BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
  
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2008  
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME UNLESS NOTED
 
COOLER BUT CONTINUED SUNNY AND VERY DRY WEATHER TODAY
TEMPERATURES 2 DEGREES SHORT OF RECORD HIGH YESTERDAY
VERY LIGHT RAIN SHOWER EARLY BARELY WET THE GROUND
 
After a near record high temperature yesterday cooler 
but continued very dry weather prevailed today.  The 
high of 83.4 was two degrees shy of the record of 
85 degrees set in 1908 and equaled on April 23, 2007. 
By early this afternoon we had reached 71 degrees or more
than ten degrees above the average high for late April.
 
A very light rain shower around 5 a.m. this morning left 
only a scant trace of rain and was the only rain observed
since some very light showers on April 13th. The air was
becoming extremely dry by early afternoon with the relative
humidity dropping to 20% and lower. The National Weather Service 
issued a red flag warning for a very high fire danger. 
We are now in our 12th consecutive day without measureable 
rainfall. Increasing west-northwest winds were reaching 
speeds of 30 to 37 MPH in gusts. The 2 p.m. relative humidity
was down to 17% and still dropping.   
 
Today's observations:
 
8 A.M. EDT
Weather: Clear, few cumulus forming distant west 
Temperature: 60F, Dew point: 46F  Wind: NW at 14G24 kts
Wind: Peak gust 27 kts from WNW at 20 past the hour
Wind: variable in direction from WNW to NNW 
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 inches Hg, rising 
Visibility: 35 miles        
6-hour min temp: 58F
6-hourly precipitation: trace
24-hourly precipitation: trace  
BHO SA 1155 CLR 35 192/60/46/3114G24/010/ 
FEW CUFRA DSNT W LGT HZ PK WND 3027/20 WND 27V34/ 
8/100 51019 MANUAL 6000/ 10063 20058
 
11 A.M. EDT
Weather: Clear, cumulus fractus and cumulus all parts of the sky
Temperature: 66F, Dew point: 39F, Wind: WNW at 18G28 kts 
Wind: Peak gust to 29 kts from WNW at 27 past the hour 
Wind: direction variable W to NNW  
Sea-level pressure: 30.11 inches Hg, steady  
Visibility: 30 miles, hazy  
BHO SA 1455 CLR 30 197/66/39/3018G28/011/ CUFRA/CU ALQDS 
HAZY PK WND 3029/27/ WND 26V33/ 8/100 51005
 
2 P.M. EDT
Weather: Clear, few small cumulus distant S-SW  
Temperature: 71F, Dew point: 23F, Wind: WNW at 13G24 kts 
Wind: Peak gust 28 kts WNW at 18 past the hour
Wind: direction WSW-NNW
Sea-level pressure: 30.09 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 60 miles  
6-hourly max. temp. 71F 
BHO SA 1755 CLR 60 191/71/23/2913G24/009/ FEW SML CU DSNT
S-SW LGT HZ PK WND 3028/18/ WND 26V34/ 8/100 56006 10071 20060
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....83    NORMAL.....58
MIN.....50    NORMAL.....39
MEAN....67    NORMAL.....49
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...........+18 
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH...........+83 [+3.4 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............0  DEPARTURE.......-16
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........378  DEPARTURE.......-81 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........5515  DEPARTURE......-408
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....5528  DIFFERENCE......-13
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............25 SW  AT  9:22 P.M.    
                   AEROVANE.............25 SW  AT  9:22 P.M.      
                   ASOS.................24 SW  AT  9:22 P.M.         
                   DAVIS................28 SSW AT  2:50 P.M.        
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............18 S   AT  7:28 P.M.*      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........18 S   AT  7:29 P.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........20 SSW AT  2:51 P.M.        
                   AVERAGE............11.6 SW 
                   ASOS...............10.8       
                   DAVIS..............12.0 SSW [210 deg]   
* last of several occurrences...
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...trace   DEPARTURE......-0.14  
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.52   DEPARTURE......-1.86
                         ASOS..............1.66 
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........19.12   DEPARTURE......+2.11
                         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......-2.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............66.5    DEPARTURE......+7.1
 
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 83/50/67/+18/0/0/784/95       25 SW
 
4/24 morning low temp. 58F; our normal low is now 40F
     a trace of rain in early a.m. rain shower   
 
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 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
 
RECORDS FOR APRIL 25
HIGH 80 IN 1942
LOW 24 IN 1892
PRECIP 1.38 IN. IN 1901
SNOWFALL 0.7 IN. IN 2002.
PEAK GUST 66 MPH SE IN 1968
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling