BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
UNLIMITED SUNSHINE BUT COLD TEMPERATURES
WITH GENTLE TO MODERATE NW-NNW WINDS AND
DRY AIR--DEW POINTS IN MID-TEENS
 
Full sunshine had boosted temperatures from
a morning low of 27F to the upper 30's by
early afternoon as the coldest air mass of the
season was felt here today. As the cold air
was becoming better established, lowering dew
points in the mid-teens were a sign of colder
air to come. Cold air moving across Cape Cod
Bay brought some showers of sleet to parts
of the Cape this morning as reported by our
observer Charles Orloff in Yarmouthport. 
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus with modt. cumuloform tops ENE-SE and
stratocumulus distant NE-SE, few altocumulus distant all directions
Temperature: 27F, Dew point: 19F, Wind: NNW  at 11 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.01 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 60 miles, 70 miles northwest  
6-hourly minimum temperature: 27F
24-hour rainfall: 0.00
BHO SA 1155 CLR 60 163/27/19/3311/001/ SC MDT CUFRM TOPS ENE-SE 
AND SC DSNT NE-SE FEW AC/ACSL DSNT ALQDS VSBY NW 70/ 8/540
51004 10030 20027  
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Clear, stratocumulus, cumulus, moderate tops ENE-SSE,
and along and offshore NE-SSE, few altocumulus patches 
Temperature: 35F, Dew point: 16F, Wind: NNW at 11 kts,
Wind: Variable in direction W to N
Sea-level pressure: 30.03 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 75 miles  
BHO SA 1455 CLR 75 168/35/16/3311/003/ CU/SC MDT CUFRM TOPS ENE-SSE 
AND CU/SC ALG/OFFSHR NE-SSE CU/SC DSNT W-NNW FEW AC/ACSL PTCHS ALQDS 
WND 28V01/8/440 50005
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus forming N-E and cumulus/stratocumulus
distant WSW-N and NE-SSE cirrus layer distant ESE-SSE 
Temperature: 37F, Dew point: 16F, Wind: NNW at 11 kts,
Wind: Variable in direction WNW to NNE, gust to 18 kts past hour
Sea-level pressure: 29.98 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hour max. temp: 38F  
BHO SA 1755 CLR 70 154/37/16/3311/998/ FEW CU FRMG VCNTY STN N-E
CU/SC ALG/OFFSHR DSNT NE-SSE AND DSNT WSW-N CI LYR DSNT ESE-SSE
WND 29V03 GST 18 KTS PST HR/ 8/408 58014 10038 20027 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....47    NORMAL.....49
MIN.....31    NORMAL.....34
MEAN....39    NORMAL.....41
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL............. -2
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.............+79 [+4.4 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............26  DEPARTURE.........+2
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........278  DEPARTURE........-80
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON..........820  DEPARTURE.......-129
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....732  DIFFERENCE.......+88 
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............24 SW  AT 12:51 A.M.      
                   AEROVANE.............22 SSW AT  8:23 A.M.        
                   ASOS.................22 WSW AT  1:02 P.M.        
                   DAVIS................23 SSW AT  8:23 A.M.      
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............17 WSW AT  1:03 P.M.   
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........17 WSW AT  1:03 P.M.      
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........20 SSW AT 12:42 A.M.       
                   AVERAGE............11.0 SW   
                   ASOS................9.8  
                   DAVIS..............11.6 WSW [240 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...........2.19   DEPARTURE.......-0.45
                         ASOS...............2.21
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........47.13   DEPARTURE.......+2.47
                         ASOS..............49.73 #
# 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 THE MONTH..............TRACE  DEPARTURE.....-1.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............TRACE  DEPARTURE.....-1.6
 
PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 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
 
11/1  58/36/47/0/0.00/266/43      22 SW
11/2  43/29/36/-10/0.00/598/97    25 NW
11/3  50/32/41/-5/0.00/000/00     23 S
11/4  65/45/55/+9/0.00/409/67     24 SSW
11/5  65/52/59/+14/0.07/018/03    28 NE 
11/6  55/52/54/+9/0.93/000/00     35 NNE
11/7  57/52/55/+10/0.05/000/00    24 N
11/8  59/55/57/+13/0.07/000/00    32 SE
11/9  57/45/51/+7/0.01/462/77     35 WSW 
11/10 52/34/43/-1/T/316/53        32 W
11/11 47/31/39/-4/0.00/428/72     33 W
11/12 46/35/41/-2/0.00/355/60     17 W
11/13 49/36/43/0/0.05/T/000/00    35 ESE SLEET 8 AM
11/14 59/49/54/+12/.../0/000/00   22 SE
11/15 67/56/62/+20/.../0/000/00   65 SSE Aero 69 MPH SSE
11/16 64/37/51/+9/.../0/.../..    53 W   Aero 46 MPH W
11/17 47/31/39/-2/0.00/0/0/.../.. 24 SSW
 
11/18 morning low temp: 27F; our normal low is now 34F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER
 
11/15 PEAK GUST: 65 SSE, PREVIOUS RECORD, 58 NNW in 1962, NW in 1967
11/15 HIGH MIN: 56F; TIED WITH 1989
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 18
HIGH 72 IN 1963
LOW 10 IN 1936
PRECIP 1.80 INS IN 1929
SNOWFALL 6.3 INS IN 1980
PEAK GUST 60 SW IN 1987
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 19
HIGH 72 IN 1941
LOW 10 IN 1936
PRECIP 1.92 INCHES IN 1926
SNOWFALL 11.0 INS IN 1986
PEAK GUST 59e E IN 1945
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling