BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
  
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2008
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME UNLESS NOTED
 
MARCH TEMPERATURES AVERAGED JUST SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL 
PRECIPITATION ABOUT 3/4 INCH ABOVE AVERAGE  
THE MARCH SNOWFALL ONLY 55% OF THE LONG-TERM AVERAGE
 
The second half of March was about as much colder than normal 
as the first half was warmer than normal. 
 
TEMPERATURE DEG. F
Mean temp: 36.1 [-0.2] 
24-corr. mean temp: 35.1 
High: 61/8th
Low:  19/30th
HDD = 889 [- 5] 
PRECIPITATION INS.
Precip: 5.56 [+0.77]
Snowfall: 6.4 [- 5.2]
Av. corr. wind: 15.0 MPH 
Prevailing direction: W 20%
Peak gust: 69 MPH SSW [8th] 
Sunshine: 11674 minutes, or 194.6 hours, or 52%
Uncorr. sunshine: 11270 minutes, or 187.8 hours, 52% 
Max. barometer: 30.72 ins. MSL, 30th

 
Today's observations:
 
8 A.M. EDT
Weather: Low overcast stratus fractus, overcast nimbostratus above,
very light rain shower occurring  
Temperature: 54F, Dew point: 52F  Wind: S at 23G39 kts 
Sea-level pressure: 30.04 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 10 miles, SE-S 7 SW 8 NW-NE 12  
6-hour min temp: 51F
6-hour rainfall: trace
24-hour rainfall: 0.23 in.
24-hour snowfall: trace  
BHO SA 1155 E15 BKN 20 OVC 10RW- 171/54/52/1923G39/004/ 
CIG RGD THN F ALQDS VSBY E-S 7 SW 8 NW-NE 12 PK WND 2039/48/
PCPN VRY LGT/ 8/72/ 58017 ASOS 60001 MANUAL 6000/ ASOS 70029 
MANUAL 70023 10055 20051
 
11 A.M. EDT
Weather: Low overcast stratus fractus, ceiling ragged, light 
rain shower began 10:05 ended 10:35 a.m.  
Temperature: 57F, Dew point: 54F, Wind: S at 25G39 kts,
Wind: peak wind gust 40 kts S @ 02 minutes past the hour of 10 a.m. 
Sea-level pressure: 29.96 inches Hg, falling  
Visibility: 12 miles, thin fog  
3-hourly rainfall: 0.01 inch
BHO SA 1455 E10 OVC 12 145/57/54/1925G39/996/ CIG RGD 
THN F PK WND 1840/02/ RB05E35/ 8/7// 58026 MANUAL 6001/
ASOS 60002
 
2 P.M. EDT
Weather: Low overcast stratus, ceiling ragged 
Temperature: 58F, Dew point: 55F, Wind: S at 26G40 kts, 
Wind: peak wind 47 kts from S at 43 minutes past the hour
Sea-level pressure: 29.85 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 12 miles, thin fog   
6-hourly max.temp: 58F
6-hourly rainfall: 0.01 
BHO SA 1755 E8 OVC 12 109/58/55/1926G40/985/ CIG RGD 
BRGT SPTS IOVC PK WND 1947/43/ THN F ALQDS/ 8/6// 
56036 ASOS 60002 MANUAL 6001/ 10058 20054
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 31
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....50    NORMAL.....50
MIN.....28    NORMAL.....32
MEAN....39    NORMAL.....41
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...........-2 
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..........+ 1 [-0.3 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............26  DEPARTURE.......+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........889  DEPARTURE.......-5 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........5137  DEPARTURE......-327 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....4994  DIFFERENCE.....+143  
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............38 SSW AT 11:28 P.M. *
                   AEROVANE.............38 SSW AT 11:28 P.M. *
                   ASOS.................38 SSW AT 11:28 P.M. 
                   DAVIS................42 S   AT 10:52 P.M. **
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............29 S   AT 11:27 P.M. * 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........30 S   AT 11:19 P.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........29 S   AT 10:49 P.M. ** 
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION......18.0 SSE     
                   ASOS...............17.8  
                   DAVIS..............16.4 SSE [160 deg] **
* last of several occurrences...
** last hour of day not included due to time difference
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.23   DEPARTURE......+0.08  
                         ASOS..............0.29
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR MARCH..............5.56   DEPARTURE......+0.77 
                         ASOS..............5.57  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........17.60## DEPARTURE......+3.97## 
                         ASOS.............19.88 # ##
# Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 2/13/08.
## Total precipitation and departure for the year through end of MARCH..
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M........trace   DEPARTURE.....-0.2
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................6.4   DEPARTURE.....-5.1 
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............66.5   DEPARTURE.....+9.6
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 2008 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, records not finalized
 
3/1  37/20/29/-3/0.34/3.2/034/05   38 W     Aero 40 MPH W
3/2  37/23/30/-2/0/0/564/83        40 WNW 
3/3  46/24/35/+3/0/0/327/48        42 S     Aero 43 MPH S 
3/4  58/36/47/+14/0.41/0/089/13    42 S     Aero 43 MPH S
3/5  57/33/45/+12/0.31/0/199/29    45 S
3/6  46/27/37/+4/0/0/573/83        27 WSW 
3/7  44/31/38/+5/0.28/0/395/57     29 NE
3/8  61/35/48/+14/2.20/0/000/00    69 SSW   Aero 70 MPH S
3/9  47/24/36/+2/0/0/698/100       65 W     Aero 65 MPH W 
3/10 38/19/29/-5/0/0/687/98        31 W 
3/11 42/19/31/-4/0/0/690/98        31 S 
3/12 40/30/35/0/0.26/0.6/120/17    41 WNW
3/13 43/25/34/-1/T/T/490/69        31 W
3/14 53/30/42/+6/0.01/0/135/19     24 ENE 
3/15 37/32/35/-1/0.51/1.9/000/00   39 NNE
3/16 40/31/36/0/T/T/014/02         42 WNW   Aero 42 MPH WNW
3/17 41/25/33/-4/0/0/692/96        42 WNW   Aero 39 MPH WNW
3/18 43/24/34/-3/0.02/0.1/493/68   22 NNE
3/19 43/30/37/0/0.53/0.5/000/00    28 ESE
3/20 50/32/41/+3/0.27/0/007/01     51 W
3/21 38/26/32/-6/0/0/704/96        61 W     Aero 58 MPH W
3/22 45/25/35/-3/0/0/692/94        44 W     Aero 44 MPH W
3/23 43/24/34/-4/0/0/717/97        25 WNW 
3/24 46/24/35/-4/0/0/659/89        21 WNW
3/25 39/25/32/-7/T/T/618/83        35 S
3/26 57/35/46/+7/T/T/449/60        46 S
3/27 52/35/44/+4/T/0/158/21        31 SSW
3/28 40/32/36/-4/0.25/0/000/00     29 ENE
3/29 35/24/30/-10/T/0.1/726/96     42 WNW   Aero 42 MPH WNW
3/30 43/19/31/-10/0/0/729/96       24 NW
3/31 50/28/39/-2/0.17/T/018/02     38 SSW 
 
4/1  morning low temp. 50F; normal low is now 33F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR MARCH 2008
 
3/8 PEAK WIND GUST - 69 MPH SSW; PREVIOUSLY 68e MPH NE, 1941
 
3/8 NEW RECORD MAXIMUM DAILY RAINFALL of 2.20 inches; 
the previous record was 1.73 inches in 1933. 
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 1
HIGH 74 IN 1967
LOW 6 IN 1923 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
PRECIP 3.47 IN. IN 2004 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
SNOWFALL 15.0 IN. IN 1997 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
PEAK GUST 75 MPH SSW IN 1962
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 2
HIGH 77 IN 1967
LOW 14 IN 1919
PRECIP 1.83 IN. IN 1970
SNOWFALL 13.0 IN. IN 1887
PEAK GUST 76 MPH SSW IN 1970
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling