BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY MARCH 04, 2004
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

TODAY'S DISCUSSION....

This morning's light rain amounted to less than a tenth of an inch.
Temperatures continue on mild side and we've yet to drop to the
freezing point thus far into March.  This morning's low was 35 degrees.

TODAY'S OBSERVATIONS....

3/4/2004 THU

7 a.m. overcast with 8 miles visibility with light rain and thin fog;
temp. 35; wind s at 08 mph....rainfall past six hours 0.04 inch

BHO SA 1155 E18 BKN 30 OVC 8R- 226/35/34/1907/020/ THN F ALQDS
LOW LVL INVSN PRSNT VSBY N 9 ABV INVSN VSBY LWR BLO INVSN/ 8/52//
50001 MANUAL 6004/ ASOS 60004 MANUAL 70004 ASOS 70004 10038 20035

10 a.m. overcast with 2 miles visibility in light rain and fog; temp. 38;
wind south at 13 mph...; rainfall past 3 hrs 0.03 inch.

BHO SA 1455 3 -BKN E25 OVC 2RW-F 223/38/38/1911/019/ 3 -BKN V SCT
STRA DRFTG OVR SMT PCPN VRY LGT/ 8/6/// 56003 MANUAL 6003/ ASOS 60003

1 p.m. cloudy with 12 miles visibility hazy and 46 deg; dewpoint 40 deg;
wind wsw at 10 mph....rainfall 0.03 past six hours....high temp. 46.

BHO SA 1755 E15 BKN 55 OVC 12 205/46/40/2409/014/ BRGHT SPTS IOVC HAZY/
8/5/// MANUAL 6003/ ASOS 60003 10046 20035


OUR WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY MARCH 03

TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....53    NORMAL.....41     HAZEN SHELTER: 53.2 @  1:39 P.M.
MIN.... 37    NORMAL.....24     HAZEN SHELTER: 37.1 @ 11:44 P.M.
MEAN....45    NORMAL.....32
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.....13
TOTAL DEPARTURE MARCH TO DATE....+46

MARCH IS AVERAGING 15 DEGREES WARMER THAN NORMAL DAILY...

ASOS MAX/MIN FOR 3/3: 53/37 // TIMES: 2:42 P.M. AND 11:59 P.M.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS FOR YESTERDAY.......20   DEPARTURE.....-13
TOTAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS FOR MARCH...........53   DEPARTURE.....-46
TOTAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS FOR FEBRUARY......1023   DEPARTURE.... -11
TOTAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS FOR THE SEASON....4679   DEPARTURE.....+09
TOTAL HEATING DEGREE DAYS FOR LAST SEASON...5006   DIFFERENCE...-327

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY........46 WNW AT 1:07 A.M.
                   AEROVANE.........51 WNW AT 1:07 A.M.
                   ASOS.............46 WNW AT 1:07 A.M.
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..........35 W   AT 1:06 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE.......35 W   AT 1:07 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED/DIRECTION........18.1 MPH S
AVERAGE ASOS WIND FOR YESTERDAY ....16.0 MPH

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HR ENDING 7 A.M.....0.04
                         ASOS..............0.04
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH..............0.08
DEPARTURE FOR MARCH TO DATE...............-0.37
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR FEBRUARY...........1.76
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR FEBRUARY..............-2.30
TOTAL ASOS PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH.........0.08
TOTAL ASOS PRECIPITATION FOR FEBRUARY......1.63

TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR 2004...............3.56
                             DEPARTURE....-5.73
TOTAL ASOS PRECIPITATION FOR 2004..........3.07

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M......0.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR MARCH....................0.0   DEPARTURE......-1.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR FEBRUARY.................3.0   DEPARTURE......-9.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............41.7   DEPARTURE......-1.3


PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 2004......CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE  MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/AERO GUST

AERO: Aerovane recording wind system when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day
....: Data not yet available

3/1 55/38/47/+15/0/0/588/87           27 MPH S
3/2 63/37/50/+18/0.04/0/298/44        50 MPH W  Aerovane 50 MPH W
3/3 53/37/45/+13/0/0/.../..           46 MPH WNW Aerovane 51 MPH WNW
3/4 morning low temp. 35; normal low now 24 deg.

There is ONE NEW DAILY RECORD FOR MARCH 2004; record high max.
temp. of 63 on March 02, the previous record was 61 in 1991.

RECORDS FOR MARCH 04
HIGH 69 IN 1974
LOW -05 IN 1950  [RECORD LOW FOR MONTH]
PRECIP 1.80 INCHES IN 1960
SNOWFALL 17.3 INCHES IN 1960
PEAK GUST 81e MPH SSW IN 1971

RECORDS FOR MARCH 05
HIGH 64 IN 1979
LOW -02 IN 1948
PRECIP 1.76 INCHES IN 2001
SNOWFALL 13.0 INCHES IN 1891
PEAK GUST 76e MPH WNW IN 1971

TODAY'S REPORT BY: Robert Skilling