BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
  
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME UNLESS NOTED
 
TEMPERATURE REACHES 80 DEGREES FOR FIRST TIME THIS YEAR
LONG SUNNY AND DRY SPELL OF WEATHER CONTINUES
 
The high temperature had reached 82 degrees just after 
2 p.m. today.
 
It was just one year ago today that our temperature 
reached 80 degrees and then went on to equal a record for
this date of 85 degrees set in 1908.  We may get 
close to that record this afternoon.  Just like one 
year ago, this is the warmest it has been so far into
the year.  Last year a cold April through the the first
two thirds of the month was then followed by above 
normal warmth during the last third. April, 2007, wound
up 2.3 degrees cooler than normal while this year the
month is now surpassing 3 degrees warmer than normal. 

This month's stretch of dry weather began after 
the last measurable rain fell on the 12th and is now 
in its 10th day. Sunshine for the month will be reach 
60% of possible through today. We've recorded 92%
of the possible bright sunshine during the past 9 
days during an unusally nice stretch of April weather.  
 
Today's observations:
 
8 A.M. EDT
Weather: Clear, few cirrus 
Temperature: 55F, Dew point: 46F  Wind: SW at 8 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.17 inches Hg, rising 
Visibility: 20 miles, thin fog and hazy       
6-hour min temp: 50F
24-hour precipitation: None 
BHO SA 1155 CLR 20 215/55/46/2208/017/ FEW CI THN FG HZY/
8/001 53003 10055 20050  
 
11 A.M. EDT
Weather: Clear, few cirrus 
Temperature: 73F, Dew point: 49F, Wind: SWE at 9 kts 
Wind: direction variable S to W  
Sea-level pressure: 30.13 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 25 miles, hazy  
BHO SA 1455 CLR 25 204/73/49/2309/013/ 
FEW CI HAZY WND 19V26/ 8/001 56011 
 
2 P.M. EDT
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus, few cumulus NW-E and
few lower dense cirrus  
Temperature: 80F, Dew point: 43F, Wind: SW at 7 kts 
Wind: direction S-WSW 
Sea-level pressure: 30.07 inches Hg, falling
Visibility:  30 miles, hazy 
6-hourly max. temp. 81F 
BHO SA 1755 250 –SCT 300 –SCT 30 184/80/43/2207/007/
FEW SML CU FRMG NW-E FEW LWR DENS CI HAZY WND 18V24/ 
8/101 56020 10081 20055 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 22
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....74    NORMAL.....58
MIN.....45    NORMAL.....39
MEAN....60    NORMAL.....49
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...........+11 
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...........+65 [+2.8 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............5  DEPARTURE.......-11
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........378  DEPARTURE.......-65 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........5515  DEPARTURE......-392
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....5528  DIFFERENCE......-13
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............23 S   AT  6:04 P.M. *    
                   AEROVANE.............22 S   AT  4:27 P.M. *     
                   ASOS.................22 S   AT  7:14 P.M.        
                   DAVIS................24 SSE AT  7:34 P.M.       
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............17 S   AT  6:12 P.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........18 S   AT  6:12 P.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........16 S   AT  4:36 P.M.       
                   AVERAGE.............8.3 S
                   ASOS................8.1      
                   DAVIS...............7.0 S [170 deg]  
* last of several occurrences....
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE......-0.14  
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.52   DEPARTURE......-1.72
                         ASOS..............1.66 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........19.12   DEPARTURE......+2.25
                         ASOS.............21.54 #
# Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 2/13/08.
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.........0.0    DEPARTURE......-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR APRIL...................0.0    DEPARTURE......-2.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............66.5    DEPARTURE......+7.2
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR APRIL 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
 
4/1  59/50/55/+14/0.20/0/000/00    54 S    Aero 58 MPH SSW
4/2  47/31/39/-3/0/0/745/97        52 W    Aero 51 MPH W
4/3  52/27/40/-2/0/0/648/84        37 SSW 
4/4  43/34/39/-3/0.71/0/000/00     35 E
4/5  51/37/44/+1/0.06/0/093/12     21 W
4/6  40/36/38/-5/0.09/0/000/00     36 NE 
4/7  39/34/37/-6/0/0/172/22        35 NE    Aero 36 MPH NE
4/8  47/30/39/-5/0/0/627/80        22 NE
4/9  59/33/47/+3/0/0/150/19        29 S    
4/10 71/44/58/+14/T/0/624/79       34 W
4/11 54/40/47/+2/0.03/096/13       24 SE 
4/12 70/43/57/+12/0.43/0/342/43    40 WNW   Aero 42 WNW
4/13 47/34/41/-4/T/0/104/13        30 NW 
4/14 53/30/42/-4/0/0/625/78        29 NW  
4/15 57/33/45/-1/0/0/803/100       23 SSE 
4/16 64/39/52/+6/0/0/806/100       24 SSE
4/17 64/14/53/+6/0/0/810/100       23 NE
4/18 70/42/56/+9/0/0/723/89        23 NW
4/19 70/46/58/+11/0/0/799/98       22 NE 
4/20 67/42/55/+7/0/0/760/93        25 ESE
4/21 61/41/51/+3/0/0/615/75        17 E
4/22 74/45/60/+11/0/0/789/96       23 S
 
4/23 morning low temp. 50F; our normal low is now 39F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR APRIL 2008
None to date.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 23
HIGH 85 IN 1908, 2007
LOW 25 IN 1933,1989
PRECIP 1.51 IN. IN 1998
SNOWFALL 0.5 IN. IN 1911, 1956
PEAK GUST 64 MPH WNW IN 1962
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 24
HIGH 82 IN 2001
LOW 22 IN 1930
PRECIP 2.51 INS IN 1898
SNOWFALL 1.2 INS IN 1967
PEAK GUST 59 MPH NW IN 1962

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling