SSW RMY 42
12/22 57/49/53/+24/0.28/0.0/000/00          35 SW  RMY 35

12/23 low since midnight is 49F; normal low is now 21F

DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2015

**12/13/2015- NEW DAILY RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 44F,
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORD OF 43F SET IN 1919, TIED 1983**

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

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 23
HIGH 62 IN 1990
LOW -1 IN 1989
PRECIP 1.70 INS. IN 1947
SNOWFALL 11.9 INS. IN 1947
PEAK GUST 67 SSE IN 2004

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 24
HIGH 61 IN 2014
LOW -6 IN 1943
PRECIP 2.21 INS. IN 1994
SNOWFALL 12.3 INS. IN 1961
PEAK GUST 79e MPH SE IN 1941

TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald