BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
WEDNESDAY'S SOUTH WINDS AVERAGED 26.4 MPH
AND HOURLY AVERAGES WERE 30 MPH PLUS FOR
18 CONSECUTIVE HOURS AS GUSTS HIT 55 TO 58 MPH
WINDIEST DAY SINCE APRIL 1ST AT 28.0 MPH
 
The strong south winds averaging 30 MPH and over
lasted for 18 consecutive hours before diminishing
yesterday afternoon just ahead of a cold front and
accompanying wind shift.  Fifteen hours of wind
yesterday averaging 30 MPH and more and reached a peak
hourly average  of 37 to 39 MPH per hour between 9
and 11 a.m.  Peak gusts were in a range of 55 to
58 MPH between about 6 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Temperatures soared to 60 degrees but fell three
degrees short of the record high for the date.
Colder air arriving during the evening dropped
temperature readings to 37F by midnight.  Rainfall
for the day totaled 0.43 inch and came in the form
of showery rain. Only a few hundredths fell before
noon with most of the rainfall during the afternoon
and evening hours.     
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Obscurement with heavy fog and light rain
Temperature: 34F, Dew point: 34F, Wind: N at 11G18 kts,
Wind: direction variability NNW to NE
Sea-level pressure: 30.10 inches Hg, rising 
Visibility: 1/8 mile, variable 1/16 to 3/4 mile
6-hourly precip: 0.14 inch
24-hour precipitation: 0.56 in.
6-hour minimum temperature: 34F
BHO SA 1155 W2 X 1/8VR-F 192/34/34/0111G18/010/
VSBY 1/16V3/4 STRA DRFTG OVR SMT WND 33V04/ 8////
53005 ASOS 60013 MANUAL 6014/ ASOS 70062
MANUAL 70056 10037 20034
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Low overcast stratus, light rain, drizzle, and fog
Temperature: 36F, Dew point: 36F, Wind: NNE at 15G24 kts,
Wind: direction variability N to ENE
Sea-level pressure: 30.08 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 11/2 miles, variable 1 to 2 miles
3-hour precipitation: 0.06 inch 
BHO SA 1455 E3 OVC 11/2VR-L-F 187/36/36/0315G24/008/
STRA DRFTG OVR/BLO SMT VSBY 1V2 OCNL LWR WND 36V07/
8/7// 58005 ASOS 60007 MANUAL 6006/
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Low overcast, stratus fractus, nimbostratus 
Temperature: 35F, Dew point: 35F, Wind: NNE at 11 kts,
Wind: Peak wind gust 27 kts NNE at 12:32 P.M.,
Wind: direction variability NNW to ENE  
Sea-level pressure: 30.05 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 2.5 miles, light rain and fog
6 hour maximum temperature: 36F
6-hour precipitation: 0.25 in.
BHO SA 1755 E6V BKN 12 OVC 21/2R-F 177/35/35/0311/005/
6 BKN V OVC STFRA DRFTG BLO OCNL OVR SMT PK WND 0327/32/
WND 34V06/ 8/72/ 55010 MANUAL 6025/ ASOS 60026 10036
20034
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....60    NORMAL.....40
MIN.....37    NORMAL.....25
MEAN....49    NORMAL.....33
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL..............+16
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..............+13 [+1.1 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY.............16  DEPARTURE........-16
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH............293  DEPARTURE........-14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........1543  DEPARTURE........-51
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....1470  DIFFERENCE.......+73
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............55  S  AT 10:57 A.M. *
                   AEROVANE.............58  S  AT 10:57 A.M. *
                   ASOS.................58  S  AT 10:34 A.M.
                   DAVIS................63 SSW AT  7:39 A.M.
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............44  S  AT 11:13 A.M. *
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........44  S  AT 11:14 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........43  S  AT 11:14 A.M.
                   AVERAGE............26.4  S 
                   ASOS...............24.5
                   DAVIS..............22.6  SSW [200 deg]
* last of several occurrences....
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.56   DEPARTURE.......+0.41
                         ASOS...............0.62
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........0.82   DEPARTURE.......-0.68
                         ASOS...............1.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........51.11   DEPARTURE.......+2.95 
                         ASOS..............54.01 #
# 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.....-0.3
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................1.6  DEPARTURE.....-1.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............1.6  DEPARTURE.....-3.9
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 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 gust when significant
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
 
12/1  59/43/51/+15/0.12/0.0/374/67   43 SSW 
12/2  47/32/40/+4/0.00/0.0/451/81    33 SSW
12/3  44/29/37/+2/0.00/0.0/556/100   24 SSW
12/4  53/33/43/+8/T/0.0/122/22       42 SSW   Aero 43 MPH S
12/5  38/26/32/-3/0.00/0.0/404/73    26 WNW
12/6  37/23/30/-4/0.00/0.0/309/56    21 S
12/7  32/20/26/-8/0.12/1.6/000/00    54 W     Aero 53 MPH W
12/8  21/10/16/-17/0.00/0.0/.../..   50 W     Aero 50 MPH W
12/9  53/13/33/0/0.01/T/000/00       48 S     Aero 50 MPH S
12/10 60/37/49/+16/0.43/0.0/000/00   55 S     Aero 58 MPH S
 
12/11 morning low temp. 34F; our normal low is now 25F
      total precip. midnight to 7 a.m. 0.14 inch    
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 2008...
 
None to date.
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 11
HIGH 63 IN 1911
LOW -1 IN 1988
PRECIP 2.36 INS. IN 1992
SNOWFALL 6.0 INS. IN 1894
PEAK GUST 78 S IN 1969
 
RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 12
HIGH 67 IN 1979
LOW -3 IN 1988
PRECIP 3.94 INS. IN 1992
SNOWFALL 20.3 INS. IN 1960
PEAK GUST 74 MPH W IN 2000
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling