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Winter 2024-2025 Summary – Eighth Sunniest on Record

March 3, 2025

Blue Hill Observatory Winter (December-February) 2024-2025 Summary:  Winter 2024-2025 was cool with average precipitation, much less snowfall, and much more sunshine than…

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Blue Hill Observatory Winter (December-February) 2024-2025 Summary: 

Winter 2024-2025 was cool with average precipitation, much less snowfall, and much more sunshine than expected. The approximated 24-hour mean temperature for the season of 28.8 deg F was 1.3 degrees warmer than the 1891-2020 130-year average for winter, and it was 0.9 degrees cooler than the 1991-2020 30-year average. The average maximum temperature of 36.3 deg F was 1.0 degrees cooler than the 30-year normal, and the average minimum temperature of 21.3 deg F was 0.4 degrees warmer than the 30-year normal. The season was generally cool with short periods of relatively warm temperatures during the second week of December and the last week of February. The warmest temperature was 62F on December 11th; only six days all winter had a high temperature of 50F or higher. The lowest temperature was 2F on January 22nd. The total precipitation was 13.23 inches, which was 0.66 inches below the 30-year normal. December was the wettest month with 7.58 inches, or more than half of the seasonal total. The largest storm of the season brought 3.44 inches of rain on December 10th-12th, and the calendar day total of 3.38 inches on December 11th was the third wettest day ever observed in December. Other notable storms brought 1.17 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation and 9.4 inches of snow, the largest snowfall of the season, on December 20th, and another storm brought 1.95 inches of precipitation and 4.9 inches of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain on February 15th-16th. The total snowfall for December to February was 34.1 inches, which was 15.3 inches below the 30-year average. After Ponkapoag Pond first froze on December 3rd, and Houghton’s Pond first froze on December 15th, both ponds remained frozen at the end of February. The mean wind speed was 13.2 mph, and the prevailing wind direction was from the west-northwest. The highest wind gust was 70 mph from the west-northwest on February 17th following the strong storm the day before. Sunshine was much above average in December and January, and near average in February. Winter sunshine was well above average with 480.1 hours of bright sunshine, or 56 percent of possible, which was eight percent more than the long-term average for winter, and the winter season was the eighth sunniest on record.

BHO Highest Winter (Dec-Feb) Bright Sunshine, hours (1885-86 to 2024-25):

1) 521.1 in 1960-61 [62%]   
2) 502.8 in 1963-64 [59%]   
3) 501.8 in 1967-68 [59%]   
4) 499.0 in 2003-04 [58%]   
5) 487.6 in 1976-77 [58%]   
6) 482.7 in 1979-80 [56%]   
7) 480.8 in 2011-12 [56%]   
8)  480.1 in 2024-25 [56%]   
9) 477.8 in 2000-01 [56%]   

Mike Iacono
Chief Scientist
Blue Hill Observatory

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Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center · Legal

Data Use & Privacy Policy

Please read the full Policy before accessing Observatory data · Effective January 1, 2025

Notice: By accessing, downloading, or using any Blue Hill Observatory data or services, you unconditionally accept and agree to be bound by this Policy in its entirety. If you do not agree, you may not access or use Observatory data.
Effective January 1, 2025 · Milton, Massachusetts · bluehill.org
Part I — Data Use Policy
§ 01

Ownership and Proprietary Rights

All observational records, compiled datasets, metadata, database structures, and related materials provided by the Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center are the exclusive property of the Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center. The Observatory has maintained continuous weather observations at the summit of Great Blue Hill since 1885, and the entirety of that record — its compilation, structure, curation, and organization — constitutes a proprietary database protected under applicable United States law, including copyright law and common law database protections.

All rights not expressly granted in this Policy are reserved by the Observatory. No access to or use of Observatory data shall be construed as a waiver of any rights or as a license to use data beyond the scope expressly stated herein.

§ 02

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. For interactions with international users, this Policy shall apply to the maximum extent permitted by applicable local law.

Any dispute arising from or related to this Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. By accessing Observatory data, all users consent to personal jurisdiction in Massachusetts and waive any objection to the venue or inconvenience of such forum.

§ 03

Permitted Uses

Observatory data are made available for the following limited, non-commercial purposes only:

  • Personal study and analysis
  • Educational classroom use
  • Student projects
  • Non-commercial academic research
  • Publication of analyses, figures, models, or conclusions derived from the data, subject to the attribution requirements of Section 4

All other uses require prior written authorization from the Observatory.

§ 04

Attribution Requirement

Any use of Observatory data in any published, presented, or publicly distributed work must include the following verbatim acknowledgment:

“Data provided by the Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center, Milton, Massachusetts. Continuous weather observations since 1885.”

Failure to include proper attribution is a material violation of this Policy.

§ 05

Prohibited Uses

Unless explicitly authorized in writing, Users may not:

  • Resell, license, sublicense, or commercially exploit Observatory data in any form
  • Redistribute the dataset in whole or in part to any third party
  • Publish the dataset for download by third parties
  • Host, mirror, or archive the dataset on any external website, repository, or storage service
  • Upload the dataset to any public or institutional data repository
  • Provide the data through APIs, automated services, or subscription platforms
  • Incorporate the data into any commercial product, software, application, or service
  • Use the data for AI or machine learning systems intended for commercial use or external distribution
  • Use the data to create derivative datasets that enable reconstruction of the underlying observations
§ 06

Commercial Licensing

Organizations seeking to use Observatory data for commercial purposes must obtain a license prior to any such use. Licensing inquiries: data@bluehill.org.

§ 07

Automated Access

Automated scraping, bulk harvesting, or systematic downloading of Observatory data is strictly prohibited without prior written authorization.

§ 08

Enforcement and Remedies

Violation of this Policy may result in immediate revocation of data access, pursuit of legal remedies available under United States law, and referral to applicable authorities. The Observatory reserves all rights to seek injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys’ fees in connection with any unauthorized use of its data.

Part II — Privacy Policy
§ 09–10

Scope & Information Collected

This section governs the collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal information from visitors to the Blue Hill Observatory website and users of its data services. The Observatory may collect contact information (name, email, organization) when voluntarily submitted, usage data including IP addresses and pages visited, and data download records.

§ 11–12

How We Use Information & Retention

Information is used solely for: responding to inquiries and licensing requests; monitoring and enforcing compliance with this Policy; improving website performance; and communicating Observatory news to opted-in users. The Observatory does not sell, rent, or share personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. Data access records may be retained indefinitely for compliance and enforcement purposes.

§ 13

International Users and Data Transfers

The Observatory is located in the United States. International users acknowledge their information will be processed in the United States under U.S. law. Users requiring specific data processing agreements under non-US law must contact data@bluehill.org before accessing data.

§ 14–16

Cookies, Security & Children’s Privacy

The Observatory website may use cookies for analytics and functionality. By continuing to use the site, users consent to cookie use. The Observatory implements reasonable measures to protect personal information but cannot guarantee absolute security. Observatory data services are not directed at children under 13.

Part III — General Provisions
§ 17–20

Modifications, Severability, Entire Agreement & Contact

The Observatory reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time. Updated versions will be posted at bluehill.org. Continued use of Observatory data following any modification constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy. This Policy constitutes the entire agreement between the User and the Observatory. Questions and licensing inquiries: Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center, Milton, Massachusetts — data@bluehill.org

By accessing, downloading, or using any Blue Hill Observatory data or services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Policy.
Effective January 1, 2025 · Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center · Milton, Massachusetts
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