BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186 MONDAY DECEMBER 23 2002 DISCUSSION TODAY AT 1 P.M. A brief period of strong a gusty winds occurred very early this morning with a peak gust to 51 MPH W on Aerovane and 47 MPH W on the 420C wind system at 1:51 a.m. The strong winds only last a half hour from about 1:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Today's high temperatures of 42 degrees occurred at 12:46 p.m. and was 5 degrees milder than the normal high which is now 37 degrees. Colder air is gradually returning today after the past 12 days just averaged on the mild side by four and half degrees. The month still stands 2 degrees colder than normal owing to the much below normal temperatures during the first week or so. Now, we'll await a Christmas Day snowstorm and see how white the holiday really becomes! Merry Christmas to all. TODAY'S OBSERVATIONS 12/23/2002 MON 7 a.m. BHO SA 1155 45 SCT 80 SCT 35 084/33/21/2614/978/ SCSL/ACSL ALQDS LGT HAZE/ 8/540/ 51017 10039 20032 10 a.m. BHO SA 1455 E45 BKN 75 BKN 100 OVC 45 094/35/24/2712/981/ CUFRA/CU FRMG BLO SC LYR BINOVC/ 8/87// 51010 1 p.m. BHO SA 1755 43 SCT E110 BKN 50 077/40/19/2717G23/976/ FEW MDT CU PK WND 2629/12/ 8/230/ 56017 10042 20032 THE DATA RECORDED FOR SUNDAY DECEMBER 22 TEMPERATURES ARE CALENDAR DAY MIDNIGHT TO MIDNIGHT EASTERN STANDARD TIME MAX: 48 MIN: 31 ASOS MAX: 48 ASOS MIN: 31 MEAN: 40 [ +11 ] NORMAL HIGH/LOW/MEAN: 37/22/29/ TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR DECEMBER TO DATE: - 41 degrees DECEMBER AVERAGES 2.1 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL PER DAY PRECIPITATION FOR 12/23 AS OF 7 A.M. 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.......0.00 IN. TOTAL FOR ASOS............0.00 IN. TOTAL FOR DECEMBER........5.17 IN (STD GAUGE) ASOS DECEMBER TOTAL.......4.97 IN DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL....+1.95 IN (STD GAUGE) TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS.....0.00 IN DECEMBER SNOWFALL.........10.5 IN SEASONAL SNOWFALL........ 20.0 IN PRECIP. TOTAL YEAR 2002...51.77 IN DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL.....+2.04 IN WIND DATA FOR SUNDAY DECEMBER 22 2002 PEAK GUST ASOS: 32 MPH SSW AT 11:01 A.M. PEAK GUST 420C: 32 MPH SSW AT 11:01 A.M. PEAK GUST AERO: 36 MPH SSW AT 11:01 A.M. DEC. 2002 PRELIMINARY DATA....ALL IS CALENDAR DAY DATA.... BELOW IS ORDER OF DATA REPORTED.... MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOWFALL /SUNSHINE/ OFFICIAL 420C WIND GUST Aero = Aerovane recording wind system gust when significant TSTM = thunderstorm day 12/1 35/21/28/-8/0/0/537/96/ 54 W Aerovane 53 MPH W 12/2 34/21/28/-8/000/00/006/01 29 SW 12/3 29/12/21/-14/0.08/1.2/547/98 44 NW Aerovane 50 MPH NW 12/4 28/11/20/-15/0/0/522/94 28 WNW 12/5 25/19/22/-13/0.28/3.7/000/00 22 NNW 12/6 28/21/25/- 9/0.11/1.7/000/00 22 NNW 12/7 37/20/29/-5/0/0/540/98 37 SSW 12/8 40/25/33/0/0/0/391/71/ 37 WNW Aerovane 41 MPH WNW 12/9 25/8/17/-16/0/0/545/99/ 35 NW Aerovane 39 MPH NW 12/10 37/17/27/-6/0/0/307/56/ 28 SW 12/11 40/25/33/+1/0.37/0/000/00 40 ENE Aerovane 41 MPH ENE lightning in cloud late evening 12/12 38/33/36/+4/0.87/T/000/00 44 NE Aerovane 46 MPH NE 12/13 44/32/38/+6/0.04/0/312/57 25 ENE 12/14 44/32/38/+7/1.94/0.2/000/00 53 ENE Aerovane 53 MPH ENE 12/15 43/34/39/+8/0/0/480/88 42 WNW Aerovane 45 MPH WNW 12/16 36/23/30/-1/0.41/3.7/000/00/ 31 N Aerovane 36 MPH N 12/17 25/17/21/-10/T/T/441/81/ 24 N 12/18 37/16/27/-3/0/0/.../../ 21 NW 12/19 42/25/34/4/0/0/.../../ 30 SW 12/20 59/37/48/18/1.07/0/.../../ 75 S ** Aerovane 79 MPH S 12/21 43/32/38/8/T/T/.../../ 40 WSW Aerovane 46 MPH WSW 12/22 48/31/40/+11/0/0/.../../ 32 SSW 12/23 morning low temp. 32 deg. ** a new record peak gust for December 20th 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 63 NE IN 1994 RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 24 HIGH 58 IN 1996 LOW -6 IN 1943 PRECIP 2.21 INS. IN 1994 SNOWFALL 12.3 INS. IN 1961 PEAK GUST 79e MPH SE IN 1941 RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 25 HIGH 62 IN 1889 LOW -11 IN 1980 PRECIP 1.15 IN 1886 SNOWFALL 6.0 INS INS. IN 1902 PEAK GUST 80 MPH NW IN 1971 RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 26 HIGH 58 IN 1973,1982 LOW -12 IN 1980 PRECIP 3.64 INS. IN 1969 SNOWFALL 17.5 INS. IN 1909 PEAK GUST 84 MPH SSE IN 1957 e = estimated today's report by: Robert Skilling Happy Holidays from our observers: Robert Skilling, Matt Douglas, Mike Iacono, Andrew Hoell