BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY, MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FT. ABOVE MSL....10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2003

DAILY DISCUSSION...

ARCTIC AIR MOVES INTO NEW ENGLAND OVERNIGHT...
The low temperature this morning on the summit was -3,
which is the coldest temperature since -4 on 22 Jan, 2000.
This is also the first below zero temperature since that
month.  The wind has decreased since this morning, but
the 12 mph wind with a temp of -2 was enough to cause a
wind chill of -20 AT 7 AM.  The record low for the date
remains -10 set in 1982.

MJI

Today's observations:

7 AM
BHO SA 1155 55 SCT 50 193/-2/-13/3110/010/ LWR SC DSNT OFFSHR
NE-SSE WND CHILL -20 TOTAL NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 0.2 IN/ 8/500
4/006 53024 70001 10004 21003

10 AM
BHO SA 1455 CLR 55 207/5/-11/3105/014/ SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-ESE
WND LGT/ 8/500 51014

1 PM
BHO SA 1755 CLR 55 187/13/-5/3003/008/ SC DSNT OFFSHR NE-ESE
THN K LYR NW-NE WND LGT AND VRB/ 8/500 58020 10014 21002


WINDS AT BLUE HILL FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 17
PEAK WIND GUST FOR FRIDAY...........28 MPH NW AT 8:07 PM
                   AEROVANE.........33 MPH NW AT 8:07 PM
                   ASOS.............29 MPH NW AT 11:44 PM
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIR........11.4 MPH, NW
                   ASOS...........11.8 MPH

WINDS AT BLUE HILL FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 18
PEAK WIND GUST THROUGH 1 PM..........27 MPH NNW AT 2:42 AM
                   AEROVANE..........32 MPH NW AT 12:55 AM
                   ASOS..............N/A


TEMPERATURES AT BLUE HILL FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 17

MAX.....28    NORMAL.....33    ASOS.....27 AT 3:10 PM
MIN......7    NORMAL.....18    ASOS......6 AT MIDNIGHT PM
MEAN....18    NORMAL.....26    DEP......-8    DEP FOR MONTH....-20

The month is averaging about 1 degree below normal per day.

HEATING DEGREE DAY UNITS THROUGH FRIDAY, JANUARY 17
HEATING UNITS FOR FRIDAY............47    DEP.....+8
HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH........678    DEP....+21
HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON......3059    DEP....+69
HEATING UNITS FOR LAST SEASON.....2391    DEP...+668


PRECIPITATION DATA AT BLUE HILL.....
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 AM....0.01 IN    DEP....-0.15 IN
                         ASOS.............0.01 IN
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH.........2.70 INS   DEP....+0.07 IN
                         ASOS.............2.49 INS
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........2.70 INS   DEP....+0.07 IN
                         ASOS.............2.49 INS


SNOWFALL DATA AT BLUE HILL...
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 AM......0.2 INS    DEP....-0.3 IN
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH..........11.0 INS    DEP....+2.4 INS
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.........42.3 INS    DEP...+20.1 INS


RECORDS FOR JANUARY 18

HIGH   62 IN 1973, 1990
LOW   -10 IN 1982
PRE  1.68 INS IN 1915
SNOW 13.0 INS 1948
WIND   61 MPH S IN 1994

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 19

HIGH   59 IN 1973
LOW   -11 IN 1887
PRE  2.34 INS IN 1936
SNOW 10.5 INS IN 1936
WIND   93 MPH WNW IN 1943 (ESTIMATED)

Daily wind records are for the period 1940-2002. Temperature and
precipitation records are for the full period of record 1885-2002.

Mike Iacono