BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
  
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME UNLESS NOTED
 
VERY SUNNY BUT 4 DEGREES COLDER THAN AVERAGE FOR EASTER 
ALSO VERY DRY AIR WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITIES IN THE 20% RANGE 
AND DEW POINTS RANGING IN THE SINGLE NUMBERS
 
The strong March winds had diminished yesterday after
three days averaging 22 MPH with gusts to between 44 
and 61 MPH. Even though the day was 4 degrees colder 
than average, a completely clear sky with bright, 
strong late March sunshine made for a very pleasant 
Easter Sunday.
 
The last time the holiday occurred this early, (March 23rd), 
was in 1913 and next time will not be until 2160!  In 2011, 
Easter will fall on April 24, its second to latest possible 
date. 
 
Today's observations:
 
8 A.M. EDT
Weather: Clear, inversion present, smoke layer along horizon S-W-N 
Temperature: 28F, Dew point: 11F  Wind: N at 9 kts 
Sea-level pressure: 30.27 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles  
6-hour min temp: 24F
BHO SA 1155 CLR 60 250/28/11/3609/027/ INVSN PRSNT 
K LYR ALG HRZN S-W-N/ 53015 10028 20024
 
11 A.M. EDT
Weather: Clear, few cumulus forming overhead through north  
through southeast, few cirrus SE-SSW 
Temperature: 38F, Dew point: 19F, Wind: SSE at 3 kts
Wind: light and variable
Sea-level pressure: 30.29 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles
BHO SA 1455 CLR 60 256/38/19/E1503/029/ FEW CU FRMG OVHD-N-SE 
FEW CI SE-SSW WND L/V/ 8/101 53006
 
2 P.M. EDT
Weather: Thin scattered cirrus/cirrostratus, few cumulus, and 
moderate cumulus N-E 
Temperature: 44F, Dew point: 13F, Wind: WNW at 5 kts
Wind: light and variable 
Sea-level pressure: 30.24 inches Hg, falling 
Visibility: 75 miles   
6-hourly max. temp. 44F
BHO SA 1755 300 –SCT 75 239/44/13/2905/024/ FEW CU ALQDS 
MDT CU N-E WND L/V/ 8/208 58017 10044 20028
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MARCH 23, EASTER SUNDAY
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....43    NORMAL.....47
MIN.....24    NORMAL.....30
MEAN....34    NORMAL.....38
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL...........-4 
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..........+23 [+1.0 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............31  DEPARTURE........+4
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........662  DEPARTURE.......-31 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........4910  DEPARTURE......-353 
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE....4820  DIFFERENCE......+90  
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............25 WNW AT  1:55 A.M.         
                   AEROVANE.............25 WNW AT  1:55 A.M.       
                   ASOS.................23 WNW AT 11:51 A.M.      
                   DAVIS................26 WNW AT  1:55 A.M.        
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............16 WNW AT  7:53 A.M.    
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........18 WNW AT  7:53 A.M.      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........20 WNW AT  7:53 A.M.     
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION........11.3  
                   ASOS.................10.9      
                   DAVIS................12.0 W [280 deg]     
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.00   DEPARTURE......-0.16  
                         ASOS..............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........5.14   DEPARTURE......+1.59 
                         ASOS..............5.11  
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........17.18   DEPARTURE......+4.79  
                         ASOS.............19.42 #
# 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................6.3   DEPARTURE.....-3.2 
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON..............66.4   DEPARTURE....+11.5
 
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
3/19 43/30/37/0/.../0.5/000/00     28 ESE
3/20 50/32/41/+3/.../0/007/01      51 W
3/21 38/26/32/-6/0/0/.../..        61 W     Aero 58 MPH W
3/22 45/25/35/-3/0/0/.../..        44 W     Aero 44 MPH W
3/23 43/24/34/-4/0/0/.../..        25 WNW
 
3/24 morning low temp. 24F; our normal low is now 30F
 
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 24
HIGH 70 DEGREES IN 1920
LOW 6 DEGREES IN 1906
PRECIP 1.51 INCHES IN 1956
SNOWFALL 12.3 INCHES IN 1956
PEAK GUST 71 MPH W IN 1968
 
RECORDS FOR MARCH 25
HIGH 76 IN 1910
LOW 8 IN 1888, 1956
PRECIP 1.84 INS. IN 1909
SNOWFALL 1.0 INS. IN 1912
PEAK GUST 69 MPH SE IN 1969
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling