Wednesday, January 4, 2017
BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2017
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
SLOW DRYING PROCESS TODAY AFTER YESTERDAY’S RAINSTORM
The air has slowly been drying out today, with low clouds, fog, and
drizzle this morning giving way to dry conditions this afternoon. Rain,
which began early yesterday and came down heavy at times in the evening,
totaled 1.17 ins. in the 24 hours ending at the 7:00 A.M. observation, for
a storm total of 1.22 ins. Winds were gusty as well, with a peak gust of
39mph from the ENE yesterday afternoon, at which time winds were averaging
over 20mph. The wind has shifted to the west and southwest today, aiding
in the drying process. Temperatures remain on the mild side, reaching a
high of 43F by early afternoon and likely to go a little higher. While
the cloud ceiling has gradually lifted today, the sky has remained mostly
cloudy with no sunshine observed through 1:00 P.M.
It appears 2016 will go down as the 2nd warmest year on record here at the
Observatory. A list of our ten warmest years, along with preliminary
statistics for December, are below.
BLUE HILL OBSERVATORY WARMEST ANNUAL TEMPERATURE 1885-2016 (deg F)
1) 51.7 in 2012
2) 51.2 in 2016
3) 51.0 in 2010
4) 50.9 in 1999
5) 50.8 in 1998
6) 50.6 in 2006
7) 50.5 in 1953
8) 50.4 in 2011
9) 50.3 in 1990, 1991
PRELIMINARY STATS FOR DECEMBER 2016
TEMPERATURE, Deg. F
Avg. Max. 39.5 [+0.4]
Avg. Min. 25.3 [+1.7]
Mean 32.4 [+1.1]
24-hour corrected mean: 32.1
Max. for month: 56F on 27th
Min. for month: 1F on 16th
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
Total heating units: 1002 [-41]
Total for the season: 2032 [-273]
Total for last season: 1656
PRECIPITATION, Inches
Total: 2.83 [-2.06]
Greatest in 24 hrs: 0.87 in. on 29th-30th
SNOWFALL, Inches
Total: 7.8 [-5.6]
Greatest in 24 hrs: 4.3 in. on 17th
WIND, mph
Avg. uncorrected wind speed: 13.4
Avg. corrected wind speed: 13.7
Prevailing wind direction: W at 19%
Peak gust and direction: 51 SW on 27th
SUNSHINE:
Campbell-Stokes card minutes: 8604 mins. of possible 16470 mins. or 52%
Astronomical total minutes: 8881 mins. of possible 16991 mins. or 52%
Today’s Observations:
7 A.M.
Weather: Light drizzle, broken stratus fractus, overcast stratus, lower
stratus fractus drifting below summit, higher clouds visible distant SW-NW,
conditions variable
Temperature: 35F; Dew Point: 35F; Wind: W at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.39 ins. Hg, rising then more rapidly
Visibility: 10 miles, except 5 miles ENE-SE, 30 miles SW-NW
6-hr Max temp: 43F
6-hr Min temp: 35F
24-hr precip: 1.17 ins.
BHO SA 1155 E2 BKN 10 OVC 10L- 952/35/35/2710/939/ LWR STFRA DRFTG BLO SMT
HIER CLOUDS VSBL DSNT SW-NW CONDTNS VRBL PCPN VRY LGT VSBY ENE-SE 5
SW-NW 30/ 8/7// 53016 ASOS 60004 MANUAL 70117 ASOS 70123 10043 20035
10 A.M.
Weather: Broken stratocumulus, overcast stratus
Temperature: 39F; Dew Point: 38F; Wind: SW at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.44 ins. Hg, rising then more rapidly
Visibility: 35 miles
3-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1455 E5 BKN 10 OVC 35 969/39/38/2310/944/ 8/6// 53017 MANUAL 6000/
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered stratus/stratus fractus, broken altocumulus, broken
cirrus
Temperature: 43F; Dew Point: 39F; Wind: SW at 9 kts,
Wind: Direction variable SSW-W
Sea-level pressure: 29.38 ins. Hg, rising then falling
Visibility: 75 miles, except 40 miles SW-WNW
6-hr Max temp: 43F
6-hr Min temp: 35F
6-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1755 15 SCT E75 BKN 250 BKN 75 949/43/39/2309/938/
VSBY SW-WNW 40 WND 20V26/ 8/731 58020 MANUAL 6000/ 10043 20035
SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX…..42 NORMAL…..35
MIN…..37 NORMAL…..18
MEAN….40 NORMAL…..26
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL…………………..+14
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH…………………..+29 [+9.5 DEGREES/DAY]
HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY…………..25 DEPARTURE………-14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH…………..86 DEPARTURE………-29
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON………..2118 DEPARTURE……..-302
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE……1752 DIFFERENCE…….+366
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY……………….39 ENE AT 3:45 P.M.*
ASOS……………………43 E AT 3:45 P.M.
DAVIS…………………..37 ENE AT 3:45 P.M. RMY 34
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY…………………29 ENE AT 3:46 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE………………30 ENE AT 3:46 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE……………..26 ENE AT 3:46 P.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION………….18.0 E
ASOS………………….17.9
DAVIS…………………15.4 ENE [77 deg.]
*Last of several occurrences
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M….1.17 DEPARTURE……+1.02
ASOS…………..1.23
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH……….1.31 DEPARTURE……+0.87
ASOS…………..1.37
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR………..1.31 DEPARTURE……+0.87
ASOS…………..1.37
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M……….0.0 DEPARTURE…….-0.6
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH…………….0.0 DEPARTURE…….-1.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON……………7.8 DEPARTURE…….-9.9
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER-JANUARY 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
12/1 55/39/47/+10/0.20/0.0/385/69 36 W AERO 37 W RMY 36
12/2 48/34/41/+5/0.00/0.0/535/96 32 W AERO 32 W RMY N/A
13/3 44/31/38/+2/0.00/0.0/445/80 37 WNW AERO 39 WNW RMY 40
12/4 39/27/33/-2/0.00/0.0/355/64 25 NW AERO 25 NW RMY N/A
12/5 36/27/32/-3/0.13/0.4/000/00 26 W AERO 25 W RMY 29
12/6 42/30/36/+1/0.00/0.0/392/71 22 W AERO 21 W RMY N/A
12/7 39/34/37/+3/0.10/0.0/000/00 21 E AERO 21 E RMY N/A
12/8 40/29/35/+1/0.00/0.0/033/06 30 W AERO 31 W RMY 33
12/9 35/21/28/-6/0.00/0.0/549/100 35 W AERO 36 WNW RMY 34
12/10 27/17/22/-11/0.00/0.0/544/99 26 WNW AERO 27 WNW RMY 29
12/11 33/16/25/-8/0.06/0.4/411/75 17 SSW AERO 15 SW RMY N/A
12/12 41/27/34/+1/0.35/0.9/038/07 29 ESE AERO 29 SE RMY 30
12/13 41/30/36/+4/0.00/0.0/427/78 25 WSW AERO 25 W RMY 27
12/14 40/26/33/+1/0.00/0.0/530/97 30 WNW AERO 31 WNW RMY N/A
12/15 29/13/21/-11/T/T/420/77 50 W AERO 62 W RMY 56
12/16 18/01/10/-21/0.00/0.0/485/89 39 WNW AERO 51 WNW RMY N/A
12/17 36/18/27/-4/0.60/4.3/000/00 25 SSW AERO 28 SSW RMY N/A
12/18 55/30/43/+12/0.05/0.0/000/00 47 WSW AERO 53 S RMY 53
12/19 30/17/24/-6/0.00/0.0/273/50 26 WNW*AERO 28 NW RMY 26
12/20 32/13/23/-7/0.00/0.0/359/66 28 SSE AERO 29 SSW RMY N/A
12/21 40/25/33/+3/0.00/0.0/354/65 28 SSE AERO 28 SSW RMY 30
12/22 38/29/34/+5/T/T/033/06 28 SSE AERO 29 S RMY 30
12/23 44/29/37/+8/0.00/0.0/512/94 25 WNW AERO 25 WNW RMY N/A
12/24 41/34/38/+9/0.39/0.0/033/06 30 SSW AERO 31 SSW RMY 30
12/25 43/25/34/+6/0.00/0.0/545/100 35 NW AERO 37 NW RMY 36
12/26 46/20/33/+5/…./0.0/425/78 39 S AERO 40 S RMY N/A
12/27 56/35/46/+18/…./0.0/169/31 51 SW AERO 55 SW RMY N/A
12/28 40/29/35/+7/0.00/0.0/207/38 31 W AERO 32 W RMY 26
12/29 40/28/34/+7/0.87/1.8/000/00 38 NW AERO 44 NW RMY 42 TSTM
12/30 37/26/32/+5/0.00/0.0/323/59 46 W AERO 55 WSW RMY 50
12/31 43/23/32/+5/…./0.0/099/18 46 SSW AERO 51 SSW RMY 50
1/1 41/29/35/+8/…./0.0/…/.. 35 W AERO 36 W RMY 34
1/2 38/29/34/+7/…./0.0/…/.. 21 E AERO 20 E RMY N/A
1/3 42/37/40/+14/…./0.0/000/00 39 ENE AERO 41 ENE RMY 34
1/4 Low temp since midnight is 35F; normal low is now 18F
DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2016
None.
DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2017
None so far.
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 4
HIGH 60F IN 2000
LOW -8F IN 1904, 1981
PRECIP 1.79 INS. IN 1982
SNOW 8.6 INS. 1923, 1941
PEAK GUST 84 MPH S IN 1982
RECORDS FOR JANUARY 5
HIGH 61F IN 2007
LOW -9F IN 1981
PRECIP 0.98 INS. IN 1993
SNOW 4.5 INS. IN 1891
PEAK GUST 70 MPH WNW IN 1959
TODAY’S REPORT PREPARED BY: Jonathan O’Brien
