BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02186
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA
 
DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2008 
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
 
THE MID-WINTER TYPE NOVEMBER COLD SNAP WAS
ACCOMPANIED BY VERY GUSTY WEST WINDS
MAKING FOR VERY LOW WINDCHILLS IN SINGLE NUMBERS
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 26F TIED A DAILY RECORD
PONKAPOND POND FROZEN OVER THIS MORNING
 
The extended stretch of unusually cold and
dry November weather began on the 18th and 
lasted through 23 November. The cold was
accompanied by gusty west winds and windchill
temperatures dropping into the single numbers
quite unusual at this time of year. 
Our maximum temperatures failed to rise above
the 32-degree mark on four out of the past six days.
 
Our recent records for the month of November show
that this month's cold snap can only by compared
to a similar stretch of very cold weather during
November 1989.  At that time low temperature
readings remained in the teens for four consecutive
days, 21-24 November. This time there were five
such days running from 19-23 November.   
 
The climax of the cold came on 22 November when
the maximum temperature reached just 26F equaling
a 1972 record low maximum for the date. 
Winds finally diminished late yesterday after six
days with gusts over 30 MPH.  Man-made snow from the
snow making on the ski slope drifted over and partially 
blocked (to vehicles) the access road to the summit due
to the very persistant and strong west winds on Saturday
and Sunday. Ponkapoag Pond,  just to our southeast,
was observed frozen over for the first time this
season early this morning.
 
Today's observations:
 
7 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, overcast cirrus/cirrostratus, breaks
in overcast SE-S, thin spots in overcast overhead-N-E-S, patches thin
below inversion SE-SW-N, pond 1.5 miles southest ice covered
Temperature: 28F, Dew point: 14F, Wind: SSW at 5 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.39 inches Hg, rising
Visibility: 25 miles, SW-NW 20 miles, northeast thru
southeast 35 miles
6-hourly minimum temperature: 25F
BHO SA 1155 E80 BKN 250 OVC 25 290/28/14/2105/039/
FEW SC OFFSHR DSNT NE-E BINOVC SE-S THN SPTS IOVC OVHD-N-E-S
PTCHS THN GF BLO INVSN SE-SW-NW PONKAPOAG POND FIRST
SEASONAL FREEZE OVER 1.5 MILES SE/
8/531 53001 10028 20025
 
10 A.M.
Weather: Broken altocumulus, overcast cirrus/cirrostratus, partly
thin layer, small breaks in overcast
Temperature: 33F, Dew point: 17F, Wind: SSE at 5 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.40 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 20 miles, thin smoke along horizon, hazy
BHO SA 1455 E75 BKN 250 OVC 20 292/33/17/1505/040/
SML BINOVC ALQDS 250 OVC PTLY THN SSE-SW-WNW THN K
LYR ALL HRZNS HAZY/ 8/031 50002
 
1 P.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, some lenticularis, thin broken
and thin overcast cirrus 
Temperature: 40F, Dew point: 16, Wind: S at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.32 inches Hg, falling
Visibility: 25 miles, 30 miles NE-SE
6-hour max. temp: 40F
BHO SA 1755 80 SCT 200 SCT 250 –BKN 300 0VC 25 269/40/16/1710/032/
PTCHS ACSL WND 15V21/ 8/041 56021 10040 20028 
 
WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....31    NORMAL.....46
MIN.....18    NORMAL.....32
MEAN....25    NORMAL.....39
 
DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL.............-14
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH..............-8 [-0.5 DEGREES/DAY]
 
HEATING DEGREE DAYS
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY............40  DEPARTURE........+14
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH...........514  DEPARTURE.........+7
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON.........1056  DEPARTURE........-42
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE.....897  DIFFERENCE......+159
 
PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH)
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY............35  W  AT 11:00 A.M.
                   AEROVANE.............33  W  AT 11:00 A.M. 
                   ASOS.................33  W  AT 11:00 A.M.
                   DAVIS................36 WSW AT 11:01 A.M.
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY..............25  W  AT 12:08 P.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE...........24  W  AT 11:01 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE..........27  W  AT 11:01 A.M.
                   AVERAGE............15.0  W     
                   ASOS...............14.2
                   DAVIS..............14.9  W [260 deg]
 
PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M.....0.00   DEPARTURE.......-0.15
                         ASOS...............0.00
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH...........2.19   DEPARTURE.......-1.40
                         ASOS...............2.21
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........47.13   DEPARTURE.......+1.52
                         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.....-2.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON.............TRACE  DEPARTURE.....-2.2
 
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/+12/0.07/0/000/00   22 SE
11/15 67/56/62/+20/0.62/0/000/00   65 SSE Aero 69 MPH SSE
11/16 64/37/51/+9/0.32/0/.../..    53 W   Aero 46 MPH W
11/17 47/31/39/-2/0.00/0/0/.../..  24 SSW
11/18 38/23/31/-10/0.00/0.0/.../.. 33 NW
11/19 31/18/25/-16/0.00/0.0/.../.. 32 NW
11/20 33/17/25/-15/0.00/0.0/.../.. 32 W   Aero 29 MPH W
11/21 32/19/26/-14/0.00/0.0/.../.. 36 NW  Aero 33 MPH NW
11/22 26/17/22/-18/0.00/0.0/.../.. 47 WNW Aero 47 MPH WNW
11/23 31/18/25/-14/0.00/0.0/.../.. 35 W   Aero 33 MPH W
 
11/24 morning low temp: 25F; our normal low is now 32F
 
NEW DAILY RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 2008...
 
11/15 PEAK GUST: 65 SSE, PREVIOUS RECORD, 58 NNW in 1962, NW in 1967
11/15 HIGH MIN TEMP: 56F; TIED WITH 1989
11/22 LOW MAX TEMP:  26F; TIED WITH 1972
 
DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 24
HIGH 69 IN 1931
LOW 7 IN 1897
PRECIP 1.76 INCHES IN 1901
SNOWFALL 4.5 INCHES IN 1936
PEAK GUST 69 SSW IN 1959
 
RECORDS FOR NOVEMBER 25
HIGH 71 IN 1979
LOW 13 IN 1938
PRECIP 3.10 INCHES IN 1983
SNOWFALL 8.0 INS IN 1888
PEAK GUST 94e E IN 1950
 
TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED By: Robert Skilling