BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
  
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME UNLESS NOTED
 
CLOUDLESS SKY AND NOW WITH THE VERY STRONG MARCH 
SUNSHINE THE TEMPERATURE HAS RISEN UP TO NEAR 40 DEGREES
 
Except for a few early morning clouds, the sky has been 
completely clear and very sunny today with the morning 
low temperature recovering to near 40F by early this 
afternoon.  The air is very dry with dewpoints in the 
low teens and relative humidity near 30%.  Visibility 
has increased from around 65 miles early to 80 miles 
early this afternoon.  Gusty west-northwest winds have
been up to 30 to 35 MPH.
 
Today's observations:
 
8 A.M. EDT
Weather: Clear, a few clouds  
Temperature: 26F, Dew point: 13F  Wind: NW at 15G32 kts
Wind: peak wind NW 32 kts from NW at 46 past the hour,
Wind: variability W to NNW
Sea-level pressure: 30.33 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 65 miles, NW 70 miles , hazy
6-hour min temp: 25F
24-hour precipitation: trace  
24-hour snowfall: trace 
Snow depth on ground: trace 
BHO SA 1155 CLR 65 271/26/13/3115G32/033/ FEW AC OVHD-NE-E-DSNT ESE-S 
VSBY NW 70 PK WND 3132/46/ WND 28V34/ 8/030 52035 10030 20025  
 
11 A.M. EDT
Weather: Clear  
Temperature: 32F, Dew point: 14F, Wind: NW at 14G24 kts 
Wind: peak wind from NW at 27 kts @ 21 past the hour, 
Wind: variability W to N 
Sea-level pressure: 30.37 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 70 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 70 285/32/14/3114G24/037/ PK WND 3127/21/ 
WND 27V35/ 51014
 
2 P.M. EDT
Weather: Clear
Temperature: 38F, Dew point: 13F, Wind: NW at 15G25 kts 
Wind: Peak wind gust 27 kts WNW at 11:59 a.m.; 
wind variability in direction W to N 
Sea-level pressure: 30.35 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 80 miles
6-hour max. temp: 39F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 80 278/38/13/3115G25/035/ PK WND 3027/1659/
WND 28V36/ 58007 10039 20026 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 16
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....40    NORMAL.....45
MIN.....31    NORMAL.....28
MEAN....36    NORMAL.....36
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........... 0 
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..........+44 [+2.6 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............29 DEPARTURE........  0
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........453  DEPARTURE.......-48 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4701  DEPARTURE......-368 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....4600  DIFFERENCE.....+101  
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............42 WNW  AT 11:37 P.M.      
                   AEROVANE.............42 WNW  AT 11:37 P.M.     
                   ASOS.................39 WNW  AT 11:37 P.M.      
                   DAVIS................40 WNW  AT 11:35 P.M.       
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............30 WNW  AT 11:37 P.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........29 WNW  AT 11:37 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........32 WNW  AT 11:36 P.M.    
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION...... 8.5 N 
                   ASOS................9.0      
                   DAVIS...............7.7 N [350 deg]    
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...trace   DEPARTURE......-0.16  
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........4.29   DEPARTURE......+1.86
                         ASOS..............4.29  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........16.33   DEPARTURE......+5.06
                         ASOS.............18.60 #
# Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 2/13/08.
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.........trace  DEPARTURE.....-0.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................5.7   DEPARTURE.....-1.3 
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............65.8   DEPARTURE....+13.4 
 
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/.../..        31 S 
3/12 40/30/35/0/0.26/0.6/.../..    41 WNW
3/13 43/25/34/-1/T/T/.../..        31 W
3/14 53/30/42/+6/0.01/0/.../..  *  24 ENE 
3/15 37/32/35/-1/0.48/1.9/.../..*  39 NNE
3/16 40/31/36/0/T/T/.../..         42 WNW   Aero 42 MPH WNW
 
* slight changes to daily precipitation...
 
3/17 morning low temp. 25F; our normal low is now 28F
  
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 MARCH 17
HIGH 69 IN 2003
LOW 6 IN 1885
PRECIP 1.97 INCHES IN 1968
SNOWFALL 6.5 INCHES IN 1956
PEAK GUST 70 MPH SSW IN 1973
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 18
HIGH 68 IN 1999
LOW 0 IN 1885
PRECIP 5.61 INS. IN 1968  [RECORD FOR MONTH]
SNOWFALL 9.3 INS. IN 1985
PEAK GUST 71e MPH WNW IN 1941
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling