BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
  
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2008
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME UNLESS NOTED
 
Light snow changed to rain this morning after a mixture of
snow and sleet for awhile. Total of 0.1 snow fell just before
midnight EST and 0.3 was measured at 8 a.m. EDT. Another 0.3
fell after that bringing the event total to just 0.6 inch. 
Total precipitation for the event was 0.22 inch through 
2 p.m. this afternoon. 
  
Today's observations:
 
8 A.M. EDT
Weather: Overcast nimbostratus with light snow and fog 
Temperature: 31F, Dew point: 28F  Wind: ESE at 12 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.11 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 3 miles  
6-hour min temp: 30F
6-hour precip: 0.02 in.
6-hour snowfall: 0.2 in.
24-hour precip: 0.05 in.
24-hour snowfall: 0.3 in.   
Snow depth on ground: trace
BHO SA 1155 –X E30 OVC 3S-F 196/31/28/1212/011/ 
SF3 TOTAL NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 0.3 IN/ 8/02/ 58014 
ASOS 60003 MANUAL 6005/ 10034 20030     

11 A.M. EDT
Weather: Partial obscurement with fog, light rain, ice pellets 
and snow occurring with fog
Temperature: 32F, Dew point: 32F, Wind: ESE at 12G22 kts 
Sea-level pressure: 30.02 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 3/4 variable 1/2 to 2 miles 
3-hourly preciP. 0.09
3-hourly snowfall 0.3 inch 
BHO SA 1455 –X E4 OVC 3/4VR-IP-S- 165/32/32/1112G22/002/ 
F2 STRA DRFTG OVR SMT VSBY 1/2V21 SIPB20 TOTAL NEW SNW PST 3 HRS 0.3 IN/ 
8/7// 58031 ASOS 60008 MANUAL 6009/
 
2 P.M. EDT
Weather: Light drizzle and fog  
Temperature: 34F, Dew point: 34F, Wind: E at 9 kts 
Sea-level pressure: 29.91 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 1/4 variable 1/8 to 1/2 mile   
BHO SA 1755 W3 X 1/4VL-F 130/34/34/1009/991/ VSBY 1/8V1/2 
SE-SW 1 TOTAL NEW SNW PST 6 HRS 0.3 INCH 8//// 58035 
ASOS 60017 MANUAL 6017/ 10034 20030 
6-hourly max. temp. 34F
6-hourly precip: 0.17 inch
6-hourly snowfall: 0.3 inch
     
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 18
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....43    NORMAL.....45
MIN.....24    NORMAL.....28
MEAN....34    NORMAL.....37
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...........-3 
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..........+37 [+1.9 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............31  DEPARTURE.......+ 3
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........516  DEPARTURE.......-42 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4764  DEPARTURE......-362 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....4675  DIFFERENCE......+89  
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............22 NNE AT 8:21 A.M.        
                   AEROVANE.............19 NNE AT 8:21 A.M.       
                   ASOS.................20 NNE AT 8:21 A.M.      
                   DAVIS................19 NNE AT 8:21 A.M.        
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............13  S   AT 8:21 P.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........15  S   AT 8:23 P.M.     
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........14 SE   AT n/a    
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION......  9.0 NW
                   ASOS................ 8.5      
                   DAVIS................8.7 NNE [030 deg]     
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M... 0.05   DEPARTURE......-0.11  
                         ASOS..............0.03
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........4.37   DEPARTURE......+1.62 *
                         ASOS..............4.32  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........16.41   DEPARTURE......+4.82 * 
                         ASOS.............18.63 #
# Includes erroneous ASOS precipitation data on 2/13/08.
 
* changes of +0.03 have been entered for 3/15 precipitation after
  reviewing our records, so in today's report the month monthly
  total, year's total, and all depatures are increased by 0.03 inch.  
 
SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M......... 0.3   DEPARTURE.....-0.1
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................6.0   DEPARTURE.....-1.8 
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............66.1   DEPARTURE....+12.9 
 
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/.../..   22 NNE
 
* daily precip. for 15th changed from 0.48 to 0.51 inch...
 
3/19 morning low temp. 30F; normal low now 29F
 
 
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 19
HIGH 69 IN 1903
LOW -2 IN 1967
PRECIP 1.69 INS. IN 1956
SNOWFALL 17.6 INS. IN 1956 [RECORD FOR MONTH]
PEAK GUST 75e MPH WNW IN 1941
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 20
HIGH 79 IN 1945
LOW 4 IN 1885
PRECIP 1.39 INS. IN 1957
SNOWFALL 11.4 INS. IN 1957
PEAK GUST 63 MPH SE IN 1975
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling